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Savitribai Phule- first female teacher myth busted Topics in Hinduism

1 points | Post submitted by suyash9576 days ago |9 comments | viewed165 times

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  • suyash9576 days ago | +0 points

    Cythia Farrar (April 20, 1795, Marlborough, New Hampshire – January 25, 1862, Ahmednagar, India) was one of the first unmarried American women sent overseas as a missionary. She lived and worked in India from 1827 until her death in 1862.

    Savitribai was indeed a British Missionary. Nobody's declaration is needed.

    She was trained by missionaries & her school was organized & funded by Missionaries.

    This question was asked in KBC 13.

    How does a Noball Prize fact checker miss basic facts?

    opoyi.com/india/kbc-13-w…

    KBC 13: Which American missionary trained the social reformer Savitribai Phule to become recognised as...KBC 2021: Which American missionary trained the social reformer Savitribai Phule to become recognised as the first female teacher of India? ,Cynthia Farrar,Ida Sophia Scudder,Charlotte White,Amy Beatr…https://opoyi.com/india/kbc-13-which-american-missionary-trained-the-social-reformer-savitribai-phule-to-become-recognised-as-186999/

    Here is Savitribai Phule in her own words. In this letter, she proudly boasts that her husband was honored by the British Government for doing the work of Jesus

    Savitribai Phule praised British rule and prayed for permanence of British rule. She wrote many poems praising Christian religion and Jesus Christ. She never hid her Christian affiliation and never made a secret of her missionary work 

    This is kind of propaganda devoid of truth

    There were women before & after Savitribai much more educated and intelligent than her.

    Savitribai herself was uneducated by modern standards and could not even speak English.

    Yes, she taught Bible in Marathi.

    https://twitter.com/saloni_bhagwat/status/1611241327295102977

    It is not that Savitribai made any contribution in the field of sciences. Teaching Bible did not increase collective Indian IQ.

    It is not that Savitribai Phule school's suddenly increased the number of women enrolling in education.

    She did not create any considerable impact 

    "For the sake of Mother England,speak English. I believe she will uplift Shudras.

    "For sake of Mother England, Reject Mughals. Reject Peshwas, All these are foolish regimes

    The (queen) Mother England gives us true knowledge. She gives love & life to Shudras"

    - Savitribai Phule

    At the time when Savitribai Phule was glorifying the British for uplifting lower classes, the British Colonisers were sexual exploiting lower class women.

    In every British military cantonment, many Indian women were forcibly confined. They were not allowed to leave the premises.

    These women, mostly from underprivileged classes/castes, were forcibly confined in British cantonments. They were not allowed to leave the premises. They were allowed to consort with British soldiers only. They were registered to cantonments.

    British India in 1850s

    When people like Savitribai Phule were singing praises of British, Indian women were forced to undergo "physical examination" in cantonments. This was described as "surgical rαpe"

    Any Indian woman who tried to escape from the British military cantonment was severely punished

    I see many such 82 IQ takes in my replies.

    Savitribai was not someone who just got educated in a missionary school like you did. Far from it.

    Savitribai was trained in American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.This wasn't a school. It was a missionary training center

    The foundational aim of this missionary center was not providing education.

    The foundational aim of this missionary center was 'overthrowing Hinduism and planting Christianity'.

    Savitribai Phule was trained by missionaries just to fulfill this ultimate goal.

    h/t (@sacredrain)

    @mentions"For the sake of Queen Mother England, come together and get this done.

    For the sake of Mother England, break religion (which has worship) of animals, embrace the religion of Humans"

    -Savitribai Phule

    @mentionsGod is mentioned. And their family God is Jesus Christ.

    Of course, This family was more useful to the missionaries as a cryptos than as an official converts. Hence no official conversion or name change.

    I wish to clarify that I've no intention of dismantling or bringing down social figures who are now revered by certain sections of society.

    I vehemently dispute their argument that female education was brought into India by British Missionaries/ Savitribai only in 19th century. 

    I firmly maintain there were many educated Indian female scholars & teachers before the birth of Savitribai. I acknowledge they opened a school(with the help of missionaries) which taught Basic Social studies of that time (along with religion). However, this was nothing special 

    There were many traditional Hindu Pathashalas which (although not aligned to western curriculum of that time) trained their pupil (sometimes female) in Maths & Sciences. My contention is that this fact has been left unacknowledged amidst their propaganda.

    With that I END for now 

    Again, this is typical modus operandi of the missionaries.

    At the beginning of their public/political career when they were hardly known, Phule couple did not posit themselves as overtly Anti-Hindu in Public. Kavyaphule was published early on in 1854.