Why this matters now
Phule is among the most-tested reform figures — Satyashodhak Samaj, the “Mahatma” title, his role in women’s education (with Savitribai), and his anti-caste writings.
Education for women and Dalits
Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule opened India’s first school for girls at Bhide Wada, Pune, in 1848, followed by schools for Dalits and widows. He challenged the priestly monopoly over learning and championed mass education in vernaculars as the route to social emancipation.
Satyashodhak Samaj (1873)
In 1873 he founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth-Seekers) — a religious-reform body to liberate Shudras and Ati-Shudras from caste oppression. It conducted simple marriages without priests, propagated reason, and built solidarity among lower castes. The Brahmo and Arya Samaj reformers were upper-caste; Phule’s base was the oppressed castes.
“Gulamgiri” and “Mahatma”
In “Gulamgiri” (Slavery, 1873) — dedicated to the abolitionists of the American South — he attacked Brahmanical orthodoxy and articulated the suffering of lower castes. His other works include “Shetkaryacha Asud” (The Cultivator’s Whipcord) on peasant exploitation. He was honoured with the title “Mahatma” in 1888 by the people of Bombay. Dr. Ambedkar regarded Phule as one of his three Gurus (with the Buddha and Kabir).
UPSC angle
Know Phule — with Savitribai opened girls’ school at Bhide Wada (Pune, 1848), Satyashodhak Samaj (1873), “Gulamgiri” (1873) dedicated to American abolitionists, “Shetkaryacha Asud”, title “Mahatma” (1888), one of Ambedkar’s three Gurus.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Satyashodhak Samaj?
A society for truth-seekers founded by Phule in 1873 to liberate Shudras and Ati-Shudras from caste oppression.
Who opened India’s first school for girls?
Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule, at Bhide Wada in Pune, in 1848.
What is “Gulamgiri”?
Phule’s 1873 work attacking Brahmanical orthodoxy, dedicated to the American abolitionist movement.
Why is Phule called Mahatma?
The title was conferred on him in 1888 by the people of Bombay for his lifelong reform work.