Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Indian independence activist}}

| image              = File:Lokmanya Tilak.jpg

| caption            =  

| birth_place        = [[Ratnagiri district]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[Company rule in India|British India]] (present-day [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]){{sfn|Bhagwat|Pradhan|2015|pp=11–}}

| death_place        = [[Bombay]], Bombay Presidency, [[British Raj|British India]] (present-day [[Mumbai]], Maharashtra, India)

| nationality        = [[India]]n

'''Bal Gangadhar Tilak''' ({{audio|Ma-LokmanyaTilak.ogg|pronunciation}}; born '''Keshav Gangadhar Tilak'''<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 23, 2021|title=Bal Gangadhar Tilak birth anniversary|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/bal-gangadhar-tilak-birth-anniversary-1831650-2021-07-23|access-date=2021-11-15|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-23|title=Bal Gangadhar Tilak Birth Anniversary: Inspiring Quotes by the Freedom Fighter|url=https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/bal-gangadhar-tilak-birth-anniversary-inspiring-quotes-by-the-freedom-fighter-3995711.html|access-date=2021-11-15|website=News18|language=en}}</ref> (pronunciation: [[Help:IPA/Marathi|[keʃəʋ ɡəŋɡaːd̪ʱəɾ ʈiɭək]]]); 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), endeared as '''Lokmanya''' ([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]: ''Lokmānya''), was an [[Indian nationalist]], [[teacher]], and an independence activist. He was one third of the [[Lal Bal Pal]] triumvirate.{{sfn|Ashalatha|Koropath|Nambarathil|2009|p=72}} Tilak was the first leader of the [[Indian independence movement]]. The British colonial authorities called him "The father of the Indian unrest." He was also conferred with the title of "[[Honorary titles of Indian leaders|Lokmanya]]", which means "accepted by the people [as their leader]".{{sfn|Tahmankar|1956|p=}} [[Mahatma Gandhi]] called him "The Maker of Modern India".<ref>{{citation |title=Bal Gangadhar Tilak |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bal-Gangadhar-Tilak |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica }}</ref>

Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of [[Swaraj]] ("self-rule") and a strong radical in Indian consciousness. He is known for his quote in [[Marathi language|Marathi]]: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!". He formed a close alliance with many Indian National Congress leaders including [[Bipin Chandra Pal]], [[Lala Lajpat Rai]], [[Aurobindo Ghose]], [[V. O. Chidambaram Pillai]] and [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]].

During late 1896, a bubonic [[Mumbai plague epidemic|plague]] spread from [[Bombay]] to [[Pune]], and by January 1897, it reached epidemic proportions. The [[British Indian Army]] was brought in to deal with the emergency and strict measures were employed to curb the plague, including the allowance of forced entry into private houses, the examination of the house's occupants, evacuation to hospitals and quarantine camps, removing and destroying personal possessions, and preventing patients from entering or leaving the city. By the end of May, the epidemic was under control. The measures used to curb the pandemic caused widespread resentment among the Indian public. Tilak took up this issue by publishing inflammatory articles in his paper [[Kesari (newspaper)|Kesari]] (Kesari was written in [[Marathi language|Marathi]], and "Maratha" was written in English), quoting the Hindu scripture, the [[Bhagavad Gita]], to say that no blame could be attached to anyone who killed an oppressor without any thought of reward. Following this, on 22 June 1897, Commissioner Rand and another British officer, Lt. Ayerst were shot and killed by the [[Chapekar brothers]] and their other associates. According to [[Barbara Metcalf|Barbara]] and [[Thomas R. Metcalf]], Tilak "almost surely concealed the identities of the perpetrators".{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p=154}} Tilak was charged with incitement to murder and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. When he emerged from prison in present-day Mumbai, he was revered as a martyr and a national hero.{{sfn|Popplewell|2018|p=34}} He adopted a new slogan coined by his associate [[Joseph Baptista|Kaka Baptista]]: "[[Swaraj]] (self-rule) is my birthright and I shall have it."<ref>{{cite book|title=The Book I Won't be Writing and Other Essays|page=22|publisher=Orient Blackswan|author=HY Sharada Prasad|isbn=9788180280023|year=2003}}</ref>

