Bal Gangadhar Tilak was popularly known as
He was popularly known as “Lokmanya”, which means “accepted by the people (as their leader)”. The British colonial authorities called him “The father of the Indian unrest.”

Bal Gangadhar Tilak slogan
People still remember his slogan in Marathi: “Swarajya is my birthright and I shall have it!”.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak image

Bal Gangadhar Tilak birth date
Tilak was born on 23 July 1856.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak biography

Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He opposed its moderate attitude, especially towards the fight for self-government. Tilak encouraged the Swadeshi movement and the Boycott movement.

During his lifetime among other political cases, British India Government tried Tilak for Sedition Charges in three times —in 1897, 1909 and 1916.

In 1897, British judge sentenced Tilak for 18 months in prison for preaching disaffection against the Raj. In 1909, Tilak was sentenced to six years in prison in Burma.

While imprisoned, he continued to read and write, further developing his ideas on the Indian nationalist movement. While in the prison he wrote the Gita Rahasya.

Tilak developed diabetes during his sentence in Mandalay prison. This and the general ordeal of prison life had mellowed him at his release on 16 June 1914.

Later, Tilak 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 G. S. Khaparde and Annie Besant.

Tilak did not have a progressive view when it came to gender relations. He did not believe that Hindu women should get a modern education.

Tilak refused to sign a petition for the abolition of untouchability in 1918, two years before his death, although he had spoken against it earlier in a meeting.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak death

He died on 1 August 1920 (aged 64) in Mumbai.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak quotes

“Swaraj(self-rule) is my birthright, and I shall have it!”
“Progress is implied in independence. Without self-government neither industrial progress is possible, nor the educational scheme will be useful to the nation…To make efforts for India’s freedom is more important than social reforms.”
“If God is put up with untouchability, I will not call him God.”
“It is true that lack of rain causes famine but it is also true that the people of India have not the strength to fight the evil. The poverty of India is wholly due to the present rule. India is being bled till only the skeleton remains…all the vitality of the people is being sapped and we are left in an emaciated state of slavery.”

Bal Gangadhar Tilak newspapers

Tilak used to run his two newspapers, Kesari, in Marathi and Mahratta in English from Kesari Wada, Narayan Peth, Pune. Tilak used the newspaper as the mouthpiece for the Indian national freedom movement.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak started ganesh utsav

In 1894, Tilak transformed the household worshiping of Ganesha into a grand public event (Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav). The celebrations consisted of several days of processions, music and food. Soon the people organised event o the basis of neighborhood, caste, or occupation. In 1895, Tilak founded the Shri Shivaji Fund Committee for celebration of “Shiv Jayanti”, the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak education

He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in first class in Mathematics from Deccan College of Pune in 1877. Soon he left his M.A. course of study midway to join the LL.B course instead, and in 1879 he obtained his LL.B degree from Government Law College. After graduating, Tilak started teaching mathematics at a private school in Pune. Later, due to ideological differences with the colleagues in the new school, he withdrew and became a journalist.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak parents

Tilak was born in Ratnagiri to Gangadhar Tilak. His father, Gangadhar Tilak was a school teacher and a Sanskrit scholar who died when Tilak was sixteen.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s home rule league

He 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. Soon he gave up radical views and focused on the Home Rule League, which sought self-rule. Later Tilak traveled from village to village for support from farmers and locals to join the movement towards self-rule.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak caste

Tilak was born in a Marathi Chitpavan Brahmin family in Ratnagiri.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak movie

Director Om Raut released movie “Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush” on January 2, 2015 based on Tilak’s life. Actor Subodh Bhave played the role of Tilak.