Mahadev Govind Ranade
Table of Content:
Mahadev Govind Ranade
⬧ Mahadev Govind Ranade was born on January 18, 1842 in Niphad, Maharashtra.
⬧ India's great Vibhuti Mahadev Govind Ranade was educated at Elphinstone College, Mumbai.
⬧ Govind Ranade was a famous scholar, social reformer, jurist and Indian nationalist and is also known as 'Socrates of Maharashtra'.
⬧ Ranade was more influenced by the then social reformer organizations like Prarthana Samaj, Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj.
⬧ He disseminated the ideology of Brahmo Samaj movement outside the Bengal and actively participated in the works of social reform while strongly opposing the prevalent social evils and superstitions.
⬧ Mahadev Govind Ranade strongly opposed social evils such as child marriage, shaving of widows, exorbitant expenditure in marriages and ceremonies and caste discrimination for traveling abroad.
⬧ Along with this, he also emphasized on widow remarriage and women education. He contributed to the formation of many public organizations. These included important organizations such as the Ahmednagar Education Society, the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha and the Prarthana Samaj.
⬧ Ranade was one of the founders of the 'Deccan Educational Society'.
⬧ He also edited the Anglo-Marathi newspaper 'Induprakash'.
⬧ He wrote works like widow remarriage, Malgujari law, Biography of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, rise of Marathas, religious and social reforms etc.
⬧ As a true nationalist, Mahadev Govind Ranade not only supported the establishment of the 'Indian National Congress', but also participated in the first Bombay session of the Congress in 1885 AD.
⬧ Mahadev Govind Ranade was a strong supporter of Swadeshi. He held many prestigious posts during his lifetime, including the post of Member of the Bombay Legislative Council, Member of the Finance Committee of the Central Government and Judge of the Bombay High Court.
⬧ He died on January 16, 1901.
⬧ Ranade, referring to the shastras in support of widow-marriage, wrote 'The Text of the Hindu Law' in which he told the widows remarriage according to the law. In this context, he referred to those aspects of the Vedas which allow widow remarriage and consider it to be in accordance with the shashtras.