Savitribai Phule was a social reformer of the 19th Century, born in Maharashtra. She was a pioneer of women’s education in the country. Revered as the country’s first woman teacher, Savitribai Phule was the wife of Jyotirao Phule.
The contributions of Savitribai Phule in promoting education for the socially oppressed classes and women are important to be read. This article will provide you with a brief history of Savitribai Phule and 10 important facts related to her for the IAS Exam (GS-I.)
| The following links will help candidates immensely in the History segment of the UPSC Exams: |
Who was Savitribai Phule?
Savitribai Phule was the first female teacher in India, and a social reformer who was known to work for women and the lower caste. She raised her voice against the oppressive social system prevalent in the society of Pune (Maharashtra) in the 19th Century. Her contribution revolved around rationality and human reasons such as truth, equality and humanity. Savitribai Phule was an exemplary social reformer and women’s rights activist ahead of her time.
Savitribai Phule & Maharashtra
She was born in Maharashtra (Naigaon – Satara) on January 3, 1831. She was born to parents belonging to the Mali Community which comes under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category today. After getting married to Jyotirao Phule at the age of 9, she was educated by him and later she used that education to fight inequality, graded patriarchy and social oppression prevalent in Maharashtra, especially Pune.
Pune was characterized by patriarchy and the caste system at that time. The revolutionary thought of Jyotirao Phule to educate the so-called lower castes to help them realize their marginalization, evoked a sense of determination in Savitribai Phule too.
Savitribai Phule & Education
Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule considered education to be a tool to bring changes in the conditions of socially oppressed classes. The idea behind promoting education was to eliminate the idea prevalent at that time that lower-caste people and women were not competent enough to take it. The duo is revered as the first social reformers who recognized the importance of education to fight the social menace of inequality. Savitribai Phule gave importance to the education of women to promote social transformation.
10 Important Facts about Savitribai Phule
There are some facts about Savitribai Phule that a UPSC 2024 aspirant should know about. These are mentioned in the table below:
| Savitribai Phule – Facts for UPSC |
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| 2. For the lower castes, she also established a school in Pune at Maharwada |
| 3. Savitribai Phule realized and resonated with the idea of not only curbing social oppression by addressing the thought but also solving their basic needs like food, health, clothes, etc. She promoted the idea of teachers’ education. |
| 4. Savitribai Phule was also a poet whose literature is considered as literature of the oppressed |
5. Her important works include:
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| 6. Savitribai Phule is hailed as one of India’s first modern feminists |
| 7. Savitribai Phule took on the work of Satya Shodhak Samaj after the demise of Jyotirao Phule. |
| 8. With Jyotirao Phule, she had opened 18 schools for girls. She opened Mahila Sewa Mandal in 1852 to raise awareness about women’s rights. |
| 9. Along with Jyotirao Phule, she opened a care centre for pregnant rape victims. The centre was called, ‘Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha.’ |
| 10. Native Female School in Pune and The Society for Promoting the Education of Mahars, Mangs and Etceteras were two educational trusts opened by Savitribai Phule along with Jyotirao Phule in the 1850s |
Savitribai Phule – UPSC Notes:-Download PDF Here
Aspirants reading the topic, ‘Savitribai Phule,’ can also read about other such important reformers of that time, mentioned in the table below:
| Raja Ram Mohan Roy | Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar | Swami Vivekananda |
| Keshab Chandra Sen | Sri Aurobindo | Usha Mehta |
Candidates can find the general pattern of the Civil Service Exam by visiting the UPSC Syllabus page.
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