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Lokmanya Tilak: A Biography
Foreword by DR. S. RADHAKRISHNAN Former President of India SWARAJ IS MY BIRTHRIGHT, AND I SHALL HAVE IT! This biography of Lokmanya Tilak was written in collaboration by Prof. A.K. Bhagwat and Prof. G.P. Pradhan in 1956, the birth-centenary year of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The book was awarded a prize in the All India Competition held under the auspices of the All India Congress Committee. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan had written the foreword to this biography.
662 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 29, 2015
My first impression of this book is that it is exhausting. The narrative is engaging and the content is inspiring. But the matter is exhausting.
The exhausting nature has very little to do with the manner of the book; it has much to do with the life of Lokmanya Tilak. There is a military sense of discipline with which he lived a life and an inspiring sense of conviction with which he conducted it.
A biographer’s task must always be difficult, I believe. It is interesting to wonder where the task starts. Does it start when a biographer says, “Here’s a great life that I want to write about?” Or are there other dimensions? Biographers are perhaps naturally partial to the personality. Not always, but going by most biographers, they choose to present a dimensioned view of the personality.
The authors of Lokmanya Tilak: A Biography have struggled to exit the biographer’s trap. There is an inherent devotion to the person, yet they often exit their comfort zone to criticise the person, the action, and the events. While it may be easy to assume that the book is an assemblage of the public life and presentations of Lokmanya Tilak, there’s more. It isn’t obvious at time, but it exists. There’s support from the authors to help understand the life in specific contexts. The presentation, unwillingly, I felt, is non-linear for the most part. But this device has been used to good effect. The obvious glorification of a great leader is absent; it is possible to see a person, bereft of the associated podium. The book is rooted in data, references, and statements; which are often interpreted but not embellished.
Indian history deserves a parallel narrative to the one that exists. This is one of the few books that will be a leader in that parallel. The Indian history narrative suffers from periodical amnesia; meaning that it chops off periods in Indian history to focus on popular and sponsored segments that capture our imagination. The chopping-off is due to certain sustained political and social reasons. Irrespective, this book, notwithstanding the tint of glasses that we wear, is an important contribution. Somewhere in the book, Lokmanya Tilak says:
The context of the era is expansive, and perhaps even timeless. It is not limited to Lokmanya Tilak, even while being centric to him. Through the life of Lokmanya Tilak, the authors make statements that are relevant today. And only your personal awareness will question you, and therefore exhaust you. If you choose to pick this book, be ready for an assault on your mind and heart. It’s an adventure that you will cherish in spite of the questions you will end up asking yourself.
The balance, texture, and presentation of the narrative is what I enjoyed the most.
The exhausting nature has very little to do with the manner of the book; it has much to do with the life of Lokmanya Tilak. There is a military sense of discipline with which he lived a life and an inspiring sense of conviction with which he conducted it.
A biographer’s task must always be difficult, I believe. It is interesting to wonder where the task starts. Does it start when a biographer says, “Here’s a great life that I want to write about?” Or are there other dimensions? Biographers are perhaps naturally partial to the personality. Not always, but going by most biographers, they choose to present a dimensioned view of the personality.
The authors of Lokmanya Tilak: A Biography have struggled to exit the biographer’s trap. There is an inherent devotion to the person, yet they often exit their comfort zone to criticise the person, the action, and the events. While it may be easy to assume that the book is an assemblage of the public life and presentations of Lokmanya Tilak, there’s more. It isn’t obvious at time, but it exists. There’s support from the authors to help understand the life in specific contexts. The presentation, unwillingly, I felt, is non-linear for the most part. But this device has been used to good effect. The obvious glorification of a great leader is absent; it is possible to see a person, bereft of the associated podium. The book is rooted in data, references, and statements; which are often interpreted but not embellished.
Indian history deserves a parallel narrative to the one that exists. This is one of the few books that will be a leader in that parallel. The Indian history narrative suffers from periodical amnesia; meaning that it chops off periods in Indian history to focus on popular and sponsored segments that capture our imagination. The chopping-off is due to certain sustained political and social reasons. Irrespective, this book, notwithstanding the tint of glasses that we wear, is an important contribution. Somewhere in the book, Lokmanya Tilak says:
Do not be satisfied with the paltry service rendered by a person like me. The national work before us is so wide and so essential that all of us should strive for it with much greater determination and enthusiasm. You cannot postpone the work. Our mother land challenges us to go after this and I do not think her sons will refuse the challenge. But I would urge upon you to sink all your differences and be ‘national gods.'
