Bal Ganghadhar Tilak Biography 
Bal Ganghadhar Tilak was an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer. He was popularly known as Lokmanya Tilak and was also a teacher, lawyer and a journalist. His quote ‘Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!’ is very popular in India.
He was born on 23rd July 1856 in Chikhali in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. His original name is Keshav Gangadhar Tilak. His father’s name is Shri Gangadhar Tilak. He completed his education from the Deccan College at Pune in 1877 and is one of the first few people of India to get college education.
He joined the Indian National Congress in 1890 and fought for self government. He opposed early marriage and 1891 Age of Consent Bill. After the Bengal Partition in 1905, he encouraged the Swadeshi Movement and Boycott Movement. Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai supported his views and he opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
As an effect of the Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose case, he was exiled to Mandalay in Burma in 1908 where he spent until 1914. He suffered due to diabetes at that time and the outset of the World War I, Minto-Morley Reforms was passed and he advocated that. He rejoined the Indian National Congress in 1916 and took part in the foundation of the All India Home Rule League.
He started the Marathi weekly Kesari in 1880-81 and this is published to date as a daily. He wrote the book The Arctic Home in the Vedas in 1903, Shrimadbhagwadgeetarahasya and Geetha Rahasyain. He died on 1st August 1920.
A theatre auditorium in Pune was named after him as Tilak Smarak Ranga Mandir. During his 150th birth anniversary in 2007, Indian government issued coin to commemorate him. He founded the Deccan Education Society in 1880s and it is still functioning.
Published: N/A
Updated: February 01, 2013
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