Rao Bahadur
Rai Bahadur (in North India) and Rao Bahadur (in South India), R.B., was a title of honour bestowed during British Raj, British rule in India to individuals for outstanding service or acts of public welfare to the British Empire, Empire. From ...
Mahadev Govind Ranade (18 January 1842–16 January 1901), popularly referred to as Nyayamurti Ranade (lit. Justice Ranade), was an Indian scholar,
social reformer,
judge
A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...
and
author
In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
. He was one of the founding members of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
party
and held several designations such as Member of the
Bombay Legislative Council and Member of the Finance Committee at the Centre.
[ He was also a judge of the ]Bombay High Court
The High Court of Bombay is the High courts of India, high court of the States and union territories of India, states of Maharashtra and Goa in India, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is seated primarily ...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
.
As a well-known public figure, his personality as a calm and patient optimist influenced his attitude towards dealings with Britain as well as reform in India. During his life, he helped establish the '' Poona Sarvajanik Sabha'', Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
Granthottejak Sabha and '' Prarthana Samaj''. He also edited a Bombay
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
Anglo-Marathi daily paper—The '' Induprakash'', founded on his ideology of social and religious reform.
He was accorded the title of Rao Bahadur
Rai Bahadur (in North India) and Rao Bahadur (in South India), R.B., was a title of honour bestowed during British Raj, British rule in India to individuals for outstanding service or acts of public welfare to the British Empire, Empire. From ...
.
Early life and family
Mahadev Govind Ranade was born into a Chitpavan Brahmin family in Niphad, a taluk
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ...
a town in Nashik district. He studied in a Marathi school in Kolhapur
Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Kolhapur is one of the most significant cities in South Maharashtra and has been a hub of historical, religious, and cultural a ...
and later shifted to an English-medium school. At the age of 14, he studied at Elphinstone College, Bombay
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
. He belonged to the first batch of students at the University of Bombay
University of Mumbai is a public university, public List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, state university in Mumbai. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest univ ...
. In 1862, he obtained a B.A. degree in history
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
& economics
Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...
, and in 1864 an M.A. in history. Three years later, he obtained his L.L.B. (law degree) in 1866.
Judge
After obtaining his L.L.B., Ranade became a subordinate judge in Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
in 1871. Given his political activities and public popularity, the British colonial authorities delayed his promotion to the Bombay High Court
The High Court of Bombay is the High courts of India, high court of the States and union territories of India, states of Maharashtra and Goa in India, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is seated primarily ...
until 1895.
Social activism
Ranade was a progressive social activist
Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from ...
whose activities were deeply influenced by western culture and the colonial state. His activities ranged from religious reform to public education and reform within the Indian family. In every area, he was prone to see little virtue in Indian customs and traditions and to strive for reforming the subject into the mould of what prevailed in the west. He himself summarized the mission of the Indian Social Reform Movement as being to "Humanize, Equalize and Spiritualize," the implication being that existing Indian society lacked these qualities.
Prarthana Samaj
Ranade joined the Prarthana Samaj, a religious and social reform organization, in 1867, and the Poona Prarthana Samaj in 1869. Historians have regarded Ranade as an intellectual leader in the movement. Ranade was influenced by Bishop Joseph Butler in linking the social justice work of the Prarthama Samaj with Christian metaphysics.
Female emancipation
His efforts to "Humanize and Equalize" Indian society found its primary focus in women. He campaigned against the ' purdah system' (keeping women behind the veil). He was a founder of the Social Conference movement, which he supported till his death,[ directing his social reform efforts against ]child marriage
Child marriage is a practice involving a marriage or domestic partnership, formal or informal, that includes an individual under 18 and an adult or other child.*
*
*
*
Research has found that child marriages have many long-term negative co ...
, the tonsure
Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...
of widows, the heavy cost of weddings and other social functions and the caste restrictions on travelling abroad. He strenuously advocated widow remarriage and female education.[ In 1861, when he was still a teenager, Ranade co-founded the 'Widow Marriage Association'. It promoted marriage for Hindu widows and acted as native compradors for the colonial government's project of passing a law permitting such marriages.
