Gopal Krishna Gokhale


Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born on 9th May, 1866 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. His father's name was Krishna Rao. His mother's name was Valubai. Gokhale did his schooling from Rajaram High School in Kothapur. Afterward, he moved to Bombay and graduated from Elphinstone College, Bombay in 1884. He was widely valued among the budding Indian intellectual society across India. Gokhale was highly educated. His understanding of the English language allowed him to convey himself without hesitation and with utmost clarity. His appreciation and knowledge of history instilled in him a respect for liberty, democracy, and the parliamentary system. After graduation, he moved on to teaching and became an assistant master in the 'New English School', Pune.

In 1885, Gokhale moved to Pune and became one of the founding members of “Fergusson College', along with his colleagues in the 'Deccan Education Society'. Gopal Krishna Gokhale gave nearly two decades of his life to Fergusson College and became the principal of the college. During this time, he came in contact with Mahadev Govind Ranade; a judge, scholar, and a social reformer, whom Gokhale called his 'Guru'. Gokhale worked with Ranade in Poona Sarvajanik Sabha and became the Secretary

Gopal Krishna Gokhale entered public life in 1886 at the age of 20. He delivered a public speech on 'India under the British Rule, which was highly appreciated. Gokhale regularly contributed articles to Bal Gangadhar Tilak's weekly ‘Mahratta'. Through his articles, he tried to awaken the latent patriotism of the Indian people. Soon, Gokhale was promoted as Secretary of the Deccan Education Society. When the Indian National Congress held its session in Poona in 1895, he was the secretary of the Reception Committee. From this session, he became a prominent member of the Indian National Congress. Gokhale was elected twice as the President of Pune Municipality. For a while, Gokhale was also a member of the Bombay Legislative Council where he spoke strongly against the British Government.

In 1902, Gokhale left the Fergusson College and became a member of the Imperial Legislative Council in Delhi. There, he spoke for the people of the country. Gokhale had an excellent grasp of the Indian economic problems which, he presented during the debates. In 1905, Gokhale started a new society called 'Servants of India Society. This society trained workers for the service of the country. In the same year, Gokhale went to England to voice his concerns relating to the unfair treatment of the Indian people by the British government. In a span of 49 days, he spoke in front of 47 different audiences, captivating every one of them. He pleaded for gradual reforms to ultimately attain 'Swaraj' or 'self-government' in India. He was instrumental in the introduction of the 'Morley-Minto Reforms' of 1909, which eventually became a Law. Though the reforms sowed the seeds of communal division in India, nevertheless, they gave Indians access to the seats of the highest authority within the government and their voices were more audible in matters of public interest.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a diabetic and asthmatic patient. Due to a lot of stress, he became ill and ultimately died on 19 February, 1915.