Mahatma Jyotirao Phule

Why in News?

The bicentenary year of the birth of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule begins on April 11, 2026. 

Mahatma Jyotirao Phule:

Renowned social reformer, educator, anti-caste activist and pioneer of women’s education. 

• Born in 1827 in Satara, Maharashtra.
• Belonged to the ‘mali’ caste (Shudra community).
• Education: Influenced by Western liberal thought (especially natural rights theory).
• Ideology: Liberal; Egalitarian; Socialism

Major Contributions of Jyotirao Phule:

1. Social reform and fight against Caste discrimination: 

• Phule challenged Brahmanical dominance and exposed structural inequalities embedded in Indian society. He used the word ‘Dalit’ for the first time for the untouchable castes.
• In his seminal work Gulamgiri (Slavery), 1873, he compared caste oppression in India with racial slavery in the United States. He focused on:
  • Critique of caste hierarchy; advocacy of human dignity and equality
  • Emphasis on the empowerment of Shudras 
• In 1873, he founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) to promote social equality and rational thinking.

2. Women’s education and Gender justice: 

• Phule was among the earliest advocates of women’s education in India. Along with his wife, Savitribai Phule, he:
  • Established one of the first schools for girls in Pune (1848); established schools for lower-caste children. 
  • Established shelter homes (Ashram) for destitute women & widows; advocated the idea of widow remarriage.
  • Opposed child marriage and started an orphanage for unfortunate children.

3. Educational Reforms: 

• Phule viewed education as the most effective instrument for social transformation. In his submission to the Education Commission (Hunter Commission) 1882, he:
  • Argued for compulsory primary education up to age 12
  • Proposed targeted government scholarships for marginalised communities, amongst whom education has made no progress
  • More liberal and proactive measures to advance women’s education.

4. Economic justice and Agrarian concerns:

• Phule analysed caste exploitation in the agrarian economy. In Shetkaryacha Asud (1883), he highlighted:
  • Exploitation of peasants under the caste hierarchy
  • Burden of land revenue policies
  • Neglect of farmers’ welfare by the colonial administration
  • Link between poverty and lack of access to education
• He argued that social hierarchy and economic exploitation reinforce each other.

Key Publications of Jyotirao Phule:

• Tritiya Ratna
• Powada: Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha; 
• Shetkarayacha Aasud
• Gulamgiri 

Phule reimagined the foundations of social order on the principles of equality, dignity, and the redistribution of power. He passed away in 1890, but his ideas continued to inspire the nation.