The context of the era is expansive, and perhaps even timeless. It is not limited to Lokmanya Tilak, even while being centric to him. Through the life of Lokmanya Tilak, the authors make statements that are relevant today. And only your personal awareness will question you, and therefore exhaust you. If you choose to pick this book, be ready for an assault on your mind and heart. It’s an adventure that you will cherish in spite of the questions you will end up asking yourself.
The balance, texture, and presentation of the narrative is what I enjoyed the most.
July 24, 2021
“Lives of great men are like music, the tunes of which linger in our ears long after they are heard no more. Death snatches an individual from this earth, time draws its veil over him and he becomes a part of the past which grows dim as days roll on. In the case of great men, however, the past creeps into the present and becomes a part of the future. We remember them because we feel their presence in our midst…”
The desire for deliverance created during his early years and the teachings of Mill, Spencer and Comte, inculcated in him during his college days, led Tilak to the decision of dedicating his life to the cause of his country. The method of translating this pronouncement into action had also to be determined.
The stimulating ideas of Dadabhai, the exciting fervour of Chiplunkar, the pioneering social work of Ranade, and the heated discussions with Agarkar, helped Tilak find this way, and he started the arduous journey of public work through the noble profession of teaching.
After some time, the sphere of teaching was extended and Tilak became the educator of public opinion.
Differences with colleagues compelled him to leave the former sphere, but this enabled him to throw himself headlong into the latter and to assign his infinite energies to the task of influencing public opinion in the light of the ideas crystallised in his mind after a long process of thought, feeling and action.
The ideas did not remain with Tilak as abstractions, but were given a concrete shape through programmes which touched the hearts of people and made them active participants, rather than passive onlookers.
Tilak’s greatness lay in the execution of an idea, which in the beginning might not appear original or profound.
He had an exceptional judgment about the environment as well as individuals and discovered the ways through which the idea enfolded itself in a manner which captivated the imagination of the people, provided them with an incentive and made them conscious of their own strength as participants in a new movement.
Tilak’s political ideas were not different from those of other Congress leaders. But he was the first to realise the limitations of the social and political institutions which were mostly imitative in character. He realised the need of securing a wider basis for the political ideals and he felt that a participation of the people in the newly started movements was possible after creating in them a feeling of confidence and after making the pattern of the new movements conform to the traditional ways, so as to make people feel perfectly at home in them.
Tilak thought that the new ideals must be grafted — and not transplanted — on the life of the people. It was on account of this that he took to the revivalist method in his political work.
Through the Ganapati festival and the Shivaji celebrations, he was making the new ideas recognizable to the people and also creating in them a pride in the glorious past, which was an assurance of the glorious future in spite of the dismal present. In this work, Tilak picked up promising young men and built up a network of workers who came from the people and who therefore were potent instruments of influencing people’s minds.
In his anxiety to influence public opinion for political action, Tilak decided not to disturb their traditionalist ways in social life.
Notwithstanding their popular form, these movements would have grown stale and fizzled out, but Tilak knew that service, and not advice, was the right medium for getting access to people’s mind. The qualities of a leader are tested in times of crisis and Tilak’s superb abilities as a leader were testified to by the work he did during the famine and the plague.
In respect of sociology, he accepted the basis of ethical and metaphysical ideas which he advocated. He, therefore, held that society should be based on social duty and that all have equal dignity and equal reward, viz. salvation.
He accepted the material inequality in society on the ground that people with their attachment to life needed incentives. Tilak pointed out that Vedanta advocated the concept of equality, but the metaphysical ideal could not be a reality in society, because the selfishness of the average individual could not be eradicated.
Tilak argued that a sociologist had to be a realist and justified the concept of four Varnas in the Smritis. In support of his view, he made a reference to the opinion of Comte that society’s structure in future will require a four-estate system of which the first position would be occupied by the scientists and by those who guide the industry; this class would be future substitutes for the priestly order of the middle ages.
The words and deeds of stalwarts like Tilak, are not converted into the shadows of the past, but find a place in the hearts of millions, and become an inseparable part of the personality of the nation — and in some cases even of humanity.
An effort, consequently, to know the perennial significance of the work of a noble individual is in fact an attempt to know that part of our life which is his.
In the aforesaid respect, this book is a classic.
