Did Gandhi act out of a code of conduct?

This is a fascinating question. I think that so many cases
can be made on so many different levels that it simply prompts much in way of thought
and analysis.  On the surface, and probably the easiest to grasp given the mythological
status that Gandhi has taken, is that he did act out of a set of core beliefs that were
spiritual in nature. Gandhi never used religion to divide or to separate, but rather
appealed to the spiritual element that emphasized humanity and dignity in treating
individuals.  It is through this approach that allowed him to preach nonviolence, though
heavily combined with an intense disagreement of unjust laws and control.  Gandhi's use
of Satyagraha, the code of conduct that employed the idea of "holding to truth" as part
of an active campaign of civil disobedience, was a way in which he was able to reflect
the dignity inherent in all people, including the oppressors.  It was in this where
Gandhi's set of moral or spiritual beliefs are the most present.  The other side to this
coin is that Gandhi acted out of an extremely well- honed in sense of political
beliefs.  Gandhi understood that the use of nonviolence and Satyagraha was the only
possible weapon that the Indians possessed against the mighty British Empire.  Before
anyone else, Gandhi understood that the British controlled everything in terms of
commerce, military and naval power, world prestige, and resource allocation.  For Gandhi
to have demanded independence for India in such an arena would have been futile because
of such an overwhelming advantage.  In carving out the struggle for independence on
moral terms, some would argue that Gandhi was brilliant in his grasp of pragmatism, in
that he understood that the way to equalize out the playing field between Indians and
the British would be to develop a manner of struggle that emphasized the humanity of the
Indians and standing in opposition to this would be representative of inhumanity and
moral repugnance.  Within this invocation, Gandhi possessed a tough political set of
beliefs that sought to gain independence through a pivoting to Indian strength, away
from a British source of strength.