Mahatma Jyotiba Govindrao Phule

Mahatma Jyotiba Govindrao Phule was born in Mali community on 11th April, 1827 in Satara district. His father was a vegetable vender at Poona. His mother passed away when he was hardly one year old. After completing his primary education, Mahatma Phule had to leave the school and help his father by working on the family’s farm. 

In 1841, he got admission in the Scottish Mission’s High School at Poona. It was the turning point in his life. Because in that school he came in contact with Brahmin friends and missionaries ideas of humanity. He had painful practical experience when he was invited to attend a wedding of one of his Brahmin friend. Knowing that Jyotiba belonged to the mali caste which was considered to be inferior by the Brahmins, the relatives of the bridegroom insulted and abused him. 

After this incident Jyotiba made up his mind to defy the caste system and serve the shudras who were deprived of all their rights as human beings under the caste system. Throughout his life Phule fought for the emancipation of the downtrodden people and the struggle, which he launched at a young age ended only when he died on 28th November, 1890.