He chose to take '' prayaschitta'' (religious penance) in the Panch-Houd Mission Case rather than insisting on his opinions.
]
Girls' education
In 1885, Ranade along with Vaman Abaji Modak and historian Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar established the Maharashtra Girls Education Society to start Huzurpaga, the oldest girls' high school in India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The school was established in the former stable yard of the Bajirao I
Bajirao I (né Visaji, ; 18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740) was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He was appointed Peshwa at the age of nineteen by Shahu I, following the death of his father, Balaji Vishwanath. He is credited with establis ...
Peshwa in Narayan Peth, Pune.
Personal life
Ranade was in his 30s when his first wife died. His family wanted him to remarry, especially since he had no children. His reformer friends expected him, who had co-founded the 'Widow Marriage Association' as far back as 1861, to act in accordance with his own sermons and marry a widow. However, Ranade yielded to his family's wishes and conformed with convention to marry Ramabai, a girl who was barely eleven years old and twenty years younger to him. Ramabai was born in 1862, nearly a year after Ranade had founded his 'Widow Marriage Association'. He acceded to the marriage because he anticipated that if he married an already wedded woman, the children born to her would be considered illegitimate outcasts by his society. The irony of the affair is that while Ranade faced ridicule and accusations of hypocrisy, his ardent wish remained unfulfilled: his second marriage also remained childless.
The wedding was held in full compliance with tradition and was a happy one. Ramabai was a daughter of the Kurlekar family, which belonged to the same caste and social strata as Ranade.[Mukherjee, M., 1993. Story, history and her story. Studies in History, 9(1), pp.71-85.] The couple had a completely harmonious and conventional marriage. Ranade ensured that his wife receive education, something that she was not keen about initially. However, like all Indian women of that era, she complied with her husband's wishes and grew into her new life. After Ranade's death, Ramabai Ranade continued the social and educational reform work initiated by him.
Published works
* ; reprinted in 1999 as
* .
*
* ; reprinted by CHIZINE PUBN as
In popular culture
A television series on Zee Marathi named '' Unch Majha Zoka'' (roughly translated as 'My Swing Flies High') based on Ramabai's and Mahadevrao's life and their development as a 'women's rights' activist was broadcast in March 2012. It was based on a book by Ramabai Ranade titled ''Amachyaa Aayushyaatil Kaahi Aathavani''. In the book, Justice Ranade is called "Madhav" rather than Mahadev. The series had actors Vikram Gaikwad as Mahadev Govind Ranade and Spruha Joshi as Ramabai Ranade..
See also
* Revolutionary movement for Indian independence
The Revolutionary movement for Indian Independence was part of the Indian independence movement comprising the actions of violent underground revolutionary factions. Groups believing in armed revolution against the ruling British fall into thi ...
* List of Indian independence activists
Footnotes
References
*Brown, D. Mackenzie. ''Indian Political Thought: From Ranade to Bhave''. (Berkeley: University of California, 1961).
*Mansingh, Surjit. ''Historical Dictionary of India''. vol. 20, Asian Historical Dictionaries. s.v. "Shivaji". (London: Scarecrow Press, 1996).
* Masselos, Jim. ''Indian Nationalism: A History''. (New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 1985).
* Wolpert, Stanley. ''India''. (Berkeley: University of California, 1991). 57.
* Wolpert, Stanley. ''Tilak and Gokhale: Revolutions and Reform in the Making of Modern India''. (Berkeley: University of California, 1962). 12.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranade, Mahadev Govind
1842 births
1901 deaths
Marathi people
Indian independence activists from Maharashtra
Indian independence activists
Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire
People from Nashik district
Judges of the Bombay High Court
Indian National Congress politicians from Maharashtra
Elphinstone College alumni
Indian social reformers
English-language writers from India
British India judges
Members of the Bombay Legislative Council
19th-century Indian historians
Prarthana Samaj
Presidents of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan
Founders of Indian schools and colleges
People from Maharashtra