Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a social and political leader of the Congress party, known for his restraint and moderation and his determination to work inside the system. Gandhiji admired Gokhale a lot and his liberal outlook impressed him very much. Gandhiji knew Gokhale from his South African days. When he came back to India, Gandhiji went to see Gokhale. Gokhale urged him to get a better understanding of India’s present status and problems, so that he could practice Satyagraha in the Indian struggle for freedom.
In his autobiography Gandhiji talked about Gokhale as his greatest supporter and guide. Gandhiji had an admiration for Gokhale being a political leader as well. He respected the principles of Gokhale. Gandhiji described Gokhale as being pure as crystal, gentle as a lamb, brave as a lion and chivalrous to a fault. But, regardless of Gandhiji’s extreme reverence for Gokhale, he also had differences of opinion with him.