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Jyotirao "Jyotiba" Govindrao Phule was a well-known social reformer and thinker in India.






Jyotiba Phule was who?

Jyotirao "Jyotiba" Govindrao Phule was a well-known social reformer and thinker in India in the nineteenth century. He led the movement against the widespread caste system in India. He revolted against the rule of the Brahmins and fought for the rights of peasants and other members of lower castes. Dhananjay Keer, Phule's biographer, claims that Phule was given the title "Mahatma" by Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar, a fellow reformer from Bombay. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule was a pioneer for women's rights in India and fought for girls' education throughout his life. He is credited with establishing the primary Hindu shelter for awful youngsters.


Biography of Jyotiba Phule: Jyotirao Govindrao Phule was born in the Satara district of Maharashtra in 1827. Govindrao, his dad, ran a vegetable slow down in Poona. Jyotirao's family was originally called "Gorhay," and they belonged to the "mali" caste. Brahmins avoided Malis in social settings because they were thought to be of a lower caste. Jyotirao's father and uncles were florists, so the family took the name "Phule." His mother passed away when Jyotirao was just nine months old.


Jyotirao was a splendid young fellow who needed to abandon his schooling early on because of his family's monetary circumstance. He began by assisting his father and working on the family farm. The little genius's father was encouraged to enroll him in school by a neighbor who saw his talent. In 1841, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule enrolled at the Scottish Mission High School in Poona. He received his diploma there in 1847. There, he met a Brahmin named Sadashiv Ballal Govande, who stayed close to him throughout his life. Jyotirao wedded Savitribai when he was only thirteen years of age.


Ideology of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule In 1848, an incident that inspired Jyotiba to fight against the social injustice of caste discrimination sparked a social revolution in Indian society. Jyotirao got a solicitation to one of his companions' wedding who was from a high position Brahmin family. However, the bridegroom's family humiliated and tortured Jyotiba at the wedding when they learned of his roots. Mahatma Jyotirao ran away from the ceremony because he was determined to challenge the caste system and other social constraints that were in place. He made it his life's main goal to tirelessly push against social majoritarian strength and pursued the liberation surprisingly who were impacted by this social treachery.


Jyotirao was greatly influenced by the beliefs of Thomas Paine after reading his well-known book "The Rights of Man." He believed that women and members of lower castes could only be educated to address social issues.


Jyotiba Phule Commitment to Instruction

Savitribai Phule, Jyotiba's significant other, supported his endeavors to ensure ladies and young ladies the right to training. Savitribai, one of a handful of the educated ladies of her day, figured out how to peruse and compose from her better half Jyotirao. In 1851, Jyotiba established a girls' school and invited his wife to teach the students there. Later, he opened the Mahars and Mangs indigenous schools, both for people of lower caste, as well as two additional schools for girls.





Jyotiba established an ashram for young widows after realizing the deplorable conditions faced by widows and eventually came to support the idea of widow remarriage. Women's status was particularly appalling in the patriarchal society of his time. Both female infanticide and child marriage were common, and minors occasionally got married to much older men. These women frequently lost their husbands before they reached adolescence, leaving them without any family support. In 1854, in response to Jyotiba's distress over their predicament, he established an orphanage to safeguard these needy children from society's brutal treatment.


Jyotiba Phule as a Social Reformer: Mahatma Jyotirao attacked and branded the traditional Brahmins and other upper castes as "hypocrites." He ran a campaign against authoritarianism and urged the "peasants" and "proletariat" to resist limitations.


He welcomed guests from various castes and backgrounds into his home. He was in favor of gender parity, and he put his beliefs into action by including his wife in all of his efforts to implement social reform. He thought that the Brahmins used religious figures like Rama to oppress the lower caste.


Jyotirao's actions enraged the traditional Brahmins in the society. They said that he had tampered with social norms and regulations. Numerous individuals charged him with representing the Christian Missionaries. Jyotirao, on the other hand, was adamant and decided to continue the movement. It is interesting to note that several Brahmin acquaintances of Jyotirao supported the success of the movement.


The Satya Shodhak Samaj and Jyotiba Phule Jyotiba Phule established the organization in 1873. Society of Truth Seekers) He led a deliberate deconstruction of verifiable thoughts and convictions prior to revamping one that advanced balance. Jyotirao slammed the Hindus' ancient holy books, the Vedas, with venom. By repressing the "shudras" and "atishudras" in society, he used a number of other ancient writings to trace Brahmanism's beginnings and accused the Brahmins of creating cruel and exploitative regulations. The Satya Shodhak Samaj's goal was to free lower caste people from the stigma imposed by Brahmins and eradicate caste prejudice in society.


Jyotirao Phule first used the term "Dalits" to describe anyone the Brahmins regarded as belonging to a lower caste and untouchable. The Samaj was open to members of all castes and classes. They even encouraged Jews to join the Samaj, according to some documented accounts. The "Satya Shodhak Samaj" had 316 members by 1876. In 1868, Jyotirao decided to build a communal bathing tank outside his house to show that he was tolerant of everyone and wanted to eat with anyone, regardless of caste.


Death of Jyotiba Phule: Jyotiba Phule worked tirelessly throughout his life to liberate the untouchables from Brahmin rule. In addition to being an activist and social reformer, he was also a successful businessman. He worked for the Metropolitan Organization as a worker for hire and cultivator too. He served as the Commissioner of the Poona Municipality from 1876 to 1883.


Jyotiba lost his ability to walk in 1888 when he suffered a stroke. On November 28, 1890, the great social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule passed away.


Legacy of Jyotiba Phule: The ideas that underpinned Mahatma Jyotirao Phule's never-ending struggle against social stigma are still extremely relevant today and may be his greatest legacy. Jyotiba worked to end caste, class, and color discrimination, but people in the nineteenth century were accustomed to accepting these discriminatory practices as social norms that had to be upheld without question. He was the trailblazer of novel social change ideas. He started campaigns to raise awareness, which eventually inspired stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to take significant actions to end caste discrimination.






Important Jyotiba Phule FAQs: What is Jyotiba Phule's contribution?

Jyotiba Phule made a significant contribution to the education of girls and women's empowerment. Jyotiba Phule died on November 28, 1890. He worked hard to free women and get rid of caste and untouchability. Phule gained the most fame for his efforts to educate women and members of lower castes.


Which of Jyotirao Phule's works is the most well-known?

Shetkarayacha Aasud (Cultivator's Whipcord) and Gulamgiri (Slavery) are Jyotirao Phule's two most well-known works. Dhananjay Keer, Phule's biographer, claims that Phule was given the title Mahatma by Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar, a fellow reformer from Bombay.


In short, who was Jyotiba Phule?

Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, a social reformer, fought against social problems like untouchability and the caste system. He also fought hard for women's suffrage and girls' education. Phule was born on April 11, 1827, in the region that is now known as Maharashtra. He belonged to the vegetable farmers and gardeners of the Mali caste.


Who was Jyotiba Phule and what brought him fame?

Jyotiba Phule, an Indian social reformer and creator, battled for equivalent privileges for all individuals, especially for ladies and low-pay workers. He spoke out against the Hindu caste system, which gives people a social status based on when they were born.


Who is regarded as the founder of the social revolution in India?

Mahatma Jotirao Phule is generally perceived as the one who began the Indian social unrest. He was a social reformer, author, and advocate against caste in Maharashtra.


How did Jyotiba Phule influence Maharashtra's Dalit movement?

Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitrirao Phule established the first Dalit girls' school in Pune in 1848. Phule oversaw the establishment of Satyashodhak Samaj (also known as "Seekers of Truth") in 1848 in an effort to ensure that the lower castes of Maharashtra received a fair share of the social and economic benefits that the state offered.




































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