Mahatma Jyotiba Phule: A Social Reformer - A Life Story
Born: 11th April, 1827
Birthplace: Satara, Maharashtra
Parents: Govinda Rao Phule (Father) and Chimnabai (Mother)
Spouse: Savitri Phule
Children: Yashwantrao Phule (adopted son)
Education: Scottish Missions High School, Pune;
Societies: Satya Shodhak Samaj
Ideology: Liberal; egalitarian; Socialism
Religious Beliefs: Hinduism
Publications: Tertiya Ratna (1855); Powada: Chhatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha (1869); Shetkarayacha Asud (1881)
Died: November 28, 1890
Jyoti Rao 'Jyotiba' Govinda Rao Phule was a prominent social reformer and thinker of nineteenth century India. He led the movement against the caste system in India. He rebelled against Brahmin rule and fought for the rights of peasants and other low caste people. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule was a pioneer of women's education in India and fought for girls' education throughout her life. He is believed to be the first Hindu to open an orphanage for underprivileged children.
Childhood & Early Life
Jyoti Rao Govinda Rao Phule was born in 1827 in Satara district of Maharashtra. His father Govinda Rao was a vegetable merchant in Poona. Jyoti Rao's family belonged to 'Mali' caste and their original title was 'Gorhe'. Malis were considered a low caste by Brahmins and socially shunned. Jyoti Rao's father and uncles worked as florists and the family got the name `Phule'. Jyoti Rao's mother died when he was nine months old.
Jyoti Rao was a bright boy but had to drop out of school at an early age due to poor financial conditions at home. He started helping his father by working on the family farm. A neighbor who recognized the child prodigy's talent convinced his father to send him to school. In 1841, Jyoti Rao was admitted to the Scottish Missions High School in Poona and completed his education in 1847. There Sadashiv met a Brahmin named Ballal Govande, who remained his close friend for the rest of his life. At the age of just thirteen, Jyoti Rao was married to Savitribai.
Social movements
In 1848, an incident ignited Jyotiba's quest against the social injustice of caste discrimination and sparked a social revolution in Indian society. Jyoti Rao received an invitation to attend the wedding of one of his friends from an upper caste Brahmin family. But at the wedding, the groom's relatives came to know that Jyotiba was born and insulted her. Jyoti Rao left the ceremony and made up his mind to challenge the prevailing caste system and social restrictions. He made it his life's work to relentlessly reject the helm of social majority domination and aim for the emancipation of all human beings subjected to this social deprivation.
After reading Thomas Paine's famous book 'The Rights of Man', Jyotirao was greatly influenced by his ideas. He believed that enlightenment of women and lower caste people was the only solution to combat social evils.
Wife Savitribai phule
Savitribai Phule was a social reformer, educationalist, and poet from Maharashtra, India. She was born on January 3, 1831, in Naigaon, Maharashtra, and passed away on March 10, 1897. She is known for her contributions to the education and empowerment of women and oppressed castes in India during the 19th century.
Savitribai Phule and her husband Jyotirao Phule founded the first school for girls in Pune in 1848, which was a significant milestone in the history of women's education in India. They also established a home for widows and a school for the children of untouchables and lower castes.
Savitribai Phule was an accomplished poet who wrote several poems on themes of social reform, education, and equality. She used her writing to challenge the prevailing social norms and advocate for the rights of women and marginalized communities.
Savitribai Phule's contributions to education and social reform in India have been widely recognized, and she is considered a pioneer of women's education and empowerment in the country. Her legacy continues to inspire generations of Indians who strive for equality and social justice.
Efforts towards women education
His wife Savitribai Phule supported Jyothiba's quest for the right to education for women and girls. One of the few literate women at that time, Savitribai was taught to read and write by her husband Jyoti Rao.
In 1851, Jyotiba established a school for girls and asked his wife to educate girls in the school. Later, he opened two more schools for girls and a vernacular school for the lower castes, especially the Mahars and Mangs.