When asked in Calcutta whether he envisioned a Maratha-type of government for independent India, Tilak answered that the Maratha-dominated governments of 17th and 18th centuries were outmoded in the 20th century, and he wanted a genuine federal system for Free India where everyone was an equal partner.<ref name="Singh2009">{{cite book|author=Mahesh Kumar Singh|title=Encyclopaedia on Tilak|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OD4wAQAAIAAJ|date=1 January 2009|publisher=Anmol Publications|isbn=978-81-261-3778-7|page=3}}</ref> He added that only such a form of government would be able to safeguard India's freedom. He was the first Congress leader to suggest that Hindi written in the [[Devanagari]] script be accepted as the sole national language of India.{{sfn|Chaturvedi|p=144}}

Tilak helped found the [[All India Home Rule League]] in 1916–18, with [[G. S. Khaparde]] and [[Annie Besant]]. After years of trying to reunite the moderate and radical factions, he gave up and focused on the Home Rule League, which sought self-rule. Tilak travelled from village to village for support from farmers and locals to join the movement towards self-rule.{{sfn|Tilak|1988|p=98}} Tilak was impressed by the [[Russian Revolution (1917)|Russian Revolution]], and expressed his admiration for [[Vladimir Lenin]].{{sfn|M. V. S. Koteswara Rao|2003|p=82}} The league had 1400 members in April 1916, and by 1917 membership had grown to approximately 32,000. 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.{{sfn|Tarique|2008|p=}}

Tilak sought to unite the Indian population for mass political action throughout his life. For this to happen, he believed there needed to be a comprehensive justification for anti-British pro-Hindu activism. For this end, he sought justification in the supposed original principles of the [[Ramayana]] and the [[Bhagavad Gita]]. He named this call to activism karma-yoga or the yoga of action.{{sfn|Harvey|1986|pp=321–331}} In his interpretation, the Bhagavad Gita reveals this principle in the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna when Krishna exhorts Arjuna to fight his enemies (which in this case included many members of his family) because it is his duty. In Tilaks opinion, the Bhagavad Gita provided a strong justification of activism. However, this conflicted with the mainstream exegesis of the text at the time which was predominated by renunciate views and the idea of acts purely for God. This was represented by the two mainstream views at the time by [[Ramanuja]] and [[Adi Shankara]]. To find support for this philosophy, Tilak wrote his own interpretations of the relevant passages of the Gita and backed his views using Jnanadeva's commentary on the Gita, Ramanuja's critical commentary and his own translation of the Gita.{{sfn|Harvey|1986|pp=322–324}} His main battle was against the renunciate views of the time which conflicted with worldly activism. To fight this, he went to extents to reinterpret words such as karma, dharma, yoga as well as the concept of renunciation itself. Because he found his rationalization on Hindu religious symbols and lines, he alienated many non-Hindus such as the Muslims who began to ally with the British for support.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

