• Pioneered social reform for Dalits, women, and peasants in colonial India.
• Critiqued Brahmanical domination, calling for radical transformation of society.
• Advocated unity among oppressed groups as a revolutionary force for change.

CHALLENGING BRAHMANISM AND SOCIAL HIERARCHIES

• Rejected Chaturvarna system, instead proposed a binary framework:
  • Brahmins (oppressors) vs. Shudra-Atishudras (oppressed).
• Saw caste as a system of power and dominance, not just social stratification.
• Argued that Brahmanism was a man-made ideology designed to suppress the masses.

EDUCATION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

• In 1848, along with Savitri Bai Phule, founded the first school for Dalit and Shudra girls.
• Emphasized action over rhetoric—unlike many elite contemporaries.
• Education was central to his vision of empowerment and social revolution.

RELIGION AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS

• In 1885, urged lower castes to organise rituals independent of Brahman priests.
• Aimed to break ritualistic dependence and spiritual hegemony of upper castes.

GENDER AS A CORE AXIS OF OPPRESSION

• Integrated gender into his critique—believed all women, including Brahman women, were oppressed.
• Viewed gender oppression as intertwined with caste.
• Promoted a gender-inclusive revolution, rare for his time.

VISION OF SOCIAL REVOLUTION

• Proposed a complete ideological and material dismantling of caste and gender hierarchies.
• Saw the Shudra-Atishudras as leaders of this revolution.
• Stressed praxis over theory—real change through collective action.

RELEVANCE IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA

• Modern India still grapples with caste, gender, and agrarian disparities.
• Marginalised communities remain politically neglected and economically vulnerable.
• Phule’s ideas serve as a radical critique of current political indifference and a call to action for the oppressed.

LEGACY AND COMMEMORATION

• April 11 is celebrated as Jyotirao Phule’s birth anniversary.
• His thoughts remain a cornerstone for equality, justice, and social reform in India.