Mahatma Gandhi looked up to numerous individuals for inspiration in his pursuit of civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes. The correct answer in this case is Thoreau. Henry David Thoreau, an American philosopher and writer, was known for his essay "Civil Disobedience," which advocated for individual resistance against unjust laws. Gandhi was deeply influenced by Thoreau`s ideas and incorporated them into his own philosophy of fighting against British colonial rule in India through peaceful non-cooperation. While Leo Tolstoy and John Ruskin were also significant influences on Gandhi`s thinking, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale was his political mentor, it was Thoreau who played the most prominent role in shaping Gandhi`s ideas on civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes.