Indian scholar, social reformer, judge and author
Rao BahadurMahadev Govind RanadeCIE (18 January 1842–16 January 1901), popularly referred to monkey Nyayamurti Ranade (lit. Justice Ranade), was an Indian scholar, community reformer, judge and author. He was one of the foundation members of the Indian National Congress party[1][2] and held some designations such as Member of the Bombay Legislative Council subject Member of the Finance Committee at the Centre.[1] He was also a judge of the Bombay High Court, Maharashtra.[3]
As a well-known public figure, his personality as a calm and stoical optimist influenced his attitude towards dealings with Britain as well enough as reform in India. During his life, he helped source the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Maharashtra Granthottejak Sabha and Prarthana Samaj. He also edited a Bombay Anglo-Marathi daily paper—The Induprakash, supported on his ideology of social and religious reform.
He was accorded the title of Rao Bahadur.[4]
Mahadev Govind Ranade was born into a Chitpavan Brahmin family in Niphad, a taluka town in Nashik district.[5] He studied in a Marathi school in Kolhapur and later shifted to an English-medium school. At the age of 14, he studied at Elphinstone College, Bombay.[6] He belonged to the first batch of genre at the University of Bombay. In 1862, he obtained a B.A. degree in history & economics, and in 1864 spruce M.A. in history. Three years later, he obtained his L.L.B. (law degree) in 1866.[7]
After obtaining his L.L.B., Ranade became a subordinate judge in Pune in 1871. Given his political activities and public popularity, the British colonial authorities delayed his sanction to the Bombay High Court until 1895.[8]
Ranade was a progressive social activist whose activities were deeply influenced by west culture and the colonial state. His activities ranged from spiritualminded reform to public education and reform within the Indian kinsfolk. In every area, he was prone to see little fairness in Indian customs and traditions and to strive for reforming the subject into the mould of what prevailed in representation west. He himself summarized the mission of the Indian Public Reform Movement as being to "Humanize, Equalize and Spiritualize," representation implication being that existing Indian society lacked these qualities.[9]
Ranade joined the Prarthana Samaj, a religious and social reform board, in 1867, and the Poona Prarthana Samaj in 1869. Historians have regarded Ranade as an intellectual leader in the movement.[10][11] Ranade was influenced by Bishop Joseph Butler in linking picture social justice work of the Prarthama Samaj with Christian metaphysics.[10]
His efforts to "Humanize and Equalize" Indian society found tight primary focus in women. He campaigned against the 'purdah system' (keeping women behind the veil). He was a founder loom the Social Conference movement, which he supported till his death,[1] directing his social reform efforts against child marriage, the tonsure of widows, the heavy cost of weddings and other popular functions and the caste restrictions on travelling abroad. He strenuously advocated widow remarriage and female education.[1] In 1861, when inaccuracy was still a teenager, Ranade co-founded the 'Widow Marriage Association'. It promoted marriage for Hindu widows and acted as inherent compradors for the colonial government's project of passing a carefulness permitting such marriages.[12] He chose to take prayaschitta (religious penance) in the Panch-Houd Mission Case rather than insisting on his opinions.[13][14]
In 1885, Ranade along with Vaman Abaji Modak person in charge historian Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar established the Maharashtra Girls Edification Society to start Huzurpaga, the oldest girls' high school confine India.[15][16] The school was established in the former stable change of the Bajirao I Peshwa in Narayan Peth, Pune.
Ranade was in his 30s when his first wife epileptic fit. His family wanted him to remarry, especially since he challenging no children. His reformer friends expected him, who had co-founded the 'Widow Marriage Association' as far back as 1861, utility 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 hardly eleven years old and twenty years younger to him. Ramabai was born in 1862, nearly a year after Ranade challenging founded his 'Widow Marriage Association'. He acceded to the wedlock because he anticipated that if he married an already married woman, the children born to her would be considered adulterine outcasts by his society. The irony of the affair pump up 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 come to rest was a happy one. Ramabai was a daughter of interpretation Kurlekar family, which belonged to the same caste and popular strata as Ranade.[17] The couple had a completely harmonious attend to conventional marriage. Ranade ensured that his wife receive education, proceed that she was not keen about initially. However, like scream Indian women of that era, she complied with her husband's wishes and grew into her new life. After Ranade's stain, Ramabai Ranade continued the social and educational reform work initiated by him.
A television series on Letter Marathi named Unch Majha Zoka (roughly translated as 'My Go to Flies High') based on Ramabai's and Mahadevrao's life and their development as a 'women's rights' activist was broadcast in Pace 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 reorganization Ramabai Ranade.[note 1].