Contribution of Reformers towards Upliftment of Depressed Classes | Maharashtra State PSC (MPSC): Preparation - MPSC (Maharastra) PDF Download

 Page 1


  
 
12 
CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS 
TOWARDS UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED 
CLASSES 
Unit Structure 
12.0 Objectives 
12.1 Introduction 
12.2 Contribution of reformers 
12.2.1 VitthaI Ramji Shinde 
12.2.2 Shahu Maharaj  
12.2.3 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar 
12.3 Summary 
12.4  Questions 
12.5 Additional Readings 
12.0 OBJECTIVES 
After the study of this unit, the student will be able to: 
           
  
                      
 
          
               
 INTRODUCTION 
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden V. R. 
Shinde Shahu Maharaj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar worked against 
caste- system. They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, 
illiteracy from Society. Through they were attached to different 
organizations, they achieved their goal to some extent. 
 
 
 
Page 2


  
 
12 
CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS 
TOWARDS UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED 
CLASSES 
Unit Structure 
12.0 Objectives 
12.1 Introduction 
12.2 Contribution of reformers 
12.2.1 VitthaI Ramji Shinde 
12.2.2 Shahu Maharaj  
12.2.3 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar 
12.3 Summary 
12.4  Questions 
12.5 Additional Readings 
12.0 OBJECTIVES 
After the study of this unit, the student will be able to: 
           
  
                      
 
          
               
 INTRODUCTION 
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden V. R. 
Shinde Shahu Maharaj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar worked against 
caste- system. They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, 
illiteracy from Society. Through they were attached to different 
organizations, they achieved their goal to some extent. 
 
 
 
  
 
     
 
 
 CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS TOWARDS 
UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED CLASSES 
 VITTHAL RAMJI SHINDE (1873-1944) : 
As we have already noted that social reformers of Maharashtra like 
Balshastri Jambhekar, Lokhitawadi Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Bhadarkar, 
Justice Ranade and Jyotirao Phule gave priority to social reform over 
political reform. Phule and Agarkar stressed the need to make the Indian 
Society fit for preserving freedom after winning it. They believed that 
freedom was meaningless if political power was monopolised by a 
privileged few, and hence Phule had endeavoured to establish the principle 
of justice and equality by emancipating the vast non-Brahmin masses of 
Maharashtra from the social and religious bondage. Since men like Tilak 
denigrated the reformers as ‘stooges of the alien government’ because of 
their advocacy of reform with the help of the government, most of them kept 
away from politics. In the early years of the Indian National Congress, 
some of the reformers, notably Ranade, were associated with the freedom 
movement but as the nationalist struggle came to be dominated by the 
close of the 19th century, by conservatives such as Lokmanya Tilak links 
between the reformers and the leaders of the nationalist movement were 
severed. 
Until the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the national scene, both the social 
reform and nationalist movements appeared to run parallel to each other. 
Consequently, social reform movement, especially the efforts to give a fair 
deal to the Ati-sudras or the untouchables, received a set back. But one 
reformer Vitthal Ramji Shinde made repeated attempts to re-establish 
contacts between the social reformers and the nationalist freedom fighters. 
Finally, he succeeded in integrating social reform with, political reform, 
and persuaded the Indian National Congress to include abolition of 
untouchability in its programme. 
Born in a poor Maratha family on 23rd April 1873, Shinde was married to 
a then one year old when he was barely nine. Surprisingly, his family was 
comparatively liberal in the observance of social customs such as 
“Purdah” and female education. He graduated in Arts with the financial 
support of a prominent Poona lawyer, named Gangaram Mhaske, and the 
enlightened ruler of Baroda Sayajirao Gaikwad (1898). During the period 
of his college education. Shinde was influenced by the writings of 
J.S.Mill, Herbert Spencer and Agarkar. After his graduation he was 
attracted by the reformist ideas of the leaders of Prarthana Samaj like 
Ranade and Bhandarkar and joined the Samaj. In 1901, he managed to 
secure a scholarship to study at the Oxford University on the condition 
that on his return he would serve the Prarthana Samaj. At Oxford he studied 
‘Comparative Religion’. On his return to Bombay, he worked for seven 
years as missionary of the Prarthana Samaj. 
 
