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Ramabai: Gender and Caste

Madhu Jha

Pandita Ramabai (1858–1922) has not only been acknowledged as an eminent social reformer and a scholar but also perhaps as one of the first feminists in the modern Indian history who struggled for the emancipation of Indian women. Her life and thought is instructive to all those who yearn for the dignity and equality of women in Indian society. Her critique of patriarchy and demand for civil rights and gender justice reflects her political thought.

Life and Times

Ramabai was born to Ananta Shastri, a liberal Brahmin Pandit, in 1858. As a child, Ramabai lived the life of a Brahmin pilgrim and travelled the Indian subcontinent with her parents and two older siblings. Her father had withdrawn to a forest area ...

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