Karina Sharma
Jyotirao Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule started India's first girls' school in 1848.
Phule rejected Brahmanical dominance and fought for caste equality.
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In 1873, he founded Satya Shodhak Samaj to empower backward castes and promote social justice.
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Phule strongly advocated for widow remarriage and ran a home for pregnant rape victims.
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He boldly criticized the Manusmriti, calling it the root of caste-based discrimination.
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Phule also spoke for farmers' rights, criticizing British land revenue systems that exploited peasants.
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In 1888, he was titled "Mahatma" by a social reformer — before Gandhi.
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