Page 3


  
 
12 
CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS 
TOWARDS UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED 
CLASSES 
Unit Structure 
12.0 Objectives 
12.1 Introduction 
12.2 Contribution of reformers 
12.2.1 VitthaI Ramji Shinde 
12.2.2 Shahu Maharaj  
12.2.3 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar 
12.3 Summary 
12.4  Questions 
12.5 Additional Readings 
12.0 OBJECTIVES 
After the study of this unit, the student will be able to: 
           
  
                      
 
          
               
 INTRODUCTION 
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden V. R. 
Shinde Shahu Maharaj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar worked against 
caste- system. They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, 
illiteracy from Society. Through they were attached to different 
organizations, they achieved their goal to some extent. 
 
 
 
  
 
     
 
 
 CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS TOWARDS 
UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED CLASSES 
 VITTHAL RAMJI SHINDE (1873-1944) : 
As we have already noted that social reformers of Maharashtra like 
Balshastri Jambhekar, Lokhitawadi Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Bhadarkar, 
Justice Ranade and Jyotirao Phule gave priority to social reform over 
political reform. Phule and Agarkar stressed the need to make the Indian 
Society fit for preserving freedom after winning it. They believed that 
freedom was meaningless if political power was monopolised by a 
privileged few, and hence Phule had endeavoured to establish the principle 
of justice and equality by emancipating the vast non-Brahmin masses of 
Maharashtra from the social and religious bondage. Since men like Tilak 
denigrated the reformers as ‘stooges of the alien government’ because of 
their advocacy of reform with the help of the government, most of them kept 
away from politics. In the early years of the Indian National Congress, 
some of the reformers, notably Ranade, were associated with the freedom 
movement but as the nationalist struggle came to be dominated by the 
close of the 19th century, by conservatives such as Lokmanya Tilak links 
between the reformers and the leaders of the nationalist movement were 
severed. 
Until the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the national scene, both the social 
reform and nationalist movements appeared to run parallel to each other. 
Consequently, social reform movement, especially the efforts to give a fair 
deal to the Ati-sudras or the untouchables, received a set back. But one 
reformer Vitthal Ramji Shinde made repeated attempts to re-establish 
contacts between the social reformers and the nationalist freedom fighters. 
Finally, he succeeded in integrating social reform with, political reform, 
and persuaded the Indian National Congress to include abolition of 
untouchability in its programme. 
Born in a poor Maratha family on 23rd April 1873, Shinde was married to 
a then one year old when he was barely nine. Surprisingly, his family was 
comparatively liberal in the observance of social customs such as 
“Purdah” and female education. He graduated in Arts with the financial 
support of a prominent Poona lawyer, named Gangaram Mhaske, and the 
enlightened ruler of Baroda Sayajirao Gaikwad (1898). During the period 
of his college education. Shinde was influenced by the writings of 
J.S.Mill, Herbert Spencer and Agarkar. After his graduation he was 
attracted by the reformist ideas of the leaders of Prarthana Samaj like 
Ranade and Bhandarkar and joined the Samaj. In 1901, he managed to 
secure a scholarship to study at the Oxford University on the condition 
that on his return he would serve the Prarthana Samaj. At Oxford he studied 
‘Comparative Religion’. On his return to Bombay, he worked for seven 
years as missionary of the Prarthana Samaj. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Depressed Classes Mission of India 
While serving the Prarthana Samaj, Shinde also established on 18th 
October 1906, the Indian Depressed Classes Mission for uplifting the 
untouchables. With Shinde as general secretary, and with the patronage of 
the Prarthana Samaj and the Bombay Presidency Social Reform 
Association, the movement quickly spread over Maharashtra. Shinde and 
members of his family, including his parents and his sister Janabai, took a 
pledge to serve the untouchables. But his work in the Prarthana Samaj did 
not give him enough time to spare for the activities of the Depressed Classes 
Mission. In 1910 differences between him and the leaders of the Samaj on 
organizational and other matters developed, forcing Shinde to give up his 
work of the Samaj. From then on, he devoted his full time to the work of 
the Mission. 
At the same time, fearing that separatist movements on the basis of caste- 
would destroy the sense of unity so necessary for the success of the 
freedom struggle, he starved for social justice as a part of the movement. 
Since the non-Brahmins, especially the Marathas, formed a very large 
group in the total population of the Bombay Presidency, he took the 
initiative to form the Maratha Rashtriya Sangha (the National Union of the 
Marathas) to maintain the unity of the Maratha Community. But-despite 
his efforts, the Marathas were divided into two groups i.e.one led by a 
nationalist Maratha and the other by the Satyashodhak Marathas who 
claimed to follow Mahatma Phule’s teachings. Hence, Shinde established a 
new organisation called ‘All India Untouchability League’ to safeguard the 
interests of the untouchables and work for their political rights. 
In 1917, with the help of Mrs. Annie Besant, Shinde successfully 
persuaded the leaders of the Indian National Congress to pass a resolution 
demanding eradication of untouchability. When, under the Government of 
India Act of 1919 Muslims were given separate representation, he 
petitioned the government for special representation in the legislature to 
the depressed classes. However, he lost the election which he had fought 
on a general seat, allotted to Poona City, due to the last minute withdrawal 
of support by Shahu Maharaja. Thereafter, Shinde had to face a lot of 
difficulties and opposition within the Depressed Classes Mission. A 
section of the politically conscious untouchables who did not like the 
moderate line of Shinde on the issue of untouchability sought to capture the 
organisation. Hence, he entrusted the powers and responsibilities of work 
of the Poona Branch of the Mission to the new leaders of the untouchables. 
When Gandhiji emerged on the political scene of India as the leader in the 
political struggle for independence, Shinde was attracted towards him as he 
felt his aspirations realised in Gandhiji’s social and political thought. After 
having relinquished the responsibilities of the Depressed Classes Mission, 
he worked as the missionary of the Brahmo Samaj in 1923- 24, and 
participated in the famous Temple Entry Agitation at Vaikam in Kerala. 
Later, he supported the Jedhe brothers to organise the peasants movement 
in Maharashtra against the proposed rise in the land revenue (1928). He 
took part in Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement, courted arrest and 
Page 4


