Early Life of Jyotirao Govindrao Phule
Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, popularly known as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, was a 19th-century social reformer whose activism was heavily against the oppression people faced due to the draconian conventions set by the caste system. Jyotiba was born in 1827 to a family of fruit and vegetable farmers (mali) in Poona (currently Pune); they were categorized as Shudras. Jyotiba lost his mother and was raised by his father at a young age. Before his family moved to Poona, they went by the surname Gorhe. However, after moving into Poona and over time, their proficiency in growing and arranging flowers became well known; therefore, they adopted the name “Phule.” Their mastery was even regarded by the Peshwa Baji Rao the second and rewarded them for it.
Phule initially attended school to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic basics. After this, he was withdrawn from school as the convention was to join the family work and contribute towards its sustenance. However, Phule showed signs of academic brilliance, which convinced his father to enroll him back into school, and this was when he attended the local Scottish Mission High School. In 1847, Phule finished his English education. He married Savitribai when he was 13, and she was close to 9 or 10.
Jyotiba Phule
The mid-nineteenth century saw the social reform movement, which locked its focus on removing and stopping harmful practices such as Child Marriage and Sati. The movement was directed towards empowering women by encouraging them to be educated. Most of these efforts were channelled through organizations such as Brahma Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, and Arya Samaj. However, these social reforms were headed by members of the upper caste; this is where a person like Phule as he belonged to a lower caste and was against the evils caused due to the hegemony asserted by the Brahmins that oppressed those from lower castes, making his efforts extremely integral to the overall narrative.
As the brahmins had a monopoly over education and authority over its distribution, and it was restricted to those from lower castes, one of the primary reasons, according to Phule, kept the lower castes oppressed. Jyotiba Phule truly believed in an egalitarian society where caste identity did not hinder the prospect of one reaping good opportunities.