Bal Gangadhar Tilak, called “Maker of Modern India” by Mahatma Gandhi and “Father of the Indian Revolution” by Jawaharlal Nehru, helped lay the foundation for Indian swaraj (self-rule). He introduced Hindu symbolism and Maratha traditions into the nationalist movement, initiated the passive resistance that later characterized Gandhi’s noncooperation program (satyagraha), and headed the Lucknow Pact.