Tilak and [[Swami Vivekananda]] had great mutual respect and esteem for each other. They met accidentally while travelling by train in 1892 and Tilak had Vivekananda as a guest in his house. A person who was present there(Basukaka), heard that it was agreed between Vivekananda and Tilak that Tilak would work towards nationalism in the "political" arena, while Vivekananda would work for nationalism in the "religious" arena. When Vivekananda died at a young age, Tilak expressed great sorrow and paid tributes to him in the Kesari.{{efn|THE RELATIONS OF TILAK AND VIVEKANANDA The personal relations between Tilak and Swami Vivekananda (1863– 1902) were marked by great mutual regards and esteem. In 1892, Tilak was returning from Bombay to Poona and had occupied a seat in a second-class railway compartment. Some Gujaratis accompanied Swami Vivekananda who also came and sat in the same compartment. The Gujarati introduced the Swami to Tilak and requested the Swami to stay with the latter.{{sfn|Varma|Agarwa|1978|p=}}}}{{efn|93. Among the Congressmen there was one exception and that was Bal Gangadhar Tilak, whose patriotism was marked by 'sacrifice, scholastic fervour and militancy.'94 Tilak a great scholar, was also a fearless patriot, who wanted to meet the challenge of British imperialism with passive resistance and boycott of British goods. This programme came to the forefront in 1905-7, some years after the death of Swami Vivekananda. It would be useless to speculate what Swamiji would have ...{{sfn|Bhuyan|2003|p=191}}}}{{efn|Here it will not be out of place to refer to Tilak's views of Swami Vivekananda whom he did not know intimately; but Swamiji's dynamic personality and powerful exposition of the Vedantic doctrine, could not fail to impress Tilak. When Swamiji's great soul sought eternal rest on 4 July 1902, Tilak, paying his tributes to him, wrote in his Kesari: "No Hindu who has the interest of Hinduism at his heart, can help feeling grieved over Swami Vivekananda's Samadhi"{{sfn|Vedanta Kesari|1978|p=407}}}}{{efn|According to Basukaka, when Swamiji was living in Tilak's house as the latter's guest, Basukaka, who was present there, heard that it was agreed between Vivekananda and Tilak that Tilak would work for nationalism in the political field, while Vivekananda would work for nationalism in the religious field. Tilak and Vivekananda Now let us see what Tilak had himself to say about the meeting he had with Swamiji. Writing in the Vedanta Kesari (January •934), Tilak recalled the meeting.{{sfn|Yuva Bharati|1979|p=70}}}} Tilak said about Vivekananda: {{quote|text="No Hindu, who, has the interests of Hinduism at his heart, could help feeling grieved over Vivekananda's samadhi. Vivekananda, in short, had taken the work of keeping the banner of [[Advaita]] philosophy forever flying among all the nations of the world and made them realize the true greatness of Hindu religion and of the Hindu people. He had hoped that he would crown his achievement with the fulfillment of this task by virtue of his learning, eloquence, enthusiasm and sincerity, just as he had laid a secure foundation for it; but with Swami's samadhi, these hopes have gone. Thousands of years ago, another saint, Shankaracharya, who, showed to the world the glory and greatness of Hinduism. At the fag of the 19th century, the second Shankaracharya is Vivekananda, who, showed to the world the glory of Hinduism. His work has yet to be completed. We have lost our glory, our independence, everything."{{efn|... Vivekanand was another powerful influence in turning the thoughts of Tilak from western to eastern philosophy. No Hindu, he says, who, has the interests of Hinduism at his heart, could help to feel grieved over Vivekananda's samadhi. ...Vivekananda, in short, had taken the work of keeping the banner of Advaita philosophy forever flying among all the nations of the world and made them realize the true greatness of Hindu religion and of the Hindu people. He had hoped that he would crown his achievement with the fulfillment of this task by virtue of his learning, eloquence, enthusiasm, and sincerity, just as he had laid a secure foundation for it; but with Swami's samadhi, these hopes have gone. Thousands of years ago, another saint, Shankaracharya, showed to the world the glory and greatness of Hinduism. At the fag of the 19th century, the second Shankaracharya is Vivekananda, who, showed to the world the glory of Hinduism. His work has yet to be completed. We have lost our glory, our independence, everything.{{sfn|Bhagwat|Pradhan|2015|p=226}}}}}}

The [[Deccan Education Society]] that Tilak founded with others in the 1880s still runs Institutions in Pune like the [[Fergusson College]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} The [[Swadeshi]] movement started by Tilak at the beginning of the 20th century became part of the Independence movement until that goal was achieved in 1947. One can even say Swadeshi remained part of Indian Government policy until the 1990s when the Congress Government liberalised the economy.<ref>[http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/paper134 Globalisation versus Swadeshi – A tricky problem for Vajpayee | South Asia Analysis Group]. Southasiaanalysis.org. Retrieved on 20 December 2018.</ref>{{better source needed|date=May 2020}} Tilak said, "I regard India as my Motherland and my Goddess, the people in India are my kith and kin, and loyal and steadfast work for their political and social emancipation is my highest religion and duty".{{sfn|Robert|1986|p=}}