  
 
12 
CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS 
TOWARDS UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED 
CLASSES 
Unit Structure 
12.0 Objectives 
12.1 Introduction 
12.2 Contribution of reformers 
12.2.1 VitthaI Ramji Shinde 
12.2.2 Shahu Maharaj  
12.2.3 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar 
12.3 Summary 
12.4  Questions 
12.5 Additional Readings 
12.0 OBJECTIVES 
After the study of this unit, the student will be able to: 
           
  
                      
 
          
               
 INTRODUCTION 
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden V. R. 
Shinde Shahu Maharaj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar worked against 
caste- system. They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, 
illiteracy from Society. Through they were attached to different 
organizations, they achieved their goal to some extent. 
 
 
 
  
 
     
 
 
 CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS TOWARDS 
UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED CLASSES 
 VITTHAL RAMJI SHINDE (1873-1944) : 
As we have already noted that social reformers of Maharashtra like 
Balshastri Jambhekar, Lokhitawadi Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Bhadarkar, 
Justice Ranade and Jyotirao Phule gave priority to social reform over 
political reform. Phule and Agarkar stressed the need to make the Indian 
Society fit for preserving freedom after winning it. They believed that 
freedom was meaningless if political power was monopolised by a 
privileged few, and hence Phule had endeavoured to establish the principle 
of justice and equality by emancipating the vast non-Brahmin masses of 
Maharashtra from the social and religious bondage. Since men like Tilak 
denigrated the reformers as ‘stooges of the alien government’ because of 
their advocacy of reform with the help of the government, most of them kept 
away from politics. In the early years of the Indian National Congress, 
some of the reformers, notably Ranade, were associated with the freedom 
movement but as the nationalist struggle came to be dominated by the 
close of the 19th century, by conservatives such as Lokmanya Tilak links 
between the reformers and the leaders of the nationalist movement were 
severed. 
Until the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the national scene, both the social 
reform and nationalist movements appeared to run parallel to each other. 
Consequently, social reform movement, especially the efforts to give a fair 
deal to the Ati-sudras or the untouchables, received a set back. But one 
reformer Vitthal Ramji Shinde made repeated attempts to re-establish 
contacts between the social reformers and the nationalist freedom fighters. 
Finally, he succeeded in integrating social reform with, political reform, 
and persuaded the Indian National Congress to include abolition of 
untouchability in its programme. 
Born in a poor Maratha family on 23rd April 1873, Shinde was married to 
a then one year old when he was barely nine. Surprisingly, his family was 
comparatively liberal in the observance of social customs such as 
“Purdah” and female education. He graduated in Arts with the financial 
support of a prominent Poona lawyer, named Gangaram Mhaske, and the 
enlightened ruler of Baroda Sayajirao Gaikwad (1898). During the period 
of his college education. Shinde was influenced by the writings of 
J.S.Mill, Herbert Spencer and Agarkar. After his graduation he was 
attracted by the reformist ideas of the leaders of Prarthana Samaj like 
Ranade and Bhandarkar and joined the Samaj. In 1901, he managed to 
secure a scholarship to study at the Oxford University on the condition 
that on his return he would serve the Prarthana Samaj. At Oxford he studied 
‘Comparative Religion’. On his return to Bombay, he worked for seven 
years as missionary of the Prarthana Samaj. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Depressed Classes Mission of India 
While serving the Prarthana Samaj, Shinde also established on 18th 
October 1906, the Indian Depressed Classes Mission for uplifting the 
untouchables. With Shinde as general secretary, and with the patronage of 
the Prarthana Samaj and the Bombay Presidency Social Reform 
Association, the movement quickly spread over Maharashtra. Shinde and 
members of his family, including his parents and his sister Janabai, took a 
