Bal Gangadhar Tilak

By Abinash Phulkonwar

Introduction

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a prominent figure in Indian freedom movement, was not only a nationalist but also a teacher, reformer, and political leader. One of the first person who stood for Swaraj and Self-Rule. His influence over the Indian mass were profound and earning him the title “Lokamanya”.

Gandhiji titled him “the maker of modern India” and Nehru honoured him as “the father of modern India”. His idea of swaraj and self-rule laydown the foundation of India freedom movement and inspired the fellow country men and women to participated in the freedom struggle.

However, his legacy is not without controversy, as some misconstrued his actions and labelled him an extremist and conservative figure who incited communal unrest and hindered women's rights. But often they not realizing the root underlying motives of his stance was to unite the Indian mass, build self-esteem, and fight for Swaraj and self-rule. This article will go through Tilak’s life, political Ideas, and contributions to Indian Independence and freedom struggle, who played an instrumental role in shaping India’s path toward freedom and Independence.

Objectives

The objective of this article is to go through the life of the Bal Gangadhar Tilak and explore how social environment impact and shaped his views and beliefs. Explore his political ideas especially his nationalist ideas of Swaraj and freedom movement. Try to evaluate his idea on based on his time and social environment.

Early Life of Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Tilak was born in July 1856, the son of a school teacher and petty landowner. The family moved to Poona when he was ten. He completed high school, then graduated from Deccan College with first-class honours. Apart from his native Marathi, he was formidably fluent in Sanskrit and English. In 1880 he started teaching in a school. The next year, he began publishing two newspapers with his friend Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, one in English, the other in Marathi. The polemical tone of their articles attracted much comment as well as several libel suits. In 1880 Tilak co-founded “new English school secondary education” for promoting and improving quality of education for young Indian. Both started Deccan Education Society in 1884. Six years later, Tilak left the society for more openly political work.

In 1897 Tilak was sentenced to eighteen months in prison for preaching disaffection against the Raj

1890 joined congress party. Tilak established the Indian Home Rule League in April 1916 in Belgaum. Then he started two newspaper to Kesari and The Mahratta, to spread his ideas to common mass and he use Indian national Ganapati festival and Shivaji festival.

1905 against bangle partition he start boycott british goods and Swadeshi movement.

The Arctic Home in the Vedas 1 (Published in 1903): This book presents the hypothesis that the North Pole was the original home of Aryans during the pre-glacial period which they had to leave due to the ice deluge around 8000 B.C. and had to migrate to the Northern parts of Europe and Asia in search of lands for new settlements.

गीता रहस्य (Gita Rahasya)1 (Published in 1915): This book is a review of the philosophies in the Bhagavad Gita. It is a path-breaking and audacious attempt at Socratic dialogues about the Gita.

Orion or the Antiquity of the Vedas 1 (Published in 1893): In this book, Tilak offers a critique of Max Muller’s philosophy of Vedic chronology.

Social influence on Tilak in his early years

During his early years, India was under British colonial rule, and the British East India Company had established dominion over vast parts of the subcontinent.
Indian society was still deeply rooted in traditional customs, with a hierarchical caste system, prevalent superstitions, and religious diversity.
The Indian Nationalist movement was in its nascent stage, with early leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Dadabhai Naoroji advocating for Indian rights and self-governance.

Impact of British Colonial Rule: Tilak was born during a time when India was under British colonial rule. He grew up witnessing the injustices and exploitation faced by his fellow countrymen under the British administration. This experience deeply ingrained in him a sense of nationalism and the desire to free India from foreign domination.
Social and Cultural Diversity: India's diverse social and cultural landscape had a profound influence on Tilak. He recognized the rich and varied traditions and cultures of the country and saw the importance of preserving and promoting Indian culture as a unifying force against colonial oppression.
Education and Enlightenment: Tilak received a good education, which exposed him to the works of scholars and thinkers of his time. This intellectual background contributed to his belief in education to enlighten the masses and create a sense of awareness and empowerment.
Social Issues and Reforms: Growing up in a society with deeply rooted customs and traditions, Tilak was aware of the social issues plaguing India. He was influenced by the need for social reform, including issues like widow remarriage and child marriage, which he considered as hindrances to social progress.

Exposure to Political Thought: Tilak was exposed to political thought and activism through interactions with various nationalist leaders and thinkers. This exposure, combined with his own observations of British rule, fueled his commitment to the cause of Indian self-governance.
Community and Local Involvement: Tilak was actively involved in his local community and was engaged in various social and cultural activities. This involvement allowed him to connect with people at the grassroots level and understand their concerns and aspirations.

Tilak’s Political philosophy: Sawraj and Nationalism

Tilak political philosophy was based on some core his core beliefs, consistent in his whole life. Nationalism, Promotion of Indian Culture, education, betterment of Indian life, which are consisted in his whole life, his beliefs are heavily influenced by ancient Indian culture, Tradition and philosophical works especially Vedanta philosophy.

Swaraj was one of the foundational political philosophies of Tilak. According to Tilak Swaraj is full self-government in political, economic, social, and spiritually. For him swaraj is more than just political or economic self-rule. For him swaraj is enlightened of self-control of individual. Swaraj is a natural right, birth right, which based on Vedanta philosophy.

Tilak defined swarajya as a rule of our own. In their our own rule means rule of our community, religion, our aristocratic or our kings from same community and religion. Tilak belief that if rulers are from the same community and religion then government is always strived for the welfare for the people.

