Jyotiba Phule
After schooling he joined his father’s trade of florist. During Mughal rule gardeners and florist enjoyed much respect and patronage, in times of peshwas they were downgraded. Caste bases gradation in society led to weak social structure and British rule came about. Phule’s biographer keer mentions an incident of his life when Phule was invited to attend a Brahmin friend’s wedding and while walking in the marriage procession he was harshly humiliated by another Brahmin, he left the procession and returned home. It was then Jyotiba decided to fight against these customs. He wanted to regenerate the lower castes, Jyoti was convinced that social slavery was worst than political slavery. He realized that it was religion that made him believe he was inferior to the upper caste but the religion was a relation between man and god. Keer mentions that because it was the lack of education that the caste system was rigid as it was not questioned. Phule started a revolt against mental slavery by educating the lower classes.
Jambhekar and Bhau Mahajan
In Europe, socio-political thinking was changing radically. The year 1848 was a year of great change when Karl Marx released communist manifesto and a movement for emancipation of women was started in America and first women’s rights convention was started. On the other hand the Hindu woman was assigned a low position according to the scriptures. Maharashtra had begun to react to western education and thought. Some people caught the idea of progress one such figure was Balashastri Jambhekar who was the first Hindu professor in western India and soon became educational inspector. He started the first Marathi magazine representing people’s views and grievances. Its Marathi section was written by Govind Vithal alias Bhau Mahajan and English by Jambhekar himself. Both of them attacked the prejudices and ignorance of Hindus, appealed for social reforms and favoured widow remarriage.
Dadoba Pandurand
The third important leader was Dadoba Pandurang who was a Vaishya. He became an educational minister and later became assistant collector. He started a secret theistic society called Paramhansa Sabha to break down social barriers and caste system. The Pune Brahmins did not like the fact that he was well versed with Vedas and demanded action against him for studying the Vedas.
Nana Sunkersett
Nana Sunkersett aka Jaganath Shunkerseth was one of India’s eminent men of this time and was a leading business magnate. He actively supported various educational, social and cultural activities in Bombay. Most of these men belonged to Bombay, being the center of ideas and western thoughts.
Gopal Hari Deshmukh
Amongst all these men this young men from puna devoted himself to western education and took service with inam commission. He wrote articles in Prabhakar advising Brahmins to give up ancient prejudices and rigid conservatism and take up modern learning and western thought. Brahmins were against him. Keer says that most of these men belonged to middle classes and Jyotiba came from the lower stratum but was more successful in his movement.
Jyotiba wanted to release Hindu women from her bondage. He believed education will defeat ignorance and so he wanted to educate women and Shudras. He believed that women will be educated and will further raise their children well and so he decided to open a school for girls. Brahmins raised voice against this act. They said that Knowledge and learning in not the right of Shudras and is against the will of god. Women also cannot be sent to school, they were regarded as weak, wicked and lewd person and if educated she will loose respect for the society and men of the family. He threw a challenge to Manusmriti which was met by criticism and his work was regarded as attack on the religion and disgrace to the holy city. But Jyotiba was strong willed. He couldn’t get a teacher to help him so he took the help of his wife Savitri Bai Phule who he taught at home. This raised an outcry and people disrespected and humiliated her on her way to school. People forced Joytiba’s father to reluctantly drive him out of the house.
In those days English wanted educated Indians as help and English education was started fr this very purpose. Modern schools in India were started in the second decade of the 19th century and the first school for Hindu girls was started in 1819 in Calcutta. The American mission started schools and every student was paid to go to school and the teachers pay depended on how many pupils he managed to bring to school. In Poona, a girls school was started by Scottish missionary but it was not a success as it was a Christian school. Jyotiba was the first Indian to start a girl’s school. But after being driven out of the house he was unable to run the school and had to close it earn his living. In these unfavourable conditions Jyotiba’s friends were teaching their wives so they can teach and contribute to this movement. Keshav Shivaram Bavalkar started preparing a class of women for the posts of teachers in 1848.
Soon Jyotiba reopened the school. Govande, one of Jyotiba’s friends supplied slates and a subscription of 2 per mensem. Jyotiba supplied water at his own cost as children of lower castes were denied water from public well etc. number of children increased. He was praised by mahatma Gandhi, jagjvn ram and Annasaheb Chiplunkar. Jyotiba placed his school under a managing committee consisting of himself, Jagannath Sadashiv, Keshav Shivaram and other important figures in the field of education. The funds of the school compelled the committee to appoint teachers on small salaries. The school started with 8 girls and soon the number rose to 48. Savitri bai was the head mistress.
