Her unique life trajectory spanned across a panindian, orthodox hindu mould to being part of brahmo samaj and prarthana samaj, and further to christianity. By the time she was twenty, she could recite 18,000 verses of the puranas, a hindu holy book. Pandita ramabai was born rama dongre to a marathi brahmin family in 1858. From 1883 to 1886 ramabai was in the formal sense an anglocatholic, lecturing and studying social reform and education. Her body of work mostly focused on the history of buddhism. Mukti means salvation, and her vision was to create an interdenominational community of christians that served needy women and children. Pandita ramabai was born at canara district on april 23.
An index would have made the book of greater value as a reference resource. Ramabai saw caste as a great flaw in hindu society. Pandita ramabai was born in india in 1858 into a marathi speaking family, belonging to the priestly brahmin caste. See all books authored by pandita ramabai, including primary sources, historical collections. At the age of 29, pandita ramabai wrote the book the high caste hindu woman where she denounced patriarchy and the treatment meted out to widows by society. Pandita ramabai 18581922 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. The life and times of pandita ramabai and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Her father was a chitpavan brahman scholar, who taught her sanskrit and refused to arrange her marriage. Some of the prominent ones being the works of meera kosambi and uma chakravarti. She combined ideas she had learned from the sisters and friends of different ethnicity and race at wantage. Pandita ramabai was the most controversial indian woman of her times. This book looks at the life of pandita ramabai, one of the major social reformers of 19thcentury india. What were the contribution of pandita ramabai in the. Pandita ramabai was a social reformer in nineteenthcentury british india.
Her text especially explored patriarchal culture as it was in maharastra. Joshi, the highcaste hindu womanto be specific a brahmin woman which showed the darkest aspects of the life of. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. There have been many books and scholarly works on the life of pandita ramabai by writers and scholars from the east and the west both. The high caste hindu woman by pandita ramabai sarasvati the high caste hindu woman, which, according to her beliefs, showed the darkest aspects of the life of hindu women, including child brides and child widows, sought to expose the oppression of women in hindudominated british india. Pandita ramabai was born in mangalore district in 1858. Download pdf pandita ramabai free online new books in. The cruelties that widows have to face, in the form of daily taunts from inlaws, are a slow, torturous death. Pandita ramabai faced considerable opposition from many indian reformers and the press for they perceived that she was influencing her students to christianity. There were no schools for girls but, most unusually, both her parents gave her a thorough education in sanskrit. Abstract pandita ramabai, a brahmin scholar of repute, converted to.
Ramabai s critique of the hindu patriarchy and embrace of christianity extracted a heavy price, according to her biographers. Ramabai starts with a reference to the history of early exploration, and. Feminist scholarship remains in debt to the philosophy and work of pandita ramabai. In 1878, calcutta university, conferred on her the titles of pandita and sarasvati in recognition of her knowledge of various sanskrit works. Pandita ramabai simple english wikipedia, the free. Her story in her own words intl christian womens hall of fame series book 3 by.
Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. Pandita ramabai then talks in great depth about widowhood. Pandita ramabai 18581922 is perhaps one of the most celebrated women in all of indias history. Pandita ramabai sarasvati m rare book society of india. Pandita ramabai indian women in history by feminism in. Pandita ramabai 23 april 1858, karnataka 5 april 1922 was an indian christian who tried to change many things in india. Published on jan 21, 2017 tej n ash films creation is working on upcoming movie project life of pandita ramabai. The work was almost immediately praised as one of the greatest books of the time and was soon used as a textbook at the university of bombay. Her father was a sanskrit scholar and ramabai learnt sanskrit from him initially. In my travel writers class, were looking at pandita ramabais book on. She represented then the awakening of indian womanhood and she voiced with persuasiveness and. The family traveled from one pilgrimage site to another.
Her remarkable critique of society has been erased from the mainstream history. Ramabai sarasvati, pandita, 18581922, women publisher new york, chicago etc. Following an orthodox hindu childhood steeped in sanskrit, she eventually converted to christianity during a stay in england and later became deeply involved in a feminist campaign in the us to raise funds for residential schools for widows in india. She is probably the first literate woman in recent indian history. About the author pandita ramabai was one of indias earliest feminists honored with the title of saraswati in calcutta in 1879, she soon became an embarrassment to the men who had initially applauded her learning and eloquence. Pandita ramabai author of the high caste hindu woman. It examines the manner in which the colonial states new institutional structures, caste contestations, class formation and nationalism transformed and reorganized gender relations. Page 11 but god hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. Ramabai writes from her own experience as a hindu woman of those times and her independent this is a great book written over a 100 years ago about the conditions and life of a hindu woman in india. She became a christian and built a mission to rescue brahmin widows. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection.