pledge to serve the untouchables. But his work in the Prarthana Samaj did 
not give him enough time to spare for the activities of the Depressed Classes 
Mission. In 1910 differences between him and the leaders of the Samaj on 
organizational and other matters developed, forcing Shinde to give up his 
work of the Samaj. From then on, he devoted his full time to the work of 
the Mission. 
At the same time, fearing that separatist movements on the basis of caste- 
would destroy the sense of unity so necessary for the success of the 
freedom struggle, he starved for social justice as a part of the movement. 
Since the non-Brahmins, especially the Marathas, formed a very large 
group in the total population of the Bombay Presidency, he took the 
initiative to form the Maratha Rashtriya Sangha (the National Union of the 
Marathas) to maintain the unity of the Maratha Community. But-despite 
his efforts, the Marathas were divided into two groups i.e.one led by a 
nationalist Maratha and the other by the Satyashodhak Marathas who 
claimed to follow Mahatma Phule’s teachings. Hence, Shinde established a 
new organisation called ‘All India Untouchability League’ to safeguard the 
interests of the untouchables and work for their political rights. 
In 1917, with the help of Mrs. Annie Besant, Shinde successfully 
persuaded the leaders of the Indian National Congress to pass a resolution 
demanding eradication of untouchability. When, under the Government of 
India Act of 1919 Muslims were given separate representation, he 
petitioned the government for special representation in the legislature to 
the depressed classes. However, he lost the election which he had fought 
on a general seat, allotted to Poona City, due to the last minute withdrawal 
of support by Shahu Maharaja. Thereafter, Shinde had to face a lot of 
difficulties and opposition within the Depressed Classes Mission. A 
section of the politically conscious untouchables who did not like the 
moderate line of Shinde on the issue of untouchability sought to capture the 
organisation. Hence, he entrusted the powers and responsibilities of work 
of the Poona Branch of the Mission to the new leaders of the untouchables. 
When Gandhiji emerged on the political scene of India as the leader in the 
political struggle for independence, Shinde was attracted towards him as he 
felt his aspirations realised in Gandhiji’s social and political thought. After 
having relinquished the responsibilities of the Depressed Classes Mission, 
he worked as the missionary of the Brahmo Samaj in 1923- 24, and 
participated in the famous Temple Entry Agitation at Vaikam in Kerala. 
Later, he supported the Jedhe brothers to organise the peasants movement 
in Maharashtra against the proposed rise in the land revenue (1928). He 
took part in Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement, courted arrest and 
  
 
                    
 
 
suffered imprisonment for six months. But he had no peace of mind 
because of indifference shown towards him by the new leaders of the 
untouchables. A decade before his death on 2nd January, 1944, Shinde 
was completely broken financially, physically and psychologically. Those 
for whom he had devoted his prime years almost ignored him and 
forgotten him. 
Vitthal Ramji Shinde was a true follower of Mahatma Phule. Though he 
differed from Phule in his approach to Hinduism, he was convinced that 
there was a widespread Aryan i.e. Brahmanic bias in the consideration of 
India civilisation. Therefore, he was in favour of abolition of the caste 
system. He dedicated himself to the promotion of the welfare of the 
masses. More than with anything else Shinde identified himself with the 
uplift of the Depressed Classes. Wherever he went, Shinde opened a day 
and night schools for the children of Depressed Classes he started hostels 
and free dispensaries for the children and adults of these classes. He sought 
to create spirit of revolt among members of the Depressed Classes against 
existing conditions. The Depressed Classes Mission, under Shinde linked 
up work in several centres in the Bombay Presidency and some in Madras 
as well. According to S. Natarajan the Mission was responsible for turning 
out the leadership of the next generation of these classes and for inspring 
in them a spirit of service. 
   
