Jyotirao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890) was an Indian social reformer, writer, and advocate for equal rights for everyone, including the poor and women.
- Born in Pune, his wife is Savitribai Phule.
- Influenced by Thomas Paine’s ‘Age of Reason’.
- He was a
- Critique of the Caste System.
- Advocacy for Women’s Rights: Put forward the idea of Widow Remarriage
- Advocated Secular and Rational Thought
Educational Reforms
- In 1848, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule founded the first girls’ school in Pune.
- Supported the education of downtrodden communities like Dalits.
- Mahatma Phule established night schools for working-class individuals, allowing them to gain education alongside their jobs.
Social Reforms
- Jyotiba Phule critiqued Brahmanical orthodoxy.
- Phule founded Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth Seekers’ Society) in 1873 to promote social equality and challenge oppression.
Major Literature Works
- Tritiya Ratna (1855); Powada: Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha (1869); Gulamgiri (1873), Shetkarayacha Aasud (1881).
Source: PIB