Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/350

 and eloquent, but to free journalistic diction from the unnatural pompousness — too often mistaken for eloquence, which the study of English classics had brought into Marathi. He formed a new style in Marathi journalism, and most of the Marathi journals of the day have adopted it.

His profound knowledge of philosophy, science, metaphysics — Indian and European — stood him in good stead not only in making scholarly criticisms, but in the leading controversies of the last 30 years. Our social and religious life, ideas and institutions, are, so to speak, in the melting pot and the changes that are to be introduced must suit the basic ideas of our society. Mr. Tilak believed in what may be termed, " Indian Sociology " as Mr. Ranade did in " Indian Economics." His attitude towards Social Reform was largely deter- mined by sociological considerations. Others had seen only the crust that lies on the Indian civilisation and had pronounced it to be worthless. Mr. Tilak had gone deeper and had learnt how precious our culture is.

He had studied the constitutional laws and histories of England and other European countries. Politics was his sp3cial study and he wanted to write an original thesis on this subject. At Mandalay, he devoted all his leisure to the study of the French and the German.

It would thus be seen that the range of Mr. Tilak's reading was enormously vast. But he was not a mere reader of books. He meditated profoundly on what he read. He supplemented his reading and thinking by communicating with the best minds of his age. His active life afforded the necessary corrective to his