November 28

Jyotirao Phule was born in 1827 in Maharashtra, India, and emerged as a leading social activist and thinker challenging the caste system. In 1848, he and his wife Savitribai Phule opened one of India's first schools for girls, breaking social norms to educate marginalized communities. Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873 to promote social equality and empower lower-caste groups through education and political participation. He authored influential works such as 'Gulamgiri' (Slavery), critiquing Brahminical oppression and advocating for rationalist thought. Phule's advocacy for women's rights, abolition of child marriage, and uplifting of the Dalits laid the groundwork for modern Indian social justice movements.