Tilak believed that the constitutional methods will not help to achieved swaraj, according to him constitutional methods will only work on constitutional government. In India we have an imperialist bureaucratic system, which is in here only for maximize their profit to their homeland, they will only for the interest for their homeland. We will get nothing by using methods of moderate's payer, petition and protest. According to tilak swaraj is natural, birth right, we shell get it. We should bring pressure on the alien government about our demands and free the India from the foreign rule.

For realization swaraj tilak talk about some means national education, boycott, swadeshi, passive resistance. According to tilak Indian national education currently producing people that by blood Indian but in thinking and culturally closer to British, show loyalty to British throne. We need to national educational scheme, where intuition that own and operated by Indian.

Boycott means a firm determination to not to used foreign goods. It not only included consumer goods but also include not to assist alien government. Boycott will hit hard in alien government primary motives, inspired fellow Indian to sacrifice their immediate interest for betterment of Indian state. Additionally, it promotes and give chances to Indian industry, craft to regain their place in Indian people life.

Swadeshi means by Tilak is to use of Indian goods even if they were costly, producing good in India by Indian people. Tilak argues that educated Indian should start Industry rather then went for bureaucratic jobs. Success of Swadeshi movement is pivotal for success of boycott.

Passive resistance was the last weapons of nationalist to achieved swaraj. Passive resistance was an extension of boycott. Boycott implied a determination not to used foreign goods and not to assist foreign government to rule. Whereas passive resistance includes not to pay taxes and revenue to alien authority, create parallel institutions of British institutions like courts, national education, own police force. And use them instead of using alien government institutions.

After the swaraj, now comes nationalist Ideas of tilak. Tilak is nationalist, visionary leader of Indian. Whose vision and commitment for free India played a pivotal role in Indian nationalist movement. His philosophy was more just feeling, his views and ideas nationalism changes the courses of Indian freedom movement. His ideas of nationalism which were deep rooted in the betterment of his fellow Indians, and culture, tradition and heritage of India. Swaraj was the unlimited goal of his nationalist idea. According to him the moto of our nationalist movement was too free India from foreign rule and end the misery of the alien rule, swaraj is our birth right, we shell have it.

According to Tilak nationalist feeling comes from the common heritage, culture and tradition. For realization and bringing nationalist feeling to fellow country messes. Tilak uses cultural heritages, religious symbols, religious and cultural festivals and argue for a national hero. Tilak started Ganapati festival and Shivaji festival to promote nationalist feeling to messes and use Shivaji as a national hero for build confidence among fellow country person that we had the capacity to defeat foreign invader. During British rule Indian people lost their confidence and become weak according to Tilak, and try to prayer, petition and protest to ask for their demands to alien government. Tilak through Ganapati festival, Shivaji festival, explore and remined the ancient glory, achievement try to restore self-esteem and masculinity of the fellow Indian messes. For him take the nationalist freedom movement to from elites to messes was a curtail task. For that he journals, books to spread the nationalist feel. Even for this task he uses or support many conservative tasks like speaking against women rights.

Tilak’s commitment for swaraj and his nationalist feeling leads him to use pressure politics, support extremist politics, use religion in politics, and event support to use leaser mean to achieve objectives. His commitment to swaraj was unwavering. With his methods like use of culture, tradition, use common heritage, religious festival and nation hero able to take the freedom straggle to common messes. His views of swaraj, boycott, swadeshi, passive resistance set the course of Indian freedom straggle. His passive resistance influence Gandhiji’s satyagraha, and his boycott and swadeshi were visible throughout freedom movement like Gandhiji’s small industry and khadi. And his concept of swadeshi might influence Nehru which leads to established large scale industries after Independence.

Tilak's commitment to Swaraj and his unshakable belief in the power of Nationalism resonated with millions, uniting them in the pursuit of a free, united, and self-governing India. His legacy remains a testament to the enduring bond between Swaraj and Nationalism, a bond that illuminated the darkest of times and spurred a nation towards the light of independence.

Evaluation

Tilak is often criticized and misunderstood. Critics argue that he is an anti-reformist, orthodox, communal person. Who used religions in the politics and increased the tension between Hindus and Muslims. He promoted religious and communal festivals, Ganpati and Shivaji festival. He was against of women rights and against of social reforms.

Critics argue that he opposed the social reforms. But on the contrary, he is not opposed of social reforms, he only opposed reforms that initiated and carryout by the alien government or support of alien government. According to tilak, reforms should carry out and initiated by the Indians because the reforms are for Indians.

Another critic is, his support communal actions and provoked Hindu Muslims tension. He started Ganpati and Shivaji festival, which were communal in nature, and impacted in Hindu Muslims tension. But he promotes and support religious actions for uniting the Indians, taking freedom movement to masses, build courage among Indians, and build their self-confidence.

Additionally, he is criticized based on that he supported use of religion in politics. Which is not exactly correct on the fact he was a supporter of not to uses religion in politics in most circumstances but not in all. According to him religion has very deep influence on human, which can be useful in certain circumstances. For instance, uniting masses and take the freedom movement to mass.

Lastly Tilak's approach to means and ends is Criticized. Critics argue that he supports inappropriate mean to achieved end. It is not accurate, in reality he supports a flexible mean, where means were chosen based on the prevailing needs and circumstances.

Conclusion

After the discussion on his philosophy of Sawraj and nationalism; and evaluating his ideas. It can be drawn that he is a realist, who used strategies based on the situations needs to take the freedom straggles to masses, rebuild the self-esteem of his fellow Indians for the betterment of the life of his fellow Indians. His thought and ideas have profound impact on during the freedom straggle and after the independent his ideas and thoughts are continuing to shape the political landscape of India. His philosophy, a harmonious blend of nationalism, activism, and cultural identity, stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of the Indian spirit.