In a personal memoir she writes that her father known as dongre went out on a limb and taught her sanskrit, and also taught her to read and recite from the puranas considered completely offlimits to women at the time. Sogreatwasramabaiscon victionandsohighhercouragethatimmediate hearingwasaccordedher. Honored with the title of saraswati in calcutta in 1879, she soon alienated the men who had initially supported her. Pandita ramabai was a truly remarkable woman who pioneered womens education and rebelliously championed for womens rights and empowerment. Pandita ramabai was born to a brahmin family in maharashtra in 1859. Pandita ramabai 23 april 1858 5 april 1922 was an indian social. Beginning in the 1980s, chakravarti wrote extensively on indian history indulging with issues relating to gender, caste, and class, publishing seven books over the course of her career. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Pandita ramabai was one of indias earliest feminists. Pandita ramabai saraswati, a scholar, feminist and educator, broke nearly every rule and tradition that confined the life of an uppercaste hindu woman in 19thcentury india. A classic study, rewriting history does more than introduce one of the. In this age of globalization, readers should value ramabai s crosscultural perspective on american life and learn how a society can progress positively.
Uma chakravarti christian convert feminist from maharashtra. She designed this institution to further a cause dear to her heart. This work outlines the reconstruction of patriarchies in 19thcentury maharashtra through an exploration of the life, work and times of pambita ramabai, one of indias earliest feminists. Revell company, 1900 christian converts from hinduism 170 pages. A poet and scholar, she tried hard to improve make better the lives of women in india. Pandita ramabai sarasvati 23 april 1858 5 april 1922 was an indian social reformer. Pandita ramabai sarasvati was born as rama dongre on 23 april 1858 in a marathi speaking brahmin family but later she adopted christianity in england. Pandita ramabaipandita ramabai 18581922, social activist, proponent of womens rights in india. The book is a travelers account of the people and culture of the united states. Ramabai, dongre medhavi pandita ramabai sarasvati 1858. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. On 11 march 1889 the indian activist known as pandita ramabai opened her sharada sadan or home for learning in chowpatty, an area of mumbai which was then, under the british raj, known as bombay. In 1887 she published her first english book, the highcaste hindu woman, a merciless indictment of hindu indias treatment of its women, which was persuasive because it was written from the inside.
A highcaste hindu widow, ramabai converted to christianity, an act that was seen as not only a betrayal of her religion but of her very nation. Her critique of brahminical patriarchy was in sharp contrast to annie besant, who championed the cause of hindu society. The peoples of the united states 1889, and more on. Wentworth, and pandita ramabai s american encounter. This book outlines the reconstitution of patriarchies in nineteenth century maharashtra through an exploration of the life, work and times of pandita ramabai, one of indias earliest feminists.
It examines the manner in which the colonial states new institutional structures, caste contestations, class formation and nationalism transformed. She wrote a book about her travels to the united states status of society of united states and a travelogue and it has been published in english translation as pandita ramabai s american encounter. The pandita ramabai story in her own words pandita ramabai 18581922 an honorable heritage my father, though a very orthodox hindu and strictly adhering to caste and other religious rules, was yet a reformer in his own way. She says while sati had been prohibited, the idea that widows were free was a grave misconception. Uma chakravarti is an indian historian and filmmaker. The life and times of pandita ramabai zubaan, 2014. It led to her marginalization in india and her ultimate omission from mainstream history books. Indian history, reconstitution of patriarchies in 19th century maharashtra. In 1904 she started translating the bible in marathi and by 19 the new testament was published and by 1924 the complete bible was published. In this edition of this day in history, you can read all about the life and contributions of pandita ramabai, social reformer and educationist for the ias exam.
Ramabai gave an account of her travels and her plans for the benefit of. When ramabai was eight years old, her mother began teaching her sanskrit. Pandita ramabai 18581922 is a key figure in the social reform movement underway in western india. Life of pandita ramabai based on a true story written by. A scholar and an eloquent speaker, ramabai was no stranger to controversy. Pandita ramabai was a woman of brahman background from pune in maharashtra. Rewriting history the life and times of pandita ramabai. About the book in this classic study of pandita ranabais life, uma chakravarti brings to light one of the foremost thinkers of nineteenthcentury india and one of its earliest feminists. Pandita ramabai played a significant role in making the country more progressive and egalitarian. She was from high cast hindu brahmin accepted christ in. Pandita ramabai sarasvati rare book society of india. This especially pertains to highcaste hindu woman of those times since caste differences played a role in lifestyles and social customs. She wrote many books, such as her popular the highcaste indian woman, which showed the troubles of child wives and women in india.
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