Who among the following was popularly known as 'Lokahitwadi' ?
- A.Gopal Hari Deshmukh
- B.Mahadev Govind Ranade
- C.Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- D.Jyotiba Phule
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Gopal Hari Deshmukh. Gopal Hari Deshmukh (1823–1892) of Maharashtra wrote under the pen name Lokahitawadi, meaning one who works for the good of the people, and the name stuck to him. In the late 1840s he wrote his famous Shatapatre, a hundred letters published in the weekly Prabhakar, attacking caste rigidity, child marriage, the ban on widow remarriage and blind faith, and urging Indians to take up modern education and rational thinking. He later served as a judge and was associated with the Prarthana Samaj and the founding of the Gyan Prakash newspaper. Option B is wrong because Mahadev Govind Ranade, called the Justice of Maharashtra, co-founded the Prarthana Samaj and the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha but was not Lokahitawadi. Option C is wrong because Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a moderate Congress leader, founder of the Servants of India Society and political guru of Gandhi. Option D is wrong because Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj and was given the title Mahatma. Exam tip: Lokahitawadi = Gopal Hari Deshmukh, author of Shatapatre; Satyashodhak Samaj (1873) = Jyotiba Phule.
Practice Questions
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Show answer
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