Rajarshi Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj was the first Maharaja of the princely state of Kolhapur and belonged to the Bhonsle dynasty. He was a great driving force for equality laws related to caste and gender discrimination.
Story: Avani Kulshreshtha
Edit: Nitya Kaimal
Rajarshi Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj pushed towards social reform for the betterment of Indian society and aimed at liberating the non-Brahmin castes from the bias and unfairness of the contemporary caste system. He was also deeply influenced by the ideas of Jyotiba Phule and helped improve the social status and rights of women. He dedicated his rule to developing social equality, advancing justice, as well as education.
Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj also worked towards advancement and societal acceptance of women’s rights. At a time when inter-caste and inter-religious were frowned upon, he brought into effect the Legal Sanction to Inter-caste and Inter-religion Marriage Act on July 12, 1919. This act provided legal backing to inter-caste and inter-religious marriage relations, allowing individuals to marry with their choice outside of the rigid structure of caste boundaries. According to the act, the legal marriageable age for girls was 14, while it was 18 for boys. This was a bold move in the era where child marriages were the norm.
The one problem he was deeply affected by was limited access to quality education, and he dedicated his time towards solving it. He strived to make education accessible to all, regardless of one’s caste or creed. Recognising education as a fundamental tool for the evolution and progress of the Non-Brahmins and Dalits, he enacted the Free and Compulsory Primary Education to All Act in 1917. This act ensured that every child had access to basic primary education and laid the foundation for a more open and equitable society.
Shahu Maharaj also proposed the Marriage Registration Act of 1919, which legalised an age for marriage for girls and granted them the right to marry without parental consent once they turned eighteen. These measures contributed significantly to the empowerment of women and enabled them to take control of their own lives.
His measures also addressed other issues of gender justice and the protection of women’s rights. He introduced the Widow Remarriage Act in 1917, the Divorce Act and Security of Women Rights after Divorce Act in 1919, and the Rights of Illegitimate Hindu Children and Jogini Act in 1920.
Also read: This Ambedkar Jayanti not just remember Babasaheb, Be like Babasaheb
Shahu Maharaj also played an important role in resuscitating the Satyashodhak Samaj, which was founded by Jyotiba Phule, and strived to completely eradicate social injustice and caste-based discrimination. His visions and actions had a very feminist approach to them, and he successfully drove a change in the education and upliftment of non-brahmans and women for the better. He has left behind a great legacy as a social reformer. His reign is an exemplary one of power and upward change, as well as progress for the combined upliftment of Indian society.
*दलित टाइम्स उन करोड़ो लोगो की आवाज़ है जिन्हें हाशिए पर रखा गया है। *
महिला, दलित और आदिवासियों के मुद्दों पर केंद्रित पत्रकारिता करने और मुख्यधारा की मीडिया में इनका प्रतिनिधित्व करने के लिए हमें आर्थिक सहयोग करें।
