महात्मा फुले

Jyotirao Phule
Jyotirao Govindrao Phule
Born 11 April 1827
Katgun, Satara, British India
(present-day Maharashtra , India)
Died 28 November 1890 (aged 63)
Pune , British India (present-day
Maharashtra, India)
Other
nam
es
Mahatma Phule. Jyotiba Phule /
Jyotirao Phule
Religi
on
Satyashodhak Samaj, Deist ,
Humanism
Era 19th century philosophy
Region Mali
Main i
nterest
s
Ethics, religion, humanism
Influen
ces Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ·
Tukaram · Thomas Paine
Influen
ced Social Reform Movement in
Maharashtra · Mahatma Gandhi ·
Shahu Maharaj · Nana Patil ·
Chhagan Bhujbal
Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (11 April
1827 – 28 November 1890), also known as
Mahatma Jyotiba Phule was an Indian activist,
thinker , social reformer, writer and theologist
from Maharashtra . Jyotiba Phule and his wife
Savitribai Phule were pioneers of women's
education in India. His work extended to many
fields including education, agriculture, caste
system, women and widow upliftment and
removal of untouchability. He is most known
for his efforts to educate women and the lower
castes as well as the masses. He, after
educating his wife, opened the first school for
girls in India in August 1848.
In September 1873, Jyotirao, along with his
followers, formed the Satya Shodhak Samaj
(Society of Seekers of Truth) with the main
objective of liberating the Bahujans , Shudras
and Ati-Shudras [clarification needed ] and
protecting them from exploitation and
atrocities. For his fight to attain equal rights
for peasants and the lower caste and his
contributions to the field of education, he is
regarded as one of the most important figures
of the Social Reform Movement in
Maharashtra . Dhananjay Keer, his biographer,
notes him as "the father of Indian social
revolution". Jyotirao Phule was among the
intellectuals of India who tried hard for the
upliftment of the Dalit community. He is often
remembered for his anti-caste efforts and in
the trio of Phule-Periyar-Ambedkar.
Early life
Thomas Paine 's
book
Jyotirao Govindrao Phule was born in the
Satara district of Maharastra in a family
belonging to Mali. His father, Govindrao, was a
vegetable vendor. Originally Jyotirao's family,
known as Gorhays, came from Katgun, a
village in Taluka- Khatav, District- Satara. His
grandfather Shetiba Gorhay settled down in
Pune. Since Jyotirao's father and two uncles
served as florists under the last of the
Peshwas, they came to be known as 'Phules'.
(Reference- P.G. Patil, Collected Works of
Mahatma Jotirao Phule, Vol-II, published by
Education department, Govt. of Maharashtra).
His mother died when he was 9 months old.
After completing his primary education
Jyotirao had to leave school and help his
father by working on the family's farm. He was
married at the age of 12. His intelligence was
recognised by a Muslim and a Christian
neighbour, who persuaded his father to allow
Jyotirao to attend the local Scottish Mission's
High School, which he completed in 1847. The
turning point in Jyotiba's life was in year
1848, when he was insulted by family
members of his Brahmin friend, a bridegroom
for his participation in the marriage procession,
an auspicious occasion. Jotiba was suddenly
facing the divide created by the caste system.
[1] Influenced by Thomas Paine 's book, Rights
of Man (1791), Phule developed a keen sense
of social justice. He argued that education of
women and the "lower castes" was a vital
priority in addressing social inequalities.
Satyashodhak Samaj
On 24 September 1873, Jotirao formed ' Satya
Shodhak Samaj' (Society of Seekers of Truth)
with himself as its first president and
treasurer. The main objectives of the
organisation were to liberate the Shudras to
prevent their 'exploitation' by the caste like
Brahmans. Through this Satya Shodhak Samaj,
Jotirao refused to regard the Vedas as
sacrosanct. [citation needed ] He opposed
idolatry and denounced the chaturvarnya
system (the caste system). Satya Shodhak
Samaj propounded the spread of rational
thinking and rejected the need for a Brahman
priestly class as educational and religious
leaders. He was an aboriginal of India and
established Satyadharma and never renounced
his faith. He was against those Brahmins who
were using religion and blind faith of masses
for their own monetary gains. But Jyotiba had
many Brahmin personal friends and he even
adopted a Brahmin boy as his heir. He made a
will giving his large property after his death to
this Brahmin boy.[ citation needed ]
Beliefs
Phule established the Satya Shodhak Samaj ,
Savitribai became the head of the women's
section which included ninety female
members [ citation needed ]. Moreover, she
worked tirelessly as a school teacher for girls.
Deenbandhu publication, the mouthpiece of the
Satya Shodhak Samaj, played an important
role in SatyaShodhak Samaj's movement. After
Jyotirao's death in 1890 his spirited followers
went on spreading the movement to the
remotest parts of Maharashtra. Shahu
Maharaj , the ruler of Kolhapur moral support to
Satya Shodhak Samaj. In its new incarnation
party carried on the work of superstition
removal vigorously. Many times it degenerated
in hate sprouting against Brahmins as a caste.
Jyotirao firmly believed that if you want to
create a new social system based on freedom,
equality, brotherhood, human dignity, economic
justice and value devoid of exploitation, you
will have to overthrow the old, unequal and
exploitative social system and the values on
which it is based. Knowing this well, Jyotirao
attacked blind faith and faith in what is given
in religious books and the so-called god's
words. He tore to pieces the misleading myths
that were ruling over the minds of women,
shudras and ati-shudras. Yielding to god or
fate, astrology and other such rituals,
sacredness, god-men, etc. was deemed
irrational and absurd. [ citation needed ]
He also led campaigns to remove the
economic and social handicaps that bred blind
faith among women, shudras and ati-shudras.
Jyotirao subjected religious texts and religious
behaviour to the tests of rationalism. He
characterised this faith as outwardly religious
but in essence politically motivated
movements. He accused them of upholding the
teachings of religion and refusing to rationally
analyse religious teachings. He maintained that
at the root of all calamities was the blind faith
that religious books were created or inspired
by God. Therefore, Phule wanted to abolish
this blind faith in the first instance. All
established religious and priestly classes find
this blind faith useful for their purposes and
they try their best to defend it. He questions "
if there is only one God, who created the whole
mankind, why did he write the Vedas only in
Sanskrit language despite his anxiety for the
welfare of the whole mankind? What about the
welfare of those who do not understand this
language?" Phule concludes that it is
untenable to say that religious texts were God-
created. To believe so is only ignorance and
prejudice. All religions and their religious texts
are man-made and they represent the selfish
interest of the classes, which are trying to
pursue and protect their selfish ends by
constructing such books. Phule was the only
sociologist and humanist in his time that could
put forth such bold ideas. In his view, every
religious book is a product of its time and the
truths it contains have no permanent and
universal validity. Again these texts can never
be free from the prejudices and the selfishness
of the authors of such
books. [citation needed ]
Phule believed in overthrowing the social
system in which man has been deliberately
made dependent on others, illiterate, ignorant
and poor, with a view to exploiting him. To him
blind faith eradication formed part of a broad
socioeconomic transformation. This was his
strategy for ending exploitation of human
beings. Mere advice, education and alternative
ways of living are not enough, unless the
economic framework of exploitation comes to
an end.[ citation needed ]
Religion and Caste
The Indian society at Jyotiba's time, was
deeply enmeshed in caste politics. The debate
continues to prevail whether the Brahmins of
India are indigenous to the land or they
migrated from some other part of the world.
Despite this, it can be stated that the
stratification of the society was based on
caste. As such, Jyotirao Phule could be
classified as indigenous to the land. His
akhandas were based on the abhangs of
Indian saint Tukaram [2] (a Moray Shudra.)
He was a subscriber to Maharishi Vitthal Ramji
Shinde 's magazine, Dnyanodaya.[3]
(Maharishi Shinde was a member of the
reformist Prarthana Samaj.)
He did not like the casteist of Tamil Nadu
using Lord Rama as a symbol of oppression of
Aryan conquest. [4]
Attack on the sanctity of Vedas
Jyotirao Phule's critique of the caste system
began with his attack on the Vedas, the most
fundamental texts of forward-caste
Hindus. [citation needed ] He considered Vedas
as 'idle fantasies' as 'palpably absurd
legends'. [citation needed ] He considered
Vedas a 'form of false consciousness'. [5]
He believed that the true inhabitants of Bharat
are the Astik .[6] He also believed that the
Brahmins were outsiders to
Hinduism. [ citation needed ] This was also the
view of [Keshavarao Jedhe]]. [7]
Social activism
He was assisted in his work by his wife,
Savitribai Phule , and together they started the
second school for girls in India in 1848, for
which he was forced to leave his home. He
initiated widow-remarriage and started a home
for upper caste widows in 1854, as well as a
home for new-born infants to prevent female
infanticide . Phule tried to eliminate the stigma
of social Untouchability surrounding the lower
castes by opening his house and the use of
his water-well to the members of the lower
castes.
He formed the Satya Shodhak Samaj (Society
of Seekers of Truth) on 24 September 1873, a
group whose main aim was to liberate the
social Shudra and Untouchables castes from
exploitation and oppression.
Phule was a member of the Pune municipality
from 1876 to 1882.
Connection with women
activists
Some of India's first modern feminists were
closely associated with Phule, including his
wife Savitribai Phule ; Pandita Ramabai , a
Brahmin woman who converted to Christianity.
Panditia Ramabai who was leading advocate
for the rights and welfare for the women in
India; Tarabai Shinde , the non-Brahmin author
of a fiery tract on gender inequality which was
largely ignored at the time but has recently
become well-known; and Muktabai, a fourteen-
year-old pupil in Phule's school, whose essay
on the social oppression of the Mang and
Mahar castes is also now famous.
The celebration of "Shiv Jayanti"(Birth day of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj)for the first time in
India has been attributed to him. He also
discovered the " Samadhi " of Chhatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj on Raigad Fort which had
disappeared in creepers and climbers. He wrote
"Shivajicha powada" an epic poem.
Title of 'Mahatma'
According to D.J. Keer, [8][9] Jotirao Phule
was bestowed with the unique title of
'Mahatma' on 11 May 1888 by another great
social reformer from Mumbai, Rao Bahadur
Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar. As the history
goes, Jyotirao Phule had completed 60 years
of his age and 40 years of social service
fighting for the rights of the 'bahujans'. To
mark this achievement, it was decided by the
bahujans and satyashodhak leaders and
workers to felicitate Jotirao Phule. Rao
Bahadur Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar, Narayan
Meghaji Lokhande were in the forefront for
arranging this function. Rao Bahadur Vandekar
and his fellow workers decided to bestow the
title of 'Mahatma' on Jotirao Phule for his
dedicated service in the cause of humanity.
Sayajirao Maharaj of Baroda, who also was
invited for this function but could not attend.
He had sent a message that Jotirao Phule be
bestowed with the title of ‘Hindustan's Booker
T. Washington’. However, Rao Bahadur
Vithalrao Vandekar explained the reasons for
bestowing the title of 'Mahatma' on Jotirao
Phule justifying it to be apt for the great work
and sacrifice of Jotirao Phule for the
downtrodden. On 11 May 1888, a function was
arranged in the meeting hall of ‘Mumbai
Deshastha Maratha Dnyati-Dharma Sanstha’
at Mandvi, Koliwada, Mumbai for felicitating
Jotirao Phule. As the function began, Rao
Bahadur Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar
explained in detail about the work and sacrifice
of Jotirao Phule and his struggle for the rights
of the downtrodden bahujans. He then
garlanded Jotirao Phule and declared that ‘we
people present here, with swasphurti, are
bestowing the title of Mahatma upon Jotirao
Phule!’. [citation needed ] Thus Jotirao Phule
came to be known as Mahatma Jotirao Phule
thereafter. [10]
Legacy
The full length statue inaugurated at the
premises of Vidhan Bhavan (Assembly Building
of Maharasthra State), by the Chief Minister.
The Crawford Market in Mumbai is officially
named after him and is known as Mahatma
Jyotiba Phule Mandai.
Mahatma Phule Museum , the Science and
Technology museum in the city of Pune was
renamed in his honor in 1968
Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth in Rahuri,
Ahmednagar District, Maharastra.
Mandai (Pune) officially known as
Mahathma Phule Mandai is the biggest
vegetable market in Pune City, India.
MAHATMA JYOTHIRAO PHULE ANDHRA
PRADESH RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS - In the
year of 2012 the govt of andhra pradesh
renamed the ap bc welfare residential schools
in honor of Jyotiba Phule.
The wholesale vegetable market in Nagpur,
Maharashtra (India) is also named after him.
Subharti College of Physiotherapy was
formerly named after him Jyotirao Phule
physiotherapy college.
Noted playwright G.P. Deshpande ’s
biographical play Satyashodhak (The Truth
Seeker)was first performed by Jan Natya
Manch in 1992. [11]
Published works
His famous published works are [12]
Tritiya Ratna , 1855
Brahmananche Kasab ,1869
Powada : Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle
Yancha, [English: Life Of Shivaji, In Poetical
Metre],June 1869
Powada: Vidyakhatyatil Brahman
Pantoji , June 1869
Manav Mahammand (Muhammad)
(Abhang)
Gulamgiri [full name in English: Slavery: In
The Civilized British Government Under The
Clock Of Brahmanism],1873. Literally meaning
slavery, this book was inspired by the
American civil war. He gave a message to the
lower castes to take inspiration from America
Shetkarayacha Aasud (Cultivator's
Whipcord), July 1881
Satsar Ank 1, June 1885
Satsar Ank 2, October 1885
Ishara , October 1885
Gramjoshya sambhandi jahir kabhar,
(1886)
Satyashodhak Samajokt
Mangalashtakasah Sarva Puja-vidhi , 1887
Sarvajanik Satya Dharma Poostak, April
1889
Sarvajanic Satya Dharmapustak , 1891
Akhandadi Kavyarachana
Asprashyanchi Kaifiyat