Savitribai Phule was born January 3, 1831. She’s the First Lady teacher of modern India who founded India’s first girls school in Pune in the year 1848 along with her husband Jyotirao Phule. 

She’s an educationalist and philanthropist who fought against discrimination on the basis of caste, gender and status of people. Savitribai Phule believed in fair and equal treatment of all human beings and is considered an important figure in bringing social reforms in Maharashtra. 

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Savitribai Phule was encouraged and motivated by her husband to study and gradually she started focusing on the importance of education in an individual’s life. However, due to the upper caste system scenario in the region she wasn’t treated well and always looked down upon. 

Despite of all the hardships and harassment she faced just because she was a Dalit woman, she came out to be strong, bold and courageous. She wrote many poems, one of them being- Go, Get Education. Her poems were recognized by the British Empire. 

Go, Get Education
Be self-reliant, be industrious

Work, gather wisdom and riches,

All gets lost without knowledge

We become animal without wisdom,

Sit idle no more, go, get education

End misery of the oppressed and forsaken,

You’ve got a golden chance to learn

So learn and break the chains of caste.

Throw away the Brahman’s scriptures fast.

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Savitribai Phule notified the patriarchal and orthodox mindset of people and fought vigorously against it. She even opened a well in her house for the people who were considered ‘untouchable’ by the society that was itself blinded by the norms of irrational beliefs.

She dedicated her entire life in fighting against the socially contributed illogical norms of the society, she fought for equality of all, she fought for women’s education and inspired others to join the revolution. 

At the age of 66 she died due to contracting Bubonic plague that is caused by Yersinia Pestis spread by the fleas.