Biography of

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

1

READER'S DELIGHT

Biography of

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

READER'S DELIGHT AN IMPRINT OF RAMESH PUBLISHING HOUSE

NEW DELHI

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Preface This book is a biography of Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He needs no further explanation about his contribution to the freedom struggle in India. The main emphasis of this book is to expose how Bal Gangadhar Tilak made his countrymen aware of their slavery. The people of India became aware of the pain of slavery only through him in the earlier phase of freedom struggle. Through his words and his writings, we can easily get a glimpse of his oceans of knowledge. He was, in fact, a genius in the field of mathematics. He created in the mind of the people the urge for freedom. This book recollects how Bal Gangadhar Tilak made people realise that nothing is achievable without discipline, unity and strenuous effort. This book also offers illuminating insights into various facets of Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s works, struggle, personality and philosophical thoughts. We hope, this book will be pleasurable and helpful to the students and scholars in understanding about Bal Gangadhar Tilak— a great freedom fighter and the father of Hindu Nationalism. Publisher

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Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Contents Introduction

5

Childhood and Education

9

A Life of Dedication

14

The Significant Days

19

Tilak in Jail

26

Tilak and the Swadeshi Movement

28

The Country’s Misfortune

31

“Swaraj is My Birth Right”

36

The Final Days

39

Philosophical and Social Contributions

41

Tilak—The Great Thinker

44

Address at INC

52

5

INTRODUCTION Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a na tionalis t, s oc ia l re fo rmer a nd fre ed om fighter of India. He was also one of the popular le ad ers of t he Ind ia n Independence Movement. Bal Gangadhar Tilak sp arke d the fire for complete independence in Indian consciousness. He advocated the meaning of swa raj to the peo ple throughout his life . He is considered as the father of Hindu nationalism. His famous quote ‘Swaraj is my birth right, and I shall have it’ is very popular and well-remembered in India even today. Popularly known as Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he was a scholar of Indian history, Sanskrit, Hinduism, Mathematics and Astronomy. The word “Lokamanya” means ‘beloved of the people’. The Father of Indian unrest, Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born on July 23, 1856. His book “Geeta-Rahasya”,

Bal Gangadhar Tilak 6 a classic treatise on Geeta in Marathi, was written while he was in prison at Mandalay. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was an authority on Vedas.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak founded schools and published various newspapers, all for his people and country. He rotted in a distant jail at Mandalay, in Burma. He wore himself out till his last breath, to awaken his countrymen. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was very worthy of the people’s homage. He led a simple life, and offered his body and soul, to the service of his country. Bal Gangadhar Tilak had no property. His clothes were very simple. A dhoti, a shirt, a shawl on the shoulder and a red ‘Pagadi’ (a Marathi cap) on his head - this was all he wore. Sathyabhama, his wife was also very simple like her husband. She never wore costly dress. She spent all her life in working for the family and in looking after guests. At the time of her death, she longed to see her husband. Her wish could not be fulfilled as Bal Gangadhar Tilak was in the Mandalay jail at that time. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the great son of India, had contributed a lot for his country. Although he was basically a proponent of Advaita Vedanta, he differed from the classical Advaitin view that jnana (knowledge) alone brings release. Bal Gangadhar Tilak added a measure of karmayoga (the yoga of activity) to this, not as subordinate to jnana-yoga, but as equal and complementary to it. He had his own principle about the Karma Yoga.

7 Bal Gangadhar Tilak advocated various social reforms, such as a minimum age for marriage, and was especially keen to see a prohibition placed on the sale of alcohol. His thoughts on education and Indian political life have remained highly influential — he was the first Congress leader to suggest that Hindi, written in the devanagari script, should be accepted as the sole national language of India, a policy that was later strongly endorsed by Gandhi. Introduction

English, however, which Bal Gangadhar Tilak wanted to eradicate completely from the mind of Indians, remained an important means of communication in India. But the usage of Hindi and other Indian languages had also been widely encouraged since the days of the British Raj, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s legacy is often credited with this resurgence. Through his political activities, Bal Gangadhar Tilak helped garner support for India’s Independence Movement. At that time, in the late 1800s, the primary focus of the movement was for self-rule. He strongly opined that until and unless the people of India rule themselves, there would be no complete freedom. For complete freedom, the people must prepare themselves well. In 1906, Bal Gangadhar Tilak asked Mohammad Ali Jinnah to represent him during his trial for sedition against the British Empire. It was only later in the 1910s that the focus of the movement changed to complete Independence from the British Regime in India.

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Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote Arctic Home in the Vedas in 1903. In the book he argued, primarily on the basis of astronomical statements, that the Vedas could only have been composed from an Arctic location.

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9

CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born on July 23, 1856, in a village near Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, into a middle class Chitpavan Brahmin family. He was an intelligent student with a special aptitude for mathematics. He was among India’s first generation of youth to receive a modern, college education. Afte r his grad ua tion, Tila k be ga n te ac hing mathematics in a private school in Pune and later became a journalist. He became a strong critic of the Western education system, feeling it demeaning to Indian students and disrespectful to India’s heritage. He started the Deccan Education Society to improve the quality of education for India’s youth. He had an exceptional memory and reasoning power. One day the teacher came to class and asked a question that “if 5 sheep eat up all the grass in a meadow in 28 days, how many sheep will eat up the grass in 20 days?” “Seven sheep, sir,” swiftly flashed the answer even before the teacher finished his question. “Who is it that answered without working out the sum?” shouted the teacher.