In 1903, Tilak wrote the book "[[The Arctic Home in the Vedas]]". In it, he argued that the [[Vedas]] could only have been composed in the Arctics, and the [[Aryan]] bards brought them south after the onset of the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]]. He proposed a new way to determine the exact time of the Vedas.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} In "[[The Orion (Book)|The Orion]]", he tried to calculate the time of the Vedas by using the position of different [[Nakshatra]]s.{{sfn|Tilak|1893|p=}} The positions of the Nakshtras were described in different Vedas. Tilak wrote "[[Shrimadh Bhagvad Gita Rahasya]]" in prison at Mandalay – the analysis of 'Karma Yoga' in the [[Bhagavad Gita]], which is known to be a gift of the Vedas and the [[Upanishads]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Tilak's son, Shridhar campaigned for removal of [[untouchability]] in late 1920s with [[dalit]] leader, Dr. [[Ambedkar]].<ref name="PaswanJaideva2002">{{cite book|author1=Sanjay Paswan|author2=Pramanshi Jaideva|title=Encyclopaedia of Dalits in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ess-9bebEYC&pg=PA9|year=2002|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|isbn=978-81-7835-128-5|pages=123–124}}</ref> Both were leaders of the multi-caste Samata sangh.{{sfn|Anupama Rao|2009|p=315}}<ref>{{cite web|author=Sukhdeo Thorat|title=9th Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer Memorial Lecture on 5th August 2017 "Why Untouchability, Caste Discrimination and Atrocities still persists despite Law? Reflections on Causes for Persistence and Solutions"|url=http://www.csss-isla.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Why-Untouchability-and-Atrocities-Persists-Despite-Laws-edited.pdf|website=Centre for Study of Society and Secularism|access-date=19 March 2018}}</ref> Shridhar's son, [[Jayantrao Tilak]] (1921–2001) was editor of the Kesari newspaper for many years. Jayantrao was also a politician from the [[Indian National Congress|Congress party]]. He was a member of the Parliament of India representing Maharashtra in the [[Rajya Sabha]], the upper house of the Indian Parliament. He was also a member of the [[Maharashtra Legislative Council]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Rajya Sabha Web Site|url= http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/pre_member/1952_2003/t.pdf |page=5 |access-date=9 January 2011}}</ref>

Rohit Tilak, a descendant of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is a Pune-based Congress party politician.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Hindu| url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/mukta-tilak-mba-is-punes-first-bjp-mayor/article17469864.ece|date=16 March 2017|author=Shoumojit Banerjee|title=Mukta Tilak, MBA, is Pune's first BJP mayor}}</ref> In 2017, a woman with whom he had an extra-marital affair accused him of rape and other crimes. He is currently out on bail in connection with these charges.<ref>{{cite news|title=ROHIT TILAK'S BAIL IN RAPE CASE EXTENDED BY COURT|url=https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/civic/rohit-tilaks-bail-in-rape-case-extended-by-court/articleshow/60010263.cms|work=India Times|author=Archana More|date=11 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Great grandson of Bal Gangadhar Tilak charged with rape in Pune|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/pune-news/rohit-tilak-booked-under-rape-charges-in-pune/story-OQ7OvsESG9WW2opyH3dx8H.html|work=Hindustan Times|author=Shalaka Shinde|date=19 July 2017}}</ref>

On 28 July 1956, a portrait of B. G. Tilak is put in the Central Hall of [[Parliament of India|Parliament House]]. The portrait of Tilak, painted by Gopal Deuskar, was unveiled by the then Prime Minister of India, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/picture_gallery/bal_gan.asp|title = Rajya Sabha}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/PhotoGal/PhotoGalleryPicture.aspx?GalID=3&CatDesc=Central+Hall|title = Photo Gallery : Lok Sabha}}</ref>

Several Indian films have been made on his life, including: the documentary films ''Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak'' (1951) and ''Lokmanya Tilak'' (1957) both by [[Vishram Bedekar]], ''[[Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush]]'' (2015) by [[Om Raut]], and ''The Great Freedom Fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak - Swaraj My Birthright'' (2018) by Vinay Dhumale.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Ashish Rajadhyaksha|author2=Paul Willemen|title=Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SLkABAAAQBAJ&pg=PT274|date=10 July 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-94318-9|page=274}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/screen/lokmanya-ek-yugapurush-a-film-on-lokmanya-tilak/ |title=Lokmanya Ek Yugapurush: A film on Lokmanya Tilak |newspaper=[[Indian Express]] |date=21 November 2014 |place=Mumbai }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Decade-long wait over, Bal Gangadhar Tilak film hits the screen |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/decade-long-wait-over-tilak-film-hits-the-screen/articleshow/65234973.cms |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en |date=August 2, 2018}}</ref>

