Tilak: The Empire's Biggest Enemy - A New Biography by Vaibhav Purandare

Vaibhav Purandare's new book, 'Tilak: The Empire's Biggest Enemy', is a detailed biography of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. It explores Tilak's pivotal role in igniting Indian nationalism before Gandhi's time, his sedition charges, and his pushback against British colonial rule. Published by Penguin Random House India.

Author Vaibhav Purandare's latest book, a comprehensive biography of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, chronicles the life and times of the nationalist leader who was instrumental in India's quest for freedom.

Marking the 167th birth anniversary of the leader, 'Tilak: The Empire's Biggest Enemy', published by Penguin Random House India, will hit the stands on Tuesday.

Considered to be the revolutionary force behind the surge of Indian nationalism before Mahatma Gandhi emerged as the face of the Indian freedom struggle, Tilak was 'the most dangerous dissenting voice', leading to three sedition charges against him for his provocative writings in his nationalist daily, 'Kesari'.

Tilak roused the Indian people into collective action against the British Raj and made them aware of 'rights', which was revolutionary in late 19th and early 20th century India because, subjugated as they were, Indians – and their chief political organization, the Indian National Congress – were until then speaking only in the language of 'pleadings' and 'requests'. 'Tilak represents the turning point of India's freedom struggle, for he single-handedly turned that struggle into a people's upheaval. He also led the vigorous Indian pushback against colonization of the mind, heart, and spirit,” Purandare told PTI.

The author has traced Tilak's journey from his early days in Konkan to his influential role in India's independence movement, spotlighting his fight against British colonialism, his imprisonment, and his steadfast dedication to the cause of 'Swaraj' in the book.

He added that the biography speaks of how India's massive political revolution and the anti-colonial fight was unleashed and acquired momentum. 'It tells us how we, as a nation, and individual citizens got to the point where we are today. It's impossible to understand the freedom struggle and equally our present-day national debates on various contentious issues without looking closely at Tilak's life,' Purandare said.

Strewn with exclusive picture inserts from the 1880s, the book serves as a crucial resource to understand the intricate history of Indian political movements and the legacy of one of its most iconic figures.

'Tilak: The Empire's Biggest Enemy' by Vaibhav Purandare throws new light on Lokmanya. With his impeccable narrative style, archival research, and access to primary sources, Vaibhav takes the narrative to a new height. I’m thrilled to publish this title, and I sincerely hope that this book will interest a huge spectrum of readers for now and the days to come,' Premanka Goswami, associate publisher, Vintage & Head Backlist, Penguin said in a statement.

The book is available for purchase in online and offline stores.