Dr. babashaheb Ambedkar Biography .

Date : 14th April  2022 , 

Let's explore everything In this blog that  everyone need to know about Dr B.R. Ambedkar and his educational journey , life journey   on the occasion of Dr. Babashaheb ambedkar Jayanti 131st Birth Anniversary.

⭐Early life :

Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in the town and military cantonment of Mhow (now Dr. Ambedkar Nagar) in the Central Provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh).

He was the 14th and last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal, an army officer who held the rank of Subedar, and Bhimabai Sakpal, daughter of Laxman Murbadkar.

Ambedkar was born into a poor low Mahar (dalit) caste, who were treated as untouchables and subjected to socio-economic discrimination. Ambedkar's ancestors had long worked for the army of the British East India Company, and his father served in the British Indian Army at the Mhow cantonment. Although they attended school, Ambedkar and other untouchable children were segregated and given little attention or help by teachers.

Ramji Sakpal retired in 1894 and the family moved to Satara two years later. Shortly after their move, Ambedkar's mother died. The children were cared for by their paternal aunt and lived in difficult circumstances. Three sons – Balaram, Anandrao and Bhimrao – and two daughters – Manjula and Tulasa – of the Ambedkars survived them. Of his brothers and sisters, only Ambedkar passed his examinations and went to high school.

⭐ Education :

🖋️Studies at the University of bombay -

In 1907,  passed his matriculation examination and in the following year he entered Elphinstone College.

By 1912, he obtained his degree in economics and political science from Bombay University, and prepared to take up employment with the Baroda state government. His wife had just moved his young family and started work when he had to quickly return to Mumbai to see his ailing father, who died on 2 February 1913.

🖋️Studies at Columbia University -

In 1913, at the age of 22, Ambedkar was awarded a Baroda State Scholarship of £11.50 (Sterling) per month for three years under a scheme established by Sayajirao Gaekwad III (Gaekwad of Baroda) that was designed to provide opportunities for postgraduate education at Columbia University in New York City

In 1916, he completed his second master's thesis, National Dividend of India – A Historic and Analytical Study, for a second M.A. On 9 May, he presented the paper Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Developmentbefore a seminar conducted by the anthropologist Alexander Goldenweiser.  Dr. Babashaheb Ambedkar received his Ph.D. degree in economics at Columbia in 1927.

🖋️Studies at london school of Economics-

Dr.babashaheb ambedkat got permission to return to London to submit his thesis within four years. He returned at the first opportunity, and completed a master's degree in 1921. Dr.babashaheb ambedkar completed a D.Sc. in Economics which was awarded from University of London, 

⭐Educational Qualification  -

A   part from masters and Bar-at-Law, he had four doctoral degrees plus he knew several European languages (and quite few Indian languages including Sanskrit). He also wrote the Pali language dictionary and was the first person from South Asia to have been conferred a Degree of Ph.D in Economics.. Dr. Ambedkar was only 24 years old when he wrote his paper on "Castes in India - Their Mechanism, Genesis, and Development". In his paper, he challenged many well established scholars who had already written on caste.

Below is Dr Ambedkar's education

history, starting with elementary education. It is almost impossible to state his extraordinarily vast educational experience. No wonder he is also popularly known as the "Symbol of knowledge".

1.Elementary Education, 1902

Satara, Maharashtra.

2. Matriculation, 1907, Elphinstone

High School, Bombay Persian etc.,

3. Inter 1909, Elphinstone

College, BombayPersian and English

4. B.A, 1913, Elphinstone College, Bombay, University of Bombay, Economics & Political Science

5. M.A, 1915 Majoring in Economics with Sociology, History Philosophy, Anthropology and Politics 

6. Ph.D, 1917, Columbia University conferred a Degree of Ph.D. 

7. M. Sc 1921 June, London School of Economics, London. Thesis - 'Provincial Decentralization of Imperial Finance in British India'

8. Barrister-at-Law 30-9-1920 Gray's Inn, London.

9. (1922-23, Spent some time reading economics in the University of Bonn in Germany.)

 10. D. SC Nov 1923, London School of Economics, London 'The Problem of the Rupee - Its origin and its solution' was accepted for the degree in Economics 

11. L.L.D (Honoris Causa) 5-6-1952 Columbia University, New York For his achievements, Leadership and authoring the constitution of India .

