Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a founding social and political leader of the Indian National Movement who battled for India’s independence from the British Empire throughout his life. He was a moderate reformist leader who sought to achieve not only independence from the British Raj, but also social and political reforms in Indian society and within existing government institutions, all using nonviolent methods. He was able to persuade the British to recognize the talents of educated Indians and incorporate them in the governing process through his persistent petitions, agitations, and persuasions. Gokhale worked with a variety of public and legislative authorities during his life. He was a member of the Imperial Legislative Council, the Indian National Congress’s President, and the founder of the Servants of India Society. He also had a big influence on two key figures in the Indian national movement, Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who both looked up to Gokhale as a mentor.
Childhood and Adolescence
Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born on May 9, 1866, in the Kothluk hamlet of Guhagar in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, to a Chitpavan Brahmin family.
Despite coming from a poor home, Gokhale’s family was adamant about providing him with a good education. As a result, he was one of the first few Indians to attend university. He graduated from Elphinstone College in 1884. In the same year, he joined the Deccan Educational Society.
He was exposed to western political ideas in his early years, which defined and impacted much of his later works and life. His schooling instilled in him the values of liberty, democracy, and the parliamentary system, and he rose to prominence in Indian intellectual society as a result.
Career of Gopal Krishna Gokhale
He migrated to Pune in 1885 after finishing his academic degree and became one of the founding members of Fergusson College. He began his career as a history and political economy professor before rising to become the school’s principal.
Meanwhile, he became a member of the Indian National Congress in 1889 after taking up the role of secretary at the Sarvajanik Sabha, a significant political organization in Bombay.
Unlike his political contemporaries, he held moderate views and sought political representation and power for ordinary Indians through discourse and discussion. He believed that through conversing with the British, he could instill respect for Indian rights in them.
In Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s weekly journal ‘Maharatta,’ he routinely published articles on nationalism and presented the status of India under British rule in order to evoke the spirit of patriotism and nationalism in the general public. He was the secretary of the Deccan Education Society in 1891.
When the Indian Congress met in Pune in 1895, he and Tilak were both elected as Secretaries of the Indian National Congress. He rose to prominence in Indian politics as a result of his position. In the same year, he was elected to the Bombay University Senate.
He also served as a member of the Poona Municipality from 1898 to 1906, during which time he chaired the President’s seat for three years, from 1902 to 1905. The Municipality’s operation was significantly changed under his leadership.
He was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council in 1899, where he railed against British rule and emphasized the importance of a politically free India.
He became a member of the Imperial Legislative Council after finishing his academic career in 1902. His vast knowledge and limitless wisdom on law earned him acclaim among the council members, who were blown away by his oratory and debate talents, which he demonstrated during the yearly budget.
His political career reached its pinnacle in 1905, when he was elected President of the Indian National Congress. He took on more responsibilities as a result of his new position, which he handled with aplomb.
In the same year, he formed the ‘Servants of India Society’ to concentrate on one of his main interests and causes: increasing Indian education’s reach. He was certain that India will eventually progress to a better future when the next generation was educated enough to grasp their civil and patriotic responsibilities.
The India Society’s servants aspired to educate men and women and instill in them a feeling of national pride. It began promoting education by constructing schools, mobile libraries, day and night classes, and other initiatives.
Gokhale astonished Britishers with his expertise and ability during his time in the Imperial Legislative Council. As a result, he was called to London, where he presented the British administration with India’s constitutional demand. He developed a solid working relationship with Lord John Morley, which came in handy during the Morley-Minto reforms of 1909.
He first met Gandhi in South Africa in 1912, where he was striving to improve the working conditions of Indians in the country. He was Gandhi’s tutor, and he informed him about the everyday problems that Indians face.
He served as a role model for Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who subsequently became the foundation of Pakistan, in addition to guiding Gandhi. He had such sway on Jinnah that he sought to be known as the ‘Muslim Gokhale.’
Achievements & Awards
For his efforts, the British Empire named him a CIE, or Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire, in the New Year’s Honors List in 1904.
Personal History and Legacy
Except for the fact that he married twice, little is known about his personal life. In 1880, the first was to Savitribai. He married for the second time in 1887, and he and his second wife produced two daughters.
He dedicated his life to making the United States a better place. As a result, he multi-tasked and continued to contribute in numerous domains, which took its toll on his health, and he died on February 15, 1915.
Gokhale was a founding member of the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire, and his contributions are still remembered today.
Following his leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1905, he founded the Servant of India Society to educate Indian nationals, which still exists today, though with a small membership.
His emphasis on education has resulted in the establishment of a number of institutions in India that bear his name in honor of his philanthropic contributions, including the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economy, Gokhale Memorial Girl’s College, Gokhale Centenary College, Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs, and so on.
The Gokhale Road, which runs through Bombay, is named after him.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s Net worth
Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s estimated net worth is $ USD 10 million, according to online sources (Wikipedia, Google Search, Yahoo Search). His primary sources of income are as a writer, revolutionary, philosopher, economist, and politician.
Trivia
With moderate reformist ideas, this social and political senior leader of the Indian National Congress acted as a mentor and counselor to both Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
He started the Servants of India Society, which is still going strong today. The organization was founded with the goal of offering high-quality education to the next generation of Indians in order to teach them about their civil and patriotic responsibilities to the country.