The following biographical information on Savitribai Phule is from published sources and presents information on her marriage, the opening of her school in 1848, Fatima Sheikh, her literary efforts, her death in 1897, and her posthumous recognition. Information is provided on discrepancies, and unsubstantiated claims. Information on her early life is omitted, and also not included are claims regarding her unsubstantiated position as “patron saint of the Dalits.” This page is linked to our biographical page on Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Savitribai Phule: early life and marriage
Savitribai was born on January 3, 1831, in the town of Naigaon in the Satara district of Maharashtra. She was the eldest child of Khandoji Neveshe Patil and Lakshmi. In 1840, at the age of nine, Savitribai married Jyotirao Phule, who was at the time of his marriage, underage at 12. It is said that Savitribai was illiterate prior to her marriage, and it was Jyotirao who first taught her reading and writing. After their school training, the couple established an educational institution for girls. Information on the life of Savitribai Phule is also provided in our biographical page on another contemporary, Ramabai Ambedkar.
This article explores the founding of India’s first native-run girls’ school in 1848 and the central role the first woman teacher, Savitribai Phule, played in establishing that school. As Nasreen Sayyed notes in her entry on Savitribai in Wikipedia, Fatima Sheikh, the sister of Phule’s friend Usman Sheikh, is also deserving of recognition for her efforts to establish a school, and for her role as an educator and the first woman teacher of the Muslim community. It is noted that Fatima was literate and Usman’s encouragement of her to take up teacher training led her to become the first woman teacher of the Muslim community. The school, later run by Phule, with support of Fatima, was established in 1848 (ibid).
Ostracism and subsequent movements
The Phules’ school was the first of its kind to officially accept female students and therefore earned them outrage from their community and relatives. By 1852, the Phule family had established and was running three schools. Two years later, due to unknown circumstances, these schools were shut down (Cultural India). Some sources claim that she was pelted with stones for teaching (Anantam IAS). Please check the log, as this statement has been repeated without primary sources.
Satyashodhak Samaj
Phule is also recognized for establishing the Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873 (StudyIQ). While it is popular knowledge that he was the creator of the movement, many sources claim that she, along with him, established the same (Anantam IAS). Our guide on Bahujan covers this movement and theory. Our guide on Ambedkar Jayanti covers April and its recognition for Phule and Ambedkar.
Published writings of Savitribai Phule
Savitribai published her first book of poems at the age of twenty-three (1854), titled Kavya Phule (Poetry’s Blossoms) (IAS Express). Her second collection of poems, Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (The Heaps of Subodh) was published in 1892 (Ambedkarite Today). April recognizes her along with Jyotirao Phule and Ambedkar.
1897
In 1897, during the third plague pandemic, the Savitribai Phule Clinic was established near Pune (Cultural India). In 1897, she set up her third and last clinic near Pune (Anantam IAS; StudyIQ). Our book explores issues regarding caste and class in more detail.
The clinic and her memory
Apostle of Women’s Education, Savitribai Phule is remembered for her tireless work towards social uplift and for advocating for equal rights for women (Cultural India). The Indian Postal Service released a commemorative stamp in her honor in 1998 (Anantam IAS; Cultural India). In 2014 (or 2015, depending on the source (Anantam IAS; Cultural India)), the University of Pune was renamed after her. Every year on January 3 (StudyIQ), her birthday is observed. Her life is a testament to what is possible when women are taught to read and write. The Ambedkarite educational movement teaches how to use the internet, and for ₹297 (less than $5), learn to use online platforms for communication and commerce (Augustine 2014). You can join the movement for free.
Areas of contention
- ‘First’ school. According to Anantam IAS, the 1848 school was one of the first girls’ schools, and according to Cultural India, it was the first of its kind.
- Her second book. According to Anantam IAS it was published in 1891, and according to other sources it was published in 1892.
- Renaming of university. 2014 or 2015, according to different sources.
- Her age at marriage. About 9, with Jyotirao at 12 or 13 (Cultural India; Anantam IAS; StudyIQ).
- First Indian woman teacher. Sources use may have been or widely regarded (Wikipedia; Ambedkarite Today), and Fatima Sheikh is reported as the first Muslim Woman teacher.
In conclusion
Savitribai Phule (1831-1897) married Jyotirao Phule (1827-1890) in 1840, trained as a teacher and with Jyotirao opened a school for girls in Pune in 1848. She collaborated with Fatima Sheikh and published two books, Kavya Phule in 1854 and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar in 1892. In 1897 she died of plague while working as a volunteer in plague relief. A stamp was released in her honor in 1998. The University of Pune is also named after her. Not all details are consistent in various sources and first school claim has been made based on wording.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Savitribai Phule?
Teacher and social reformer from Pune (1831–1897) and the first woman teacher from Maharashtra, along with her husband Jyotirao Phule. They started the first school for girls in 1848 at Bhide Wada in Pune.
Was she the first woman teacher in India?
Several sources call her the first woman teacher of India. Fatima Sheikh is credited to be the first Muslim woman teacher of India.
Which books did she write?
Kavya Phule (1854) and the second part of Bhandarkar’s “Bhakti Sahitya,” called “Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar,” (1892 or 1891, as per a source) and her popular poem “Go, Get Education.”
How and when did she die?
On March 10, 1897 of plague which she caught while working as a volunteer during the plague epidemic in Pune.
When is her birthday celebrated?
January 3.
SOURCES
- Wikipedia, “Savitribai Phule”
- Wikipedia, “Jyotirao Phule”
- Anantam IAS, “Savitribai Phule: Life, 1848 School, Poetry and Legacy”
- Unite 4 India, “Savitribai Phule: The Woman Who Opened India’s First School for Girls”
- Cultural India, “Savitribai Phule Biography”
- Ambedkarite Today, “About Savitribai Phule (1831–1897): Biography and Life History”
- StudyIQ, “Savitribai Phule Biography, Early Life, Contribution and Legacy”
- Vajiram and Ravi, “Savitribai Phule, Biography, Contribution in Education”
- IAS Express, “Savitribai Phule: Biography, Contributions, Literary Works”
- Savitribai Phule, Kavya Phule (1854) and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (1892) (please add an edition and reference)
- Government of India, India Post stamp issue, March 10, 1998 (please add the official reference)
