Mahatma Gandhi experienced the famous train incident at Pietermaritzburg in 1893. Although he held a valid first-class ticket, he was ordered to leave the compartment because of his race and was removed from the train at the station.
Gandhi was traveling from Durban toward Pretoria in South Africa to work on a legal case. He spent the night at the station after the incident, which he later described as a decisive moment in his political awakening.
The event did not instantly create his complete philosophy, but it helped persuade him to remain in South Africa and organize against discriminatory laws. There he developed satyagraha, a method based on truth, nonviolent resistance, and willingness to accept legal punishment.
Pietermaritzburg is often shortened to “Maritzburg,” and the incident is sometimes incorrectly placed in Johannesburg or Durban. The train journey began in Durban, but the ejection occurred at Pietermaritzburg.