{{refbegin|2}}  

* {{citation |title=The New Encyclopædia Britannica: Solovyov – Truck |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pqlWFWRdrosC |year=1997 |publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica |volume=11 |isbn=9780852296332 |ref={{sfnref|Britannica|1997}} }}

* {{citation |last=Brown |first=Donald Mackenzie |title=The Nationalist Movement: Indian Political Thought from Ranade to Bhave |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WgwpwG_XspsC |year=1970 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=9780520001831 }}

* {{citation |last=Chakravarti |first=Uma |title=Rewriting History: The Life and Times of Pandita Ramabai |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TenDAAAQBAJ |year=2013 |publisher=Zubaan Books |isbn=9789383074631 }}

* {{citation |last=Davis |first=Richard H. |title=The Bhagavad Gita: A Biography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQ3rAwAAQBAJ |year=2015 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9781400851973 }}

* {{citation |last=Figueira |first=Dorothy M. |title=Aryans, Jews, Brahmins: Theorizing Authority through Myths of Identity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eUtGblzgTn0C |publisher= State University of New York Press |year=2002 |isbn=9780791455326 }}

* {{citation |last=Forbes |first=Geraldine Hancock |title=Women in Modern India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hjilIrVt9hUC  |volume=2 |year=1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521653770 }}

* {{citation |last=Gellner |first=David |title=Ethnic Activism and Civil Society in South Asia |year=2009 |publisher=SAGE |isbn=9789352802524 }}

* {{citation |last=Harvey |first=Mark |title=Secular as Sacred? – The Religio-Political Rationalization of B.G. Tilak |year=1986 |journal=Modern Asian Studies |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=321–331 |doi=10.1017/s0026749x00000858 |jstor=312578 }}

* {{citation |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |title=Dr. Ambedkar and Untouchability: Fighting the Indian Caste System |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W1590ts70g0C |publisher= Columbia University Press |year=2005 |isbn=9780231136020 }}

* {{citation |last=Jayapalan |first=N |title=Indian Political Thinkers:Modern Indian Political Thought |publisher=Atlantic Publishers and Distributers |year=2003 |chapter=8:Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920) |isbn=81-7156-929-3 }}

* {{citation |last=Karve |first=D. D. |title=The Deccan Education Society |year=1961 |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=205–212 |doi=10.2307/2050484 |jstor=2050484 }}

* {{citation |last=Lahiri |first=Shompa |title=Indians in Britain: Anglo-Indian Encounters, Race and Identity, 1880–1930 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GuvRWlN_cQkC |year=2000 |isbn=9780714649863 }}

* {{citation |last=Popplewell |first=Richard James |title=Intelligence and Imperial Defence: British Intelligence and the Defence of the Indian Empire 1904-1924 |year=2018 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135239336 }}

* {{citation |last=Rappaport |first=Helen |title=Queen Victoria: A Biographical Companion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLGhimIiFPoC |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2003 |isbn=9781851093557 }}

* {{citation |last1=Shepperdson |first1=Mike |last2=Simmons |first2=Colin |title=The Indian National Congress Party and Political Economy in India, 1885–1985 |year=1988 |isbn=9780566050763 }}

* {{citation |last1=Singh |first1=Vipu |last2=Dhillon |first2=Jasmine |last3=Shanmugavel |first3=Gita |last4=Basu |first4=Sucharita |title=History And Civics |year=2011 |publisher=Pearson Education |isbn=9788131763186 }}

* {{citation |last=Tilak |first=Bal Gangadhar |editor-last=Embree |editor-first=Ainslie Thomas |title=Encyclopedia of Asian History |year=1988 |location=New York |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons and Macmillan Publishing Company |isbn=9780684186191 }}

}}