While it is a good idea to be wary of Gandhi it's fuckers like Montezuma, Napolean, Shaka, and Augustus that get all up in your space pretty quickly.
I've actually never had a problem with them, mostly because I play as Shaka Zulu, and rarely come across the others. Even then, the one time I had Augustus on a map, I was bordered by a city-state and William. Made my life easy.
May make that my next round, though. All of them, play as another nation, cry inside. Just to experience what you're on about.