On September 17, 1851 Jyotiba started another girls school under the society of Rasta peth and the third under Vetal peth. Major candy, the superintendent of Poona college was pleased with the intelligence of the scholars. On February 1853 Jyotiba’s school was publicly examined. Thus, Jyotiba became the pioneer of Shudra education and social upliftment. He mobilized untouchables against caste disabilities. Jyotiba urged to use the dakshina fund for the Brahmins to be used for the purpose of education. This petition was signed by many teachers and students and was posted to the governor of Bombay. Jyotiba backed this petition however, many signatories backed away saying their signatures were falsely obtained and so the government cancelled the petition. The reformers renewed the petition and the government accepted it. This was a great achievement for Jyotiba. He was pained to know that the congress did nit take up the cause untouchables as a national problem in 1885.
Pioneer of Dalit education
In a caste ridden society Shudras were not allowed in nearly opened schools maintained by the upper classes but only in government schools. Socials reformers in 18th and 19th century concentrated on removing social evils but Phule stressed the importance of education as it can develop an individuals personality and bring about social change. It was only during the British times that education spread slowly but still the poor and lower classes were exploited. People expected the government to spend more on education but when it did not fulfill the expectations people looked towards missionaries and individuals. The conservatives were alright with education for boys of upper classes but the liberals and radicals demanded education for women of all castes and boys of lower castes.
The board of education of the Bombay government took report of Phule’s good work. The schools needed more funds as they were even denied water from public sources and during winters and rainy seasons the attendance was thin as the children did not have proper clothing. In 1858 the government sanctioned a grant for 5000 rs to construct a new building but many regular eurpean and Indian contributors withdrew as they did not feel the need to support the schools for shudras.
In June 1856 an untouchable student was denied admission in government school at Dharwar as it was feared that this would lead to withdrawal of upper caste students. The government of India did not like this and passed the order on 28 April 1858 declaring that the educational institutions of government are open to all. When the British crown took over the rule in theory this order continues but in practice many untouchables were denied admission. The upper caste pressurized the untouchables to not send their children to school and when they were given admission they were made to sit away and in schools within temples and private houses they sat outside. In 1881 and 1882 no untouchable student in high school or college was to be seen. The plight of the tribal students was worse till 1922-22 no single tribal student in college and 53 in high school.
The East India company emphasized the education of upper caste. Firstly, because they did not have enough funds and secondly, they wanted the confidence and support of upper classes. It explained its policy in term of downward filtration theory. Phule urged the government to pay attention to on primary education which was neglected. He questioned the measures taken to educate the masses. He urged that the primary education be made compulsory to a certain age, say 12 years and to set up different schools for mahars and mangs and others who weren’t allowed to attend other schools.
British ruler started education to fulfill their own interests for help in administration. At first Jyotiba’s attempts were criticized but gradually gained more supporters. Reports showed that it was successful and his efforts were highly praised. The reporter further talked about the difficulties of the female education as girls ceased to come to school due to their marriages and and the in laws did not allow them to get educated. The custom of early marriage thus posed the biggest obstacle. The committee suggested extending scholarships to induce the poor parents or in laws to allow their girls to attend schools. Annasaheb Chiplunkar even provided accommodation. Many Europeans like sir Erskine perry, j.g. Lumsden and brown donated for the education of girls and Annasaheb Chiplunkar commented that it was a shame that the Europeans contributed while the educated and prosperous Hindus did not support this. The annual examinations of Phule’s schools took place on 21 march 1853 and many people assembled to see the results. The support from the Europeans was exceptional and Jyotirao appreciated and recognized this which irritated the natives. In 1854 woods dispatch was was declared that no boy be denied admission and it was hailed as the great education charter.
Jyotirao now felt a need to take up a job and so he joined the Scottish missionary school as a teacher and also ran a tailoring shop managed by a servant. Savitribai in her leisure time made quilts for sale. The Brahmins were coming up with new attacks against the movement with newly created myths like that of Satyanarayan. Jyotirao hit back with Tritiya Ratna which talks of the cunningness of Brahmins.