Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Social Contributions, Legacy & Impact - UPSC Notes

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who is also known as Lokmanya Tilak, was an Indian independence activist. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was one among the Lal Bal Pal triumvirate. The British officials called him 'The father of Indian unrest,' and Mahatma Gandhi called him 'The maker of Modern India.' Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856 – 1920) was called Lokmanya, which means man accepted by the people. He advocated strongly for Swaraj, i.e., Self-rule. "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" was his famous quote. He helped the leaders to lay the foundations for the freedom struggle.

Please read the following article on Bal Gangadhar Tilak to learn more about his personal life and political contributions. Since Bal Gangadhar Tilak is one of the prominent freedom fighters, this topic is important for the IAS Exam. This will also be very useful for aspirants in the UPSC Prelims Exam.

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Who Is Bal Gangadhar Tilak?

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, born in 1856 and passed away in 1920, was an influential Indian nationalist leader and social reformer. He was one-third of the Lal Bal Pal triumvirate. The British colonial authorities called him "The father of the Indian unrest." He was also conferred the title of "Lokmanya," which means "accepted by the people as their leader." Mahatma Gandhi called him "The Maker of Modern India."

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: "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.

On 23rd July 1856, Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and was a law graduate. He was married to Tapibai. He initially worked as a school teacher and then became a journalist. Lokmanya Tilak was one of the founders of Fergusson College, and he also taught mathematics there. On 1st August 1920, he passed away following a brief illness.

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Political Life of Bal Gangadhar Tilak

In 1890, Bal Gangadhar Tilak joined the Congress. He strongly opposed the moderate views of the Congress, especially towards self-rule. Along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal (Lal Bal Pal triumvirate), he started the extremist phase of the Congress. Following the suppression of the revolt of 1857, he ignited patriotic agitation among the masses.

• Lokmanya Tilak's Trisutri (Three-point) program led to a national awakening. The three points of the program were Swadeshi, Swaraj, and Nationalist education based on the vernacular.
• Bal Gangadhar Tilar started the Swadeshi movement in 1905, which focused on boycotting foreign goods and promoting indigenous goods.
• He was a great reformer, and he advocated the cause of women's education and empowerment.
• He founded the Deccan Indian Society in 1884. He was also a founding member of Fergusson College.
• Throughout his political life, he was arrested three times by the British government on sedition charges.
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak, along with Annie Besant and G.S. Khapadre founded the All India Home Rule League in 1916.
• Under his leadership, the Home Rule League was started in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Central provinces, and Berar.
• He rejoined the Indian National Congress in 1916 after the split.
• Mahratta and Kesari were the two newspapers he published in English and Marathi, respectively.
• Popular Bal Gangadhar Tilak books include The Arctic Home in Vedas, The Orion, and Shrimadh Bhagavad Gita Rahasya.
• He started two grand public events. They are Ganesh Chaturthi ( in 1893) and Shiv Jayanti (1895) to achieve unity and bring about national spirit among the masses.

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Bal Gangadhar Tilak - Prime Details

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Bal Gangadhar Tilak's view on Social Issues

Bal Gangadhar Tilak became deeply concerned with the social and political issues of his time. He held conservative views on various social issues, often opposing the emerging liberal trends of his time. He strongly resisted reforms related to women's rights and the upliftment of marginalized communities.

• He intended to alter the British-imposed educational system; therefore, he founded a group to impart education throughout Maharashtra.
• But his restless thoughts could not stay in one place for long. He went into journalism soon after, founding the Marathi newspaper Kesari. He wrote with zeal for the reformation of Indian civilization.
• While fighting for social improvements, he drew people's attention to the political issue of India's independence from British control.
• He began publishing pieces in Kesari in which he asserted that every Indian was born with the right to be free. In those days, this was a revolutionary doctrine to preach.
• As a result of this, he fell out with the empire and was convicted of sedition in 1897.
• Tilak, an outspoken internationalist, praised Lenin's 1917 Bolshevik revolution in Russia and the socialist aims. He did not advocate for or on behalf of the elite class.
• He was one of the first civil rights activists to advocate for the rights of workers and farmers actively.

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Contribution Of Bal Gangadhar Tilak For All India Home Rule League

Bal Gangadhar 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 traveled from village to village for support from farmers and locals to join the movement towards self-rule. Tilak was impressed by the Russian Revolution and expressed his admiration for Vladimir Lenin. 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 of India.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak Association with Indian National Congress

Lokmanya Tilak joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1890 and quickly emerged as a prominent leader opposing the party's moderate stance, particularly regarding the fight for self-government. Alongside other extremist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal, he advocated for Swaraj (self-rule).

Tilak's association with the Indian National Congress was characterized by his strong views on nationalism and his push for mass participation in the freedom movement.

His influence was especially evident during the Swadeshi movement of 1905–1907, which intensified the ideological divide within the INC and ultimately led to the Surat Split in 1907.

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Bal Gangadhar Tilak - Freedom Movement

Between 1900 and 1908, revolutionary nationalism surged in India, led by Lokmanya Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai. These leaders fostered unity and nationalism among Indians. Lokmanya Tilak, in particular, with his pragmatic approach, introduced a four-point program: Swadeshi (self-reliance), boycott (of British goods), national education, and Swarajya (self-rule).

In late 1896, the bubonic plague epidemic in Pune led to oppressive measures by the British, sparking widespread resentment. Bal Gangadhar Tilak capitalized on this discontent through Kesari, justifying resistance against oppression with references to the Bhagavad Gita.

This tension culminated in the assassination of Commissioner Rand and Lt. Ayerst by the Chapekar brothers, influenced by Tilak's rhetoric, resulting in his imprisonment.

Upon release, Bal Gangadhar Tilak became a pivotal figure in driving the Swadeshi and Boycott campaigns in reaction to Lord Curzon's divisive Partition of Bengal, which was intended to weaken the nationalist movement.

He urged Indians to boycott foreign goods and embrace indigenous products, emphasizing economic self-reliance. In his efforts to galvanize the masses, Tilak adopted the powerful slogan coined by his associate, Kaka Baptista: "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it.

Sedition Charges Against Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Throughout his political career, Bal Gangadhar Tilak faced sedition charges on three separate occasions. In 1897, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for inciting disaffection against British rule. His second arrest came in 1908, following his articles in Kesari, which criticized colonial oppression, leading to a six-year sentence in Mandalay Jail. The third instance occurred in 1916 when Tilak was charged for advocating self-rule in his speeches. This time, Muhammad Ali Jinnah served as his lawyer and successfully secured his acquittal.

After his release, Tilak sought reconciliation with the Congress, abandoning his demand for direct action in favor of agitations "strictly by constitutional means," a stance long advocated by his rival Gokhale. He reunited with fellow nationalists and rejoined the Indian National Congress during the Lucknow Pact in 1916.

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Social Contributions Of Bal Gangadhar Tilak

In 1894, Bal Gangadhar Tilak transformed the traditional household worship of Lord Ganesha into a public celebration, giving rise to the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. The following year, he established the Shri Shivaji Fund Committee to celebrate the Shivaji Jayanti. Through these grand festivals, Tilak aimed to inspire a sense of national unity and identity, especially beyond the educated elite. Tilak's other key social contributions include:

He co-founded the New English School in 1880, along with Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Mahadev Ballal Namjoshi, and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar, to improve the quality of secondary education for Indian youth.

He also established the Deccan Education Society in 1884 to promote nationalist ideas and Indian culture through education.

Literary Works of Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Tilak was not only a politician but also a scholar and journalist/writer. Kesari, a Marathi weekly, and Mahratta, an English weekly, were launched by him. These became platforms for promoting his political ideas and advocating for India's freedom.

• His most significant literary contribution was The Arctic Home in the Vedas, where he argued that the original home of the Aryans was the Arctic region.
• Another significant work he produced while imprisoned in Mandalay was Gita Rahasya, a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.
• In his scholarly work The Orion, Tilak attempted to calculate the age of the Vedas by analyzing the positions of various Nakshatras.

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Legacy and Impact of Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Bal Gangadhar Tilak passed away on August 1, 1920, in Mumbai. His death marked the end of an era in the Indian independence movement, but his ideas and contributions continued to inspire future leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. To honor his contributions, the Tilak Swaraj Fund was announced by Mahatma Gandhi in 1921 on the first anniversary of Tilak's death. The fund aimed to raise Rs 1 crore to support the Non-cooperation Movement and reinforce the resistance against British rule, reflecting Tilak's enduring influence on the freedom struggle.

Death of Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Bal Gangadhar Tilak died in Bombay following a brief illness. Along with his demand for Swaraj, he was also conscious of the need for cultural and economic independence. He was called the Father of the Indian Renaissance.

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