          
 SHAHU MAHARAJ 
Among more than 563 rulers of the Princely States in British India, 
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaja was a very enlightened monarch who made 
genuine efforts to promote the cause of social reform. His fame rests 
particularly on his defiance of the age old caste system and championship 
of the rights of the Depressed Classes and his work for their emancipation. 
His reforming efforts supplemented the activities of Mahatma Phule and 
Vithal Shinde and in some ways contributed to the consolidation and 
spread of the non-Brahmin movement in Maharashtra. However, his 
victory in the fight with the Brahmins during the ‘Vedokta movement’, his 
success in establishing the rights of non-Brahmins to perform Vedic rites, 
in fact, strengthened the traditional upper castes, namely the Brahmins and 
the Kshatriyas. Hence, his victory In the ‘Vedokta movement’ was a set-
back to the anticaste system movement of reformers like Phule and Shinde. 
Shahu Maharaj was considered to be the main pillar of Phule’s 
Satyashodhak movement and the movement of the Maratha Sudras and 
Ati-sudras; but he never accepted full responsibility of leadership of both 
these movements. As one of the writer has observed that he never fully 
involved himself in these two movements. In fact, in the last decade of the 
19th century and early decades of the twentieth century, he publicly 
criticised the non-Brahmin movement. 
 
Page 5


  
 
12 
CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS 
TOWARDS UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED 
CLASSES 
Unit Structure 
12.0 Objectives 
12.1 Introduction 
12.2 Contribution of reformers 
12.2.1 VitthaI Ramji Shinde 
12.2.2 Shahu Maharaj  
12.2.3 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar 
12.3 Summary 
12.4  Questions 
12.5 Additional Readings 
12.0 OBJECTIVES 
After the study of this unit, the student will be able to: 
           
  
                      
 
          
               
 INTRODUCTION 
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden V. R. 
Shinde Shahu Maharaj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar worked against 
caste- system. They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, 
illiteracy from Society. Through they were attached to different 
organizations, they achieved their goal to some extent. 
 
 
 
  
 
     
 
