On assignment for Life Magazine to cover a feature story on the political leaders of India, Bourke-White was dealt an unusual ultimatum. In order to be allowed to photograph Mahatma Gandhi, she would first have to master the principles of the charka, or spinning-wheel so that she could "interpret his soul" for the making of the portrait. Bourke-White later observed:... If you want to photograph a man spinning, give some thought to why he spins. Understanding, for a photographer, is as important as the equipment he uses. I have always believed what goes on, unseen, in back of the lens is just as important as what goes on in front of it.

In the case of Gandhi, the spinning-wheel was laden with meaning. For millions of Indians, it was the symbol of the fight for freedom. Gandhi was a shrewd judge of economic pressures as well as spiritual ones. If millions of Indians could be persuaded to make the cloth they used themselves, instead of buying manufactured textiles from the British colonial power, the boycott would be severely felt in England's textile industry. The charka was the key to victory. Non-violence was Gandhi's creed, and the spinning-wheel was the perfect weapon.

Ironically, Gandhi was assassinated shortly after this famous portrait was made.