Who is identified as the acknowledged political mentor of M.K. Gandhi?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Before Gandhiji, the Congress had two groups of leaders. Lal, Bal and Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal) stood for militant opposition to colonial rule, while the Moderates preferred a gradual and persuasive approach. Among the Moderates was Gandhiji’s acknowledged political mentor, Gopal Krishna Gokhale. On Gokhale’s advice, Gandhiji spent a year travelling around British India to know the land and its people.
Note: A same/similar question was asked in CUET (UG) in the papers below.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
| 25-05 S1 | 19-05 S1 03-06 S2* | – | – | 21-08 S1 30-08 S1* |
* A similar question.
NCERT (2025-26): “1. A Leader Announces Himself … Where these leaders advocated militant opposition to colonial rule, there was a group of ‘Moderates’ who preferred a more gradual and persuasive approach. Among these Moderates was Gandhiji’s acknowledged political mentor, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, as well as Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who, like Gandhiji, was a lawyer of Gujarati extraction trained in London. On Gokhale’s advice, Gandhiji spent a year travelling around British India, getting to know the land and its peoples.…” |