The desire for deliverance created during his early years and the teachings of Mill, Spencer and Comte, inculcated in him during his college days, led Tilak to the decision of dedicating his life to the cause of his country. The method of translating this pronouncement into action had also to be determined.
The stimulating ideas of Dadabhai, the exciting fervour of Chiplunkar, the pioneering social work of Ranade, and the heated discussions with Agarkar, helped Tilak find this way, and he started the arduous journey of public work through the noble profession of teaching.
After some time, the sphere of teaching was extended and Tilak became the educator of public opinion.
Differences with colleagues compelled him to leave the former sphere, but this enabled him to throw himself headlong into the latter and to assign his infinite energies to the task of influencing public opinion in the light of the ideas crystallised in his mind after a long process of thought, feeling and action.
The ideas did not remain with Tilak as abstractions, but were given a concrete shape through programmes which touched the hearts of people and made them active participants, rather than passive onlookers.
Tilak’s greatness lay in the execution of an idea, which in the beginning might not appear original or profound.
He had an exceptional judgment about the environment as well as individuals and discovered the ways through which the idea enfolded itself in a manner which captivated the imagination of the people, provided them with an incentive and made them conscious of their own strength as participants in a new movement.
Tilak’s political ideas were not different from those of other Congress leaders. But he was the first to realise the limitations of the social and political institutions which were mostly imitative in character. He realised the need of securing a wider basis for the political ideals and he felt that a participation of the people in the newly started movements was possible after creating in them a feeling of confidence and after making the pattern of the new movements conform to the traditional ways, so as to make people feel perfectly at home in them.
Tilak thought that the new ideals must be grafted — and not transplanted — on the life of the people. It was on account of this that he took to the revivalist method in his political work.
Through the Ganapati festival and the Shivaji celebrations, he was making the new ideas recognizable to the people and also creating in them a pride in the glorious past, which was an assurance of the glorious future in spite of the dismal present. In this work, Tilak picked up promising young men and built up a network of workers who came from the people and who therefore were potent instruments of influencing people’s minds.
In his anxiety to influence public opinion for political action, Tilak decided not to disturb their traditionalist ways in social life.
Notwithstanding their popular form, these movements would have grown stale and fizzled out, but Tilak knew that service, and not advice, was the right medium for getting access to people’s mind. The qualities of a leader are tested in times of crisis and Tilak’s superb abilities as a leader were testified to by the work he did during the famine and the plague.
In respect of sociology, he accepted the basis of ethical and metaphysical ideas which he advocated. He, therefore, held that society should be based on social duty and that all have equal dignity and equal reward, viz. salvation.
He accepted the material inequality in society on the ground that people with their attachment to life needed incentives. Tilak pointed out that Vedanta advocated the concept of equality, but the metaphysical ideal could not be a reality in society, because the selfishness of the average individual could not be eradicated.
Tilak argued that a sociologist had to be a realist and justified the concept of four Varnas in the Smritis. In support of his view, he made a reference to the opinion of Comte that society’s structure in future will require a four-estate system of which the first position would be occupied by the scientists and by those who guide the industry; this class would be future substitutes for the priestly order of the middle ages.
The words and deeds of stalwarts like Tilak, are not converted into the shadows of the past, but find a place in the hearts of millions, and become an inseparable part of the personality of the nation — and in some cases even of humanity.
An effort, consequently, to know the perennial significance of the work of a noble individual is in fact an attempt to know that part of our life which is his.
In the aforesaid respect, this book is a classic.
Read
October 17, 2013"Tilak, has always been and will always be my favorite Leader from the Indian freedom struggle. A mathematician and a Sanskrit scholar who loved teaching was well known for his ideologies which never faded with age. He strived for an Advanced India that is now an emerging super-power. This book leads into his beliefs, struggles, ideals, sacrifices and above all his one minded approach to the betterment of the Indian society is unparallel in history. His conflicts with his peers, friends and political enemies are very well documented and researched and presented. There is a clear picture of the turbulent political time that was India and how the leaders faced their adversaries ho were not only the British but an ignorant uneducated mass. He is one of the main forces behind the New English School, Fergusson College, Newspapers such as Kesari (Marathi) & Maratha (English), Sarvajanik Ganesh Puja etc. He is also well know for his "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" This my Ideal leader... someone who can inspire me to follow & millions did."
January 28, 2014
Great book. Covers all aspects of Tilak's life and contemporary society, politics. Draws comparison between various leaders on several issues. The authors seem to have a Gandhian tint in their writings.