 
 CONTRIBUTION OF REFORMERS TOWARDS 
UPLIFTMENT OF DEPRESSED CLASSES 
 VITTHAL RAMJI SHINDE (1873-1944) : 
As we have already noted that social reformers of Maharashtra like 
Balshastri Jambhekar, Lokhitawadi Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Bhadarkar, 
Justice Ranade and Jyotirao Phule gave priority to social reform over 
political reform. Phule and Agarkar stressed the need to make the Indian 
Society fit for preserving freedom after winning it. They believed that 
freedom was meaningless if political power was monopolised by a 
privileged few, and hence Phule had endeavoured to establish the principle 
of justice and equality by emancipating the vast non-Brahmin masses of 
Maharashtra from the social and religious bondage. Since men like Tilak 
denigrated the reformers as ‘stooges of the alien government’ because of 
their advocacy of reform with the help of the government, most of them kept 
away from politics. In the early years of the Indian National Congress, 
some of the reformers, notably Ranade, were associated with the freedom 
movement but as the nationalist struggle came to be dominated by the 
close of the 19th century, by conservatives such as Lokmanya Tilak links 
between the reformers and the leaders of the nationalist movement were 
severed. 
Until the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the national scene, both the social 
reform and nationalist movements appeared to run parallel to each other. 
Consequently, social reform movement, especially the efforts to give a fair 
deal to the Ati-sudras or the untouchables, received a set back. But one 
reformer Vitthal Ramji Shinde made repeated attempts to re-establish 
contacts between the social reformers and the nationalist freedom fighters. 
Finally, he succeeded in integrating social reform with, political reform, 
and persuaded the Indian National Congress to include abolition of 
untouchability in its programme. 
Born in a poor Maratha family on 23rd April 1873, Shinde was married to 
a then one year old when he was barely nine. Surprisingly, his family was 
comparatively liberal in the observance of social customs such as 
“Purdah” and female education. He graduated in Arts with the financial 
support of a prominent Poona lawyer, named Gangaram Mhaske, and the 
enlightened ruler of Baroda Sayajirao Gaikwad (1898). During the period 
of his college education. Shinde was influenced by the writings of 
J.S.Mill, Herbert Spencer and Agarkar. After his graduation he was 
attracted by the reformist ideas of the leaders of Prarthana Samaj like 
Ranade and Bhandarkar and joined the Samaj. In 1901, he managed to 
secure a scholarship to study at the Oxford University on the condition 
that on his return he would serve the Prarthana Samaj. At Oxford he studied 
‘Comparative Religion’. On his return to Bombay, he worked for seven 
years as missionary of the Prarthana Samaj. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Depressed Classes Mission of India 
While serving the Prarthana Samaj, Shinde also established on 18th 
October 1906, the Indian Depressed Classes Mission for uplifting the 
untouchables. With Shinde as general secretary, and with the patronage of 
the Prarthana Samaj and the Bombay Presidency Social Reform 
Association, the movement quickly spread over Maharashtra. Shinde and 
members of his family, including his parents and his sister Janabai, took a 
pledge to serve the untouchables. But his work in the Prarthana Samaj did 
not give him enough time to spare for the activities of the Depressed Classes 
Mission. In 1910 differences between him and the leaders of the Samaj on 
organizational and other matters developed, forcing Shinde to give up his 
work of the Samaj. From then on, he devoted his full time to the work of 
the Mission. 
At the same time, fearing that separatist movements on the basis of caste- 
would destroy the sense of unity so necessary for the success of the 
freedom struggle, he starved for social justice as a part of the movement. 
Since the non-Brahmins, especially the Marathas, formed a very large 
group in the total population of the Bombay Presidency, he took the 
initiative to form the Maratha Rashtriya Sangha (the National Union of the 
Marathas) to maintain the unity of the Maratha Community. But-despite 
his efforts, the Marathas were divided into two groups i.e.one led by a 
nationalist Maratha and the other by the Satyashodhak Marathas who 
claimed to follow Mahatma Phule’s teachings. Hence, Shinde established a 
new organisation called ‘All India Untouchability League’ to safeguard the 
interests of the untouchables and work for their political rights. 
In 1917, with the help of Mrs. Annie Besant, Shinde successfully 
persuaded the leaders of the Indian National Congress to pass a resolution 
demanding eradication of untouchability. When, under the Government of 
India Act of 1919 Muslims were given separate representation, he 
petitioned the government for special representation in the legislature to 
the depressed classes. However, he lost the election which he had fought 
on a general seat, allotted to Poona City, due to the last minute withdrawal 
of support by Shahu Maharaja. Thereafter, Shinde had to face a lot of 
difficulties and opposition within the Depressed Classes Mission. A 
section of the politically conscious untouchables who did not like the 
moderate line of Shinde on the issue of untouchability sought to capture the 
organisation. Hence, he entrusted the powers and responsibilities of work 
of the Poona Branch of the Mission to the new leaders of the untouchables. 
When Gandhiji emerged on the political scene of India as the leader in the 
political struggle for independence, Shinde was attracted towards him as he 
felt his aspirations realised in Gandhiji’s social and political thought. After 
having relinquished the responsibilities of the Depressed Classes Mission, 
he worked as the missionary of the Brahmo Samaj in 1923- 24, and 
participated in the famous Temple Entry Agitation at Vaikam in Kerala. 
Later, he supported the Jedhe brothers to organise the peasants movement 
in Maharashtra against the proposed rise in the land revenue (1928). He 
took part in Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement, courted arrest and 
  
 
                    
 
 
suffered imprisonment for six months. But he had no peace of mind 
because of indifference shown towards him by the new leaders of the 
untouchables. A decade before his death on 2nd January, 1944, Shinde 
was completely broken financially, physically and psychologically. Those 
for whom he had devoted his prime years almost ignored him and 
forgotten him. 
Vitthal Ramji Shinde was a true follower of Mahatma Phule. Though he 
differed from Phule in his approach to Hinduism, he was convinced that 
there was a widespread Aryan i.e. Brahmanic bias in the consideration of 
India civilisation. Therefore, he was in favour of abolition of the caste 
system. He dedicated himself to the promotion of the welfare of the 
masses. More than with anything else Shinde identified himself with the 
uplift of the Depressed Classes. Wherever he went, Shinde opened a day 
and night schools for the children of Depressed Classes he started hostels 
and free dispensaries for the children and adults of these classes. He sought 
to create spirit of revolt among members of the Depressed Classes against 
existing conditions. The Depressed Classes Mission, under Shinde linked 
up work in several centres in the Bombay Presidency and some in Madras 
as well. According to S. Natarajan the Mission was responsible for turning 
out the leadership of the next generation of these classes and for inspring 
in them a spirit of service. 
   