12. D.Litt (Honoris Causa) 12-1-1953 Osmania University, Hyderabad For his achievements, Leadership and writing the constitution of India.

⭐ Satyagraha -

Mahad Satyagraha or Chavdar Tale Satyagraha was a satyagraha led by B. R. Ambedkar on 20 March 1927 to allow untouchables to use water in a public tank in Mahad (currently in Raigad district), Maharashtra, India.The day (20 March) is observed as Social Empowerment day in India.

🖋️ Background :

By the Indian caste system, untouchables (Dalits) were segregated from the other Hindu castes. They were banned from using water bodies and roads which were used by other Hindu castes. In August 1923, Bombay Legislative Council passed a resolution that people from the depressed classes should be allowed to use places which were built and maintained by the government.  In 1924, Mahad which was part of the Bombay Province passed the resolution in its municipal council to enforce the act. But it was failed to implement because of the protest from the savarna Hindus.

🖋️Satyagraha :

In 1927, Ambedkar decided to launch a satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) to assert their rights to use water in the public places.

Mahad, a town in Konkan, was selected for the event because it had a nucleus of support from 'caste hindus'. These included A.V.Chitre, an activist from the Marathi Chandraseniya kayastha  Prabhu (CKP)community; G.N.Sahasrabudhe, a Chitpawan Brahmin of the Social Service League and Surendranath Tipnis, a CKP who was president of the Mahad municipality.

Surendranath Tipnis, the president of the Mahad municipality declared its public spaces open to untouchables and invited Ambedkar to hold a meeting at Mahad in 1927.After the meeting, they proceeded to the 'Chowder tank'.Ambedkar drank water from the tank and thousands of untouchables followed him.

Ambedkar also made a statement addressing the Dalit women during the Satyagraha. He asked them to abandon all old customs that provided recognizable markers of untouchability and asked them to wear saris like high caste women. Before that time, the Dalit women were not allowed to drape saris completely. Immediately after Ambedkar's speech at Mahad, the dalit women readily decided to drape their saris like the higher caste women. 'Radical' upper caste women namely Lakshmibai Tipnis and Indirabia Chitre helped the Dalit women dress like 'upper caste women' by covering the legs of the dalit women down to their ankles.

A riot broke out following a rumour that Ambedkar and his followers were planning to enter a Hindu temple in the town. And the caste Hindu argued that untouchables polluted the tank by taking water from it. To purify the tank cow-urine and cow-dung were used. 108 pots containing a mixture of these products were emptied into the tank while Brahmins recited mantras. The tank was then declared fit for upper caste hindu consumption.

Ambedkar decided to hold the second conference in Mahad on 26–27 December 1927. But caste Hindus filed a case against him that tank as a private property.He was not able to continue his satyagraha as the case was sub judice.

On 25 December (Manusmriti Dahan Din), Shastrabuddhe under the guidance of Ambedkar, burnt Manusmriti, a Hindu law book, as a protest. In December 1937, the Bombay High Court ruled that untouchables have the right to use water from the tank.

Struggle to access water by Dalit still continues. Access to water is still denied to Dalits at many places and are beaten or killed many times if they try to drink water from the forbidden places.

On 19 March 1940, Dr. Ambedkar arranged a rally and public conference in Mahad to recollect 14th Mahad Satyagraha Day as "Empowerment Day". On this day, Adv. Vishnu Narhari Khodke, as President of Mahad Municipal Corporation, arranged a function and honoured Dr. Ambedkar with a Letter of Honour (मानपत्र) for his "Chavdar tale Satyagraha" and "Manusmruti Dahan" and other movements in Mahad.

⭐Books - 

There are many books written by Dr. Babashaheb ambedkar , some of the famous books are as follows :

⭐ A short and quick life Journey of Dr.babashaheb ambedkar-

⭐ Awards :

On this day, March 31, 1990, Dalit leader and the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, was conferred the nation's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna, posthumously.

Bharat ratan award symbolizes the vision of Babasaheb Ambedkar for social understanding and national integrity.

The famous massage that I want to give you from this blog is -

I hope everyone like this blog , do like , share ,comment quickly 🖊️ If u have any doubts then feel free to ask in comment anytime !!

~By Janhavi kamble