Mahadev Govind Ranade was a social reformer, scholar, and one of the first people to join the Indian National Congress. He was one of the most important reformers who spoke out against untouchability and the caste system. He pushed for social changes like letting widows remarry, giving women more rights, and freeing the oppressed classes. As a judge, he used his power to promote equality between men and women, the spread of education, the rescue of children and widows from social injustices, and the protection of agricultural workers and land tenants from exploitation. He always said that the Constitution and the law were the best ways to get freedom and change society. Later, he helped run a number of organizations that worked to improve India’s social, economic, and political life. These included the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, the Social Conference, the Industrial Conference, and the Prarthana Samaj. As one of the people who started the Indian National Congress, he had a lot of power. People also thought he was a great historian and that he played a big part in modernizing the Indian economy. He also wrote books about Indian economics and the history of the Maratha people. He thought that Western education was a key part of building a new, more progressive India. He was a reformer, a lover of justice, and a believer in equal rights for everyone. His works influenced many other Indian social reformers.
Early years and childhood
On January 18, 1842, he was born in Niphad, a Taluka town in the Nashik district of Maharashtra. His family was a Chitpavan Brahmin from Maharashtra. His father worked in the church.
He went to a Marathi school in Kolhapur when he was six years old. In 1851, he switched to an English school. At age 14, his father sent him to Elphinstone College in Bombay to study.
He was one of the first people to attend Bombay University. In 1862, he got his B.A. He then went to the Government Law School and got his L.L.B. in 1866. He did well in all of his degree programs and almost the whole time he was in school, he was on a scholarship.
Mahadev Ranade’s Career
In 1871, he was named the Presidency Magistrate, which is the title for the fourth judge in the Bombay Small Causes Court.
In 1873, he became the first-class sub-judge in Pune. In 1884, he was chosen to be the judge of the Poona Small Causes Court.
From 1885 to 1893, he was a member of the Bombay legislative council. In 1893, he joined the Bombay High Court.
In 1885, he also helped start the Indian National Congress Party, which was a key part of India’s fight for independence. Under the Deccan Agriculturists’ Relief Act, he became a special judge in 1887.
In 1897, he joined a committee whose job it was to keep track of national and local spending and make any recommendations needed to get the finances back on track. He was given the Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire as a reward for his work on the committee.
During his career, he also worked at Bombay University as a syndic and dean of arts. He also pushed for the translation of works written in standard English and tried to get vernacular languages taught at universities.
With his friends Atmaram Pandurang, Bal Mangesh Wagle, and Vaman Abaji Modak, he helped start the “Prarthana Samaj” to spread theism based on the holy Vedas. He started the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha and the Ahmednagar Education Society as well.
He helped start the Social Conference movement, which fought against child marriage, shaving the heads of widows, and spending a lot of money on weddings and other social events.
He also wrote about Indian economics and Maratha history. One of the books he wrote was called “Rise of the Maratha Power” (1900).
Works of note
His efforts to change Indian society through social and political changes were his most important work. He fought against the caste system and for the rights of women and children. He also helped make the economy more stable by encouraging the growth of small businesses in the country.
He also started the “Prarthana Samaj,” a Hindu movement that was inspired by the Brahmo Samaj and pushed for enlightened beliefs based on the ancient Vedas. This was another important thing he did. He was also one of the most important people who helped to start the Indian National Congress.
One of his most important things was to start the Social Conference movement, which he continued to support for the rest of his life. He worked hard for widows to remarry and for girls to get an education, and he spoke out against child marriages.
Personal History and Legacies
When his first wife died, he married a young girl named Ramabai Ranade. He helped her get an education after they were married.
He died in Poona, India, on January 16, 1901, from angina pectoris, which is also known as chest pain. After he died, Ramabai kept working to improve society and schools. He didn’t have any kids.
Estimated Net worth
Mahadev Govind Ranade is thought to have a net worth of about $6 million, most of which comes from his work as a judge, writer, philosopher, and author. We don’t know enough about Mahadev Govind Ranade’s house, cars, or lifestyle.