          
 SHAHU MAHARAJ 
Among more than 563 rulers of the Princely States in British India, 
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaja was a very enlightened monarch who made 
genuine efforts to promote the cause of social reform. His fame rests 
particularly on his defiance of the age old caste system and championship 
of the rights of the Depressed Classes and his work for their emancipation. 
His reforming efforts supplemented the activities of Mahatma Phule and 
Vithal Shinde and in some ways contributed to the consolidation and 
spread of the non-Brahmin movement in Maharashtra. However, his 
victory in the fight with the Brahmins during the ‘Vedokta movement’, his 
success in establishing the rights of non-Brahmins to perform Vedic rites, 
in fact, strengthened the traditional upper castes, namely the Brahmins and 
the Kshatriyas. Hence, his victory In the ‘Vedokta movement’ was a set-
back to the anticaste system movement of reformers like Phule and Shinde. 
Shahu Maharaj was considered to be the main pillar of Phule’s 
Satyashodhak movement and the movement of the Maratha Sudras and 
Ati-sudras; but he never accepted full responsibility of leadership of both 
these movements. As one of the writer has observed that he never fully 
involved himself in these two movements. In fact, in the last decade of the 
19th century and early decades of the twentieth century, he publicly 
criticised the non-Brahmin movement. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notwithstanding this criticism, it must be accepted that the Chhatrapati of 
Kolhapur rendered very valuable service to the cause of the upliftment of 
women, the untouchables, their education and employment of the working 
class. According to Dhananjay Keer, he abolished slavery in which the 
untouchables, including the tribals, were held for ages in his kingdom, and 
gave them equal rights. Unmindful of his position as Chhatrapati Shahu 
dined with the untouchables and thereby displayed his progressive attitude 
towards the socially disadvantaged communities. He wanted to destroy 
social inequalities and caste distinctions because he regarded these as evils 
which had fragmented the Hindu Society. As Mathew Lederle remarks - 
“Shahu Maharaj in the spirit of Phule, worked for the upliftment of the 
untouchables, and promoted the education of the masses. 
In the very first year of his ascending the throne in 1894, Shahu issued a 
directive abolishing the system of forced labour. Realising that people 
belonging to non-Brahmin caste would not be able to break the Brahmin 
monopoly of administrative service due to lack of education, he prepared a 
scheme for their education. He was determined to provide equal 
opportunities to the backward or Depressed Classes. Therefore, he whole- 
heartedly supported the establishment of students’ hostels on the basis of 
caste. 
In 1902, he issued from England an order reserving 50 percent of the 
administrative posts under his government for candidates belonging to the 
backward castes - a measure aimed at destroying the Brahmin stronghold. 
For instance, in 1894, out of 71 officers in the General 
Administrative Department, 60 were Brahmins; in 1912, there were only 35 
Brahmin officers out of a total of 95. 
Although during the period of the ‘Vedokta Controversy’, Shahu Maharaj 
upheld the rights of the Marathas as Kshatriyas and claimed that they were 
superior to other non-Brahmin castes, he boldly took measures that struck 
at the very roots of the caste system. Towards the end of his life, he 
demanded the abolition of the obnoxious system itself. Calling it “the 
greatest obstacle in the path of our progress”, he held that it was a crime to 
support the caste system. 
Shahu was one with his contemporary reformers in holding free and 
compulsory education as the most effective remedy to cure the maladies 
from which the Hindu Society suffered for centuries. He established 
several institutions of primary, secondary and higher education. The effects 
of his educational policy were visible even during his life time. For 
example, in 1894, the Rajaram College at Kolhapur had only 97 students 
on its rolls, out of whom six were non-Brahmins. In 1922, there were 100 
non-Brahmin students out of 265. During this period the number of school 
going students in his state increased from 10,884 to 27,830 and the number 
of non- Brahmins from 8,088 to 21,027 of whom 2,162 were untouchables 
in 1922. These figures bear an eloquent testimony to the Chhatrapati’s 
sincere efforts to break the monopoly of the privileged few in the field of 
education. All teachers in government as well as private schools receiving 
grant from his government were asked not to discriminate between 
students on the basis of caste.