Realizing the plight of widows, Jyotiba founded an ashram for young widows and eventually championed the idea of widow remarriage.
During his time, the society was patriarchal and the position of women was particularly bad. Female infanticide is a common occurrence and so is child marriage, where children are sometimes married to much older men. These women were often widowed before puberty and left without family support. Jyotiba was saddened by their plight and established an orphanage in 1854 to shelter these unfortunate souls from perishing in the cruel hands of society.
Efforts towards elimination of caste discrimination
Jyoti Rao attacked orthodox Brahmins and other upper castes and described them as "hypocrites". He campaigned against the tyranny of the upper castes and urged the "peasants" and the "proletariat" to defy restrictions imposed on them.
He opened his home to people of all castes and backgrounds. He believed in gender equality and he exemplified his beliefs by involving his wife in all his social reform activities. He believed that religious symbols such as Rama were used by Brahmins as a means of subjugating the lower caste.
The Sanatana Brahmins of the society expressed their anger on Jyoti Rao's activities. They blame him for violating the rules and regulations of the society. Many accused him of acting on behalf of Christian missionaries. But Jyoti Rao remained firm and decided to continue the movement. Interestingly, Jyotirao was supported by some Brahmin friends who extended their support to the success of the movement.
Satya Shodhak Samaj
In 1873, Jyotiba Phule founded the Satya Shodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth). He undertook a systematic reconstruction of existing beliefs and history only to reconstruct a reform that promoted equality. Jyoti Rao vehemently condemned the Vedas, the ancient holy books of the Hindus. He traced the history of Brahmanism through several other ancient texts and held the Brahmins responsible for enacting predatory and inhumane laws to maintain their social dominance by oppressing the "Sudras" and "Atishudras" of the society. The purpose of the Satya Shodhak Samaj is to decontaminate the society from caste discrimination and to liberate the oppressed lower caste people from the stigmas inflicted by Brahmins. Jyoti Rao Phule was the first to coin the term 'Dalits' to apply to all the people considered low castes and untouchables by Brahmins. Membership in Samaj is open to all irrespective of caste and class. Some written records indicate that they welcomed the participation of Jews as members of the Samaj and by 1876 the 'Satya Shodhak Samaj' boasted of 316 members. In 1868, Jyoti Rao decided to build a common bath tub outside his house and demonstrated his embracing attitude towards all human beings and wanted to eat with everyone irrespective of their caste.
Death
Jyotiba Phule devoted her entire life to the liberation of the untouchables from the exploitation of the Brahmins. Apart from being a social activist and reformer, he was also a businessman. He is also a cultivator and contractor for the Municipal Corporation. He served as Commissioner of Poona Municipality between 1876 and 1883.
Jyotiba suffered a stroke in 1888 and became paralyzed. On 28 November, 1890, the great social reformer Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule died.
Inheritance
Mahatma Jyotirao Phule's greatest legacy is the thought behind his eternal struggle against social stigmas that is still very relevant. In the nineteenth century, people were used to accepting these discriminatory practices as a social norm that needed to be enforced without question, but Jyotiba tried to change this discrimination based on caste, class and colour. He pioneered unheard of ideas for social reforms. He started awareness campaigns that eventually inspired the likes of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, who later took up major initiatives against caste discrimination.
In memory
Jyotiba's biography was written by Dhananjay Kier in 1974 under the title 'Mahatma Jyotiba Phule: Father of our Social Revolution'. The Mahatma Phule Museum in Pune was established in honor of the great reformer. The Maharashtra government has introduced the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jeevandayi Yojana, a cashless treatment scheme for the poor. Many statues of the Mahatma have been erected, as well as many street names and educational institutions re-christened after him – e.g. Crawford Market in Mumbai was named Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai and Maharashtra Krishi Vidyapeeth at Rahuri in Maharashtra was renamed as Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth.
