History & Civics
Tilak said 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it'. In this context, describe:
(a) State any three of his political beliefs.
(b) State the means he employed to arouse nationalistic passions.
(c) In what ways was he the forerunner of Gandhiji?
2ⁿᵈ Phase of INM
46 Likes
Answer
(a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak had the following political beliefs-
- He was convinced that political rights could be achieved by aggressively demanding them.
- His entry in the Indian political scene was marked by a shift from petitions to demand for political rights.
- He was the first nationalist leader who sought close contact with the masses. With this objective and to inculcate courage, self-defence and patriotism, he organised many akharas and lathi clubs where physical training was imparted.
(b) Tilak employed the following means to arouse nationalistic passions-
- In 1893, Tilak started using the traditional religious Ganapati festival to propagate nationalist ideas through songs and speeches.
- In 1895, he glorified Shivaji and started the Shivaji festival to encourage young Maharashtrians.
- He started two newspapers — Mahratta and Kesari, which soon became the mouthpieces of his ideas. Through these newspapers he preached nationalism and taught the people to be courageous and self-reliant.
- He wrote two well-known books—the Gita Rahasya and The Arctic Home of the Vedas.
(c) Bal Gangadhar Tilak is known as the forerunner of Mahatma Gandhi in a number of ways.
- Tilak's idea of Swaraj was akin to Mahatma Gandhi's idea of complete independence.
- Tilak sought close contact with the masses as Mahatma Gandhi did.
- Tilak preached the idea of Swadeshi, Boycott and Prohibition. These ideas were preached and followed by Mahatma Gandhi later on.
- Tilak had to suffer several terms of imprisonment for the sake of the country, an example followed by Mahatma Gandhi and other nationalist leaders.
Answered By
20 Likes
Related Questions
In the second phase of the national movement, there emerged a new younger group of leaders within the Congress who did not agree with the old leadership. In this context, answer the following questions:
(a) Explain how the repressive policies of Lord Curzon and influence of International events led to the Assertive nationalism.
(b) Name the Assertive Nationalist leader who was wounded when he was leading a protest against Simon Commission. How were his words, when he was wounded, prophetics?
(c) Differentiate between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists in their objectives and achievements, stating one objective and two achievements of each wing of the Congress.
Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow:
"You will have observed the word 'boycott' attached to the word 'movement'. It means that it shall move, move from point to point, move from city to city, move from division to division, move from province to province till we realise the highest destiny of our people as a nation in the comity of nations. I mean swaraj."
—Bipin Chandra Pal, 1906 Calcutta Session of the Congress
(a) Mention Bipin Chandra Pal's political aims.
(b) State his ideas on National Education.
(c) What remedies did he propose to eradicate India's poverty and unemployment?
Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow:
It is a mistake to suppose that the Swadeshi movement requires sacrifice from poor people. We, the middle classes are the greatest offenders in this respect. The poor Kumbi villagers, require not many foreign articles at all, — probably none at all. It is we, the middle classes, who are the consumers of foreign goods; and since this Government is not going to stop the drain by imposing a protective duty it becomes imperatively necessary to adopt a measure by which we can do ourselves what the Government is bound to do and what the government ought to have done long ago. That one point was self-help and another point was determination; and the third sacrifice. You will find that all this included in this resolution, joined with the declaration made in the Presidential address that Swadeshism is a forced necessity in India owing to unnatural economic conditions in India, makes up a complete case for you. I trust that resolution of self-help adopted this year will form the basis of other resolutions of self-help in years to come.’
— Bal Gangadhar Tilak (At the 1906 session of Indian National Congress, where the resolution on Swadeshi was moved.).
(a) What was the main aim of Swadeshi as referred to in the extract? How does, it relate to 'boycott'?
(b) What are the reasons for focussing on Swadeshi?
(c) In what ways is the speaker of this extract the forerunner of Gandhiji?
Study the pictures given below and answer the questions that follow:
(a) Identify the persons 'A' and 'B' given above. To which section of the Congress did each belong and what were their ultimate objectives?
(b) State three different methods of struggle adopted by each section of the Congress.
(c) State two contributions of persons 'A' and 'B' to the freedom struggle.