Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (ⓘ; born Keshav Gangadhar Tilak (pronunciation: [keʃəʋ ɡəŋɡaːd̪ʱəɾ ʈiɭək]); 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), endeared as Lokmanya (IAST: Lokamānya), was an Indian nationalist, teacher, and an independence activist. 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 with the title of "Lokmanya", which means "accepted by the people as their leader". Mahatma Gandhi called him "The Maker of Modern India".
Bal Gangadhar Tilak | |
|---|---|
| Born | Keshav Gangadhar Tilak 23 July 1856 |
| Died | 1 August 1920 (aged 64) Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) |
| Occupation(s) | Author, politician, freedom fighter |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Movement | Indian Independence movement |
| Spouse | Satyabhamabai Tilak |
| Children | 3 |
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.