A 1927 book, 'Lenin and Gandhi' by René Fülöp-Miller, explored comparisons between the two near-contemporaries. Both men, born middle-class, were driven by a desire to emancipate the poor and end injustice. Key differences included Lenin's polemical style versus Gandhi's civility, and Lenin's embrace of violence against Gandhi's devotion to non-violence. Early comparisons, like Shripad Amrit Dange's 1921 tract, noted both shared ideals but differed in their views on human nature and practical implementation.