Question

Who was the political guru of Mahatma Gandhi ?
A. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
B. Dadabhai Naoroji
C. Badruddin Tyabji
D. Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Answer 1

Hint:The freedom struggle had already started before Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa. The atrocities of the British were well recognised by the nationalists and the educated even then and they had already started expressing their agitation towards it.

Complete answer:
On returning from South Africa, Gandhiji was personally guided through the turmoil and the socio-economic condition of India under the British colonial rule in India by Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a liberal giant. He was a protege of Justice M.G Ranade.
Gokhale joined the Indian National Congress in 1899 and emerged as one of the main leaders of its ‘moderate’ wing. Gokhale campaigned for Indian self-rule and for social reforms. He led this wing which advocated reforms by working with existing government institutions.
Gokhale played a key role in framing the Morley-Minto reforms of 1909. He advocated for the expansion of legislative councils at both the fronts of the Centre and the provinces.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale became Congress president at its Banaras session in 1905.
At the height of his political career, Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society to specifically further one of the causes which were of paramount importance to him. It was the expansion of Indian education.

The correct answer is option D.

Note:After Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India, he joined Gokhale’s group of Modernists before going on to lead the independence movement against British colonialism. Gandhi regarded Gopal Krishna Gokhale as his political mentor. Gandhiji even wrote a book in Gujarati dedicated to the leader titled ‘Dharmatma Gokhale’.