April 25, 2018
must say an exhaustive book but a stellar and thought provoking book about one of the most influential individuals
November 2, 2025
I learned a lot from this book. I wonder if other biographies of Tilak measure up to the standard this one has set.
January 12, 2020
A very detailed and exacting portrait of an compelling personality..The authors have gone very deep into explaining and analyzing the life and times of Lokmanya Tilak. This is majorly a political biography and the authors do a good job in covering the political spectrum of his life.
The book while a bit lengthy is definitely a must-read for all discerning students of Indian history.
The book while a bit lengthy is definitely a must-read for all discerning students of Indian history.
December 12, 2022
𝙇𝙤𝙠𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙠 - 𝘼 𝘽𝙞𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 by 𝘼.𝙆 𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙜𝙬𝙖𝙩, 𝙂.𝙋 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙝𝙖𝙣
स्वराज मेरा जन्मसिद्ध अधिकार है और मैं इसे लेकर रहूंगा
"𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐣 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭!"
🇮🇳Well ! We all (Bharatiya) have heard the slogan mentioned above. I take it as a "Yes" then. It served as an inspiration to the revolutionaries and the future ones in the British Raj. By now your mind must be started recalling a familiar name, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is it !?
🇮🇳Let's get to know about him a bit. Tilak was born on the 23rd July 1856, at Ratnagiri, in the Bombay Presidency, on the west coast of India, in a family of Chitpavan Brahmins.
🇮🇳He was an Indian social reformer and freedom activist. Tilak founded the All India Home Rule League in 1916 with Annie Besant whose motto was self-government within the British Empire for all of India.
🇮🇳He was a freedom fighter, idol, liberalist, socialist and nationalist and a patriot. We all have two lives one social and other personal. The blending of these two makes us what we are known to the world, and the book portrays them smoothly.
📌It's a book over 662 pages with a definitive approach towards the life of Lokmanya Gangadhar Tilak. I like the third person narration, and how certain events are connected in the same timelines over a period.
📌It's a perfect fit for those who wish to learn more about this Tilak's life, the ones who study for civil services, the ones who love reading biographies and students who wish to read something not so popular.
स्वराज मेरा जन्मसिद्ध अधिकार है और मैं इसे लेकर रहूंगा
"𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐣 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭!"
🇮🇳Well ! We all (Bharatiya) have heard the slogan mentioned above. I take it as a "Yes" then. It served as an inspiration to the revolutionaries and the future ones in the British Raj. By now your mind must be started recalling a familiar name, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is it !?
🇮🇳Let's get to know about him a bit. Tilak was born on the 23rd July 1856, at Ratnagiri, in the Bombay Presidency, on the west coast of India, in a family of Chitpavan Brahmins.
🇮🇳He was an Indian social reformer and freedom activist. Tilak founded the All India Home Rule League in 1916 with Annie Besant whose motto was self-government within the British Empire for all of India.
🇮🇳He was a freedom fighter, idol, liberalist, socialist and nationalist and a patriot. We all have two lives one social and other personal. The blending of these two makes us what we are known to the world, and the book portrays them smoothly.
📌It's a book over 662 pages with a definitive approach towards the life of Lokmanya Gangadhar Tilak. I like the third person narration, and how certain events are connected in the same timelines over a period.
📌It's a perfect fit for those who wish to learn more about this Tilak's life, the ones who study for civil services, the ones who love reading biographies and students who wish to read something not so popular.
October 22, 2024
The first 'real' and 'full time' politician of Modern India. He always fascinated me with his title 'Lokmanya'. Dadabhai's drain theory inspired so many people of the forthcoming generation and Tilak outshined them all as he bought the politics and his agenda to the people's doors. How the consciousness he created helped Gandhi bridge his national movement is noteworthy. This book does full justice and is absolutely spot on to discuss both the greatness and follies of this great personality. In case you are interested in how the national movement built up, this book is for you to read.
February 16, 2025
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was one of the tallest figures of our freedom struggle. I was therefore keen to read his biography. But this book disappointed by being far too long. The authors seem to have summarised most important editorials and speeches of the Lokmanya, instead of drawing out the essence of his thoughts. But it is a fairly balanced account.
October 3, 2022
Gr8
One of the best reading in last days. Superb personality. Every person should go through such readings. Best of luck.
One of the best reading in last days. Superb personality. Every person should go through such readings. Best of luck.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews