Why in the News?
- Recently, the Prime Minister paid tribute to Savitribai Phule on her birth anniversary, remembering her as a pioneering reformer dedicated to social transformation through education and service.
About Savitribai Phule
1. Early Life
- Born on January 3, 1831, in Naigaon, Maharashtra, into the Mali caste, considered a lower social class.
- Married at age 9 to social reformer Jyotirao Phule, who supported her education in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
2. Pioneering Role in Education
- First female teacher in India and co-founder of the first girls’ school in Pune (1848), promoting education for girls.
- Focused on educating marginalized communities with practical learning, moral education, and fostering confidence and critical thinking.
3. Social Reform Work
- Challenged caste discrimination and advocated for social equality and upliftment of the oppressed.
- Supported widows and abandoned women through shelters, education, and vocational training.
- Opposed child marriage and promoted women’s empowerment through social and educational participation.
- Savitribai Phule started Mahila Seva Mandal in 1852, which worked for raising women’s consciousness about their human rights, dignity of life and other social issues.
- She is also considered a pioneer of India’s feminist movement.
4. Literary Contributions
- Savitribai Phule used poetry and writings to raise social consciousness, inspire education, and fight oppression.
- Her writings often highlighted injustice, caste discrimination, and gender inequality.
- Savitribai’s literary contributions include Kavya Phule (1854) and Bavan Kashi Subhodh Ratnakar (1892).
Who among the following social reformers revered Shivaji in one of her poems, referring to Shivaji- “Aao suraj ki pehli kiran mein yaad karein Shudron-Asprishyon ke masiha, Chhatrapati Shivaji ko. Wah masiha hain – unhein vinamra shraddhanjali.”
(a) Savitribai phule
(b) Annie Besant
(c) Rani Rashmoni
(d) Mahalakshmi Sarada Devi
Answer: A
Explanation: Although the links between Shivaji and the Phule couple remain underexplored, some scholars briefly introduced Savitribai Phule’s literary contributions, highlighting her reverence for Shivaji. In one of her poems, she refers to him: “Aao suraj ki pehli kiran mein yaad karein Shudron-Asprishyon ke masiha, Chhatrapati Shivaji ko. Wah masiha hain – unhein vinamra shraddhanjali.”
