BAL GANGADHAR TILAK

About:

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856 – 1920) was an Indian nationalist, teacher, and an independence activist.
  
  
• Names: He was born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak. He was also conferred with the title of "Lokmanya", which means "accepted by the people (as their leader)".
  
  
• Lal-Bal-Pal: He had popular leaders such as Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai as his political companions and the three were popularly known as ‘Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate.’
  
  
• View on Swaraj: Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of Swaraj ("self-rule") and became popular as the ‘Father of Swaraj’. He is known for his quote in Marathi: "Swarajya is my birthright and I shall have it!".
  
  
• Educationist:
  • To ensure that youngsters in India attain quality education, he founded the Deccan Education Society in 1884.
    
    
  • The Society established the Fergusson College in 1885 for post-secondary studies. Tilak taught mathematics at Fergusson College.
    
    
  
  
  
• Extremist:
  • Tilak was considered a radical Nationalist. He was called "the father of Indian unrest" by British author Sir Valentine Chirol.
    
    
  • During his lifetime he had been tried for Sedition Charges in three times by British India Government—in 1897, 1909, and 1916.
    
    
  
  
  
• Related organizations:
  • He joined the Indian National Congress Party in the year 1890.
    
    
  • He also helped found the All India Home Rule League in 1916–18, with G. S. Khaparde and Annie Besant. Tilak started his Home Rule League in Maharashtra, Central Provinces, and Karnataka and Berar region. Besant's League was active in the rest part of India.
    
    
  
  
  
• As an author:
  • Weeklies: He started weeklies such as Kesari (The Lion) and Mahratta. Kesari was Marathi language weekly while Mahratta was English weekly. Through these newspapers Tilak became widely known for his criticisms of British rule.
    
    
  • Books: When Bal Gangadhar Tilak was imprisoned during the freedom struggle, he wrote a book titled ‘Gita-Rahasya’.
    
    
  
  
  
• The events like the Ganapati festival and Shiv Jayanti were used by Tilak to build a national spirit beyond the circle of the educated elite in opposition to colonial rule.
  
  
• In 1916 he concluded the Lucknow Pact with Mohammed Ali Jinnah, which provided for Hindu-Muslim unity in the nationalist struggle.