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Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Many voices at once shouted, “Tilak, sir.” The teacher went near Tilak. He took his notebook and glanced through it. Should he not at least take down the problem, let alone work it out? “Where have you worked the sum?” Tilak, with a mischievous smile, pointed to his head with his index finger. “You should work the problem in your book,” the teacher said. “Why? I will do it orally,” replied Tilak. Tilak’s classmates found it difficult to understand certain problems even when the teacher did them thrice. But, to Tilak, mathematics was as easy as drinking water. Sanskrit, of course, was like peeled banana to him! Tilak’s father Gangadhar Ramachandra Tilak was a Sanskrit scholar and a famous teacher. Because of his scholarship, he had become Gangadharpant to every one. As a student, Tilak learnt all the lessons at home and there was nothing left to learn at school. Though Tilak was very intelligent, he was not his teachers’ favourite because of his mischievousness. From his childhood, he used to form independent views. He always took an independent stand. He was very much different from boys of his age. During his schooling days in the primary school at Ratnagiri an incident took place. One afternoon, the

11 teacher entered the class after the interval and found groundnut shells scattered in the classroom. Naturally, he grew angry. He took his cane and asked, “Who scattered the groundnut shells like this?” Childhood and Education

There was silence. The teacher’s anger rose. “ Spe ak , who at e the ground nuts ?” N o one confessed. The teacher lost his temper. He decided to punish the entire class. He began to give each boy two cuts with his cane. When Tilak’s turn came, he did not hold out his hand. “I did not eat the groundnuts. So I will not receive the cuts.” “Then who ate the groundnuts?”, asked the teacher. “It is said that carrying tales is bad. So I won’t tell,” replied Tilak. Tilak’s straightforwardness and truthfulness made teacher himself uncomfortable. He became angry and sent Tilak out of the school. And Tilak’s father Gangadharpant received a complaint against his son. Next day, the father brought Tilak to the school. He said that what his son had said was true. Tilak was not in the habit of eating anything outside his home and he, the father, never gave his son money to buy anything. Even at that young age, it was Tilak’s nature to protest against injustice. He liked stories very much. Soon after his studies, he would run to his grandfather to hear stories from him. His grandfather had lived in Kashi during the days

Bal Gangadhar Tilak 12 of the 1857 revolution, the first war of Independence. On hearing the stories about the revolutionaries like Nana Saheb, Tatia Tope and Jhansi Rani, Tilak would be thrilled.

“Oh! What great men were they who sacrificed their lives for the country!” When he grew up, he too, should serve his country like them and free Mother India from slavery– became his heart’s desire. Tilak was ten years old, when Gangadharpant was transferred to Pune. Coming from Ratnagiri to Pune was a milestone in the life of Tilak. By joining the Anglo-Vernacular School in Pune, young Tilak was able to get good education from well known teachers. Tilak’s mother passed away only a few months after coming to Pune. Fasts and strict religious observances had made her weak and thin. She wished for a son, and undertook a strenuous form of worship of the God Sun for eighteen months. The boy who w a s b o r n b y t h e g r a c e o f t h e G o d S u n, w a s instrumental in making the sunset in the British Empire! Tilak also lost his father six years after his mother’s death. Then he was only 16 years old. At that time, he was studying in the matriculation class. He had b e e n ma rr i e d t o a t e n -y e a r o l d g i rl c a l le d Sathyabhama.

13 Like his mother, Tilak did not have sound health. How could he sacrifice his life for the country, if his body was weak? So, Tilak decided to improve his physique even at the cost of his studies during the first year at college. He used to do physical exercises every day. He also regulated his food. Childhood and Education

Within a short span of one year, he became a leading player in all the fields of sports. He became an expert swimmer and wrestler. He developed his body so well that all wondered at such radiant health. After passing the matriculation examination he joined the Deccan College. In 1877, Tilak got his BA degree. It was no wonder that he got first class marks in mathematics. He continued his studies and got the LLB degree.

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14

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

A LIFE OF DEDICATION Tilak, being a double graduate, could easily have got a well-paid job like others, under the British. But, as decided when he was young, he dedicated himself to the service of his country. The concept of Swaraj had yet to blossom in the minds of the people. They had to be made to feel that thirst for Independence. Patriotism had to be nurtured. To lay a strong foundation for a new way of life, an educational institution reflecting Indian culture had to be established. Every Indian had to be taught about Indian culture and national ideals. Good citizens could be moulded only through good education. Such were the views of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. His classmate Agarkar gave him full support. As Tilak and Agarkar were working out the plans for a system of education, which would make students truly useful to the country, another great person, Vishnu Sashtry Chiplunkar, joined them. Tilak founded the Marathi daily Kesari which soon became a popular reading for the common people of India. He strongly criticized the government for its

15 brutalism in suppression of free expression, especially in the face of protests against the division of Bengal in 1905, and for denigrating India’s culture, its people and heritage. He demanded the right to self-government from the Birtish immediately. A Life of Dedication

In 1890, Tilak joined the Indian National Congress. But, soon fell into opposition of its liberal-moderate attitude towards the fight for self-government. He opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and was supported by fellow Indian nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab. In 1907, the Congress Party split into the Garam Dal led by Tilak, Pal and Lajpat Rai, and the Naram Dal led by Gokhale during its convention at Surat in Gujarat. Tilak was arrested in 1906 on charges of sedition. Tilak asked a young Muhammad Ali Jinnah to represent him. But the British judge convicted him and he was imprisoned from 1908 to 1914 in Mandalay, Burma. Tilak was released in 1914. Then, he re-united with his fellow nationalists and re-joined the Indian National Congress in 1916. He also helped found the All India Home Rule League in 1916–18 with Annie Besant and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Tilak, Agarkar and Chiplunkar were three persons impelled by the idea that the people’s blind faith that British rule was God’s gift to India had to be wiped out. They joined hands to create an educational institution to develop moral strength in pupils.

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