Bal Gangadhar Tilak, born on 23 July 1856, Ratnagiri [now in
Maharashtra state], Bombay [now Mumbai]) was a scholar, mathematician,
philosopher, and ardent nationalist who helped lay the foundation for India’s independence by
building his own defiance of British rule into a national movement. He founded
(1914) and served as president of the Indian Home Rule League. In 1916 he
concluded the Lucknow Pact with Mohammed
Ali Jinnah,
which provided for Hindu-Muslim unity in the nationalist struggle.
