Stones... mud on India's first female teacher...!?

Sindujaa D N

Today is the third day of the year. This third day is associated with the birthday of such a personality, which is very important to remember. Her name is Savitribai Phule.


Savitribai Phule is an important name for indian history and women's rights, which would be unfair to ignore. Know why this name is necessary and which chapter of history is incomplete without this name- Savitribai Phule. 



At the age of nine, she was married to 13-year-old Jyotiba Phule. Jyotiba was also a person who advocated education and equal rights for women. At that time hardly anyone would have thought that this marriage of two boys would prove to be a revolutionary chapter in indian history.


Became a school teacher at the age of 17

When savitri and Jyotiba started working together for education, they set an example. With the help of Jyotiba, savitri received western education. At the age of 17, she became the teacher and principal of the girls' school opened by Jyotiba. 



At that time there were only nine people in this school. Savitribai and Jyotiba Phule had to leave the house because of their social welfare and women's rights related work because their father-in-law was angry with their revolutionary activities. 18 schools started across the country.



Left the house, but the Phule couple did not leave their social welfare-related work. The result of their hard work was that the couple built 18 schools across the country. By the end of 1851, the Phule couple were running three schools in pune with 150 girls. It was a big deal for the time.



People used to throw mud and stones

It is said that Savitribai used to carry an extra sari with her while going to school because the people who saw her on the way used to throw mud and stones on the clothes she used to wear. 



Even abused them. She had to data-face various protests for talking about and working for women's education. Not only this, Savitribai also established a child-killing prevention home for pregnant women who were raped. Here she used to help in the delivery of rape victims to pregnant women. 



Savitribai was also very fond of writing poetry. He wrote poems to bring awareness to issues like girl child education and untouchability. His book Kavya Phule was published in 1854.



Died of plague

The Phule couple had adopted the son of a widowed Brahmin woman. They named their son Yashwant Rao Phule. After studying medicine, he became known as Dr Yashwant Rao Phule.



 When the plague epidemic broke out in 1897, Phule and his son helped people by setting up a clinic. Savitribai also died of plague as she carried a plague victim on her back to the hospital. Savitribai died on 10 march 1897. She was India's first female teacher and first female educationist.

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