ICSE Class 10 Answered

Following are Lokmanya Tilak’s contributions to the nationalist movement in India:

Demand for Swaraj - Tilak was the first Indian leader to openly make a demand for ‘Swaraj’ or independence. He believed that political rights for Indians could be won only by aggressively agitating and demanding them and not through the moderate method of petitioning and constitutional protest. He was also the first nationalist leader who reached out to the masses in order to pull them into mainstream political activity. In order to inculcate courage, self-defense and patriotism, he also opened many akharas and lathi clubs where physical training was imparted.

Preaching of Nationalism - In 1893, Tilak started the Ganpati festival in order for the Indians to come together and exchange ideas. He also promoted the popularity of Shivaji’s cult and started the Shivaji festival from 1895. He also started two newspapers - ‘Kesari’ in Marathi and ‘Mahratta’ in English in order to popularise and propagate nationalist ideas through the Press. Later he wrote two famous books - the ‘Gita Rahasya’ and ‘The Arctic Home of the Vedas’.

Establishment of the Home Rule League - Tilak founded the Home Rule League at Pune in 1916 in order to achieve self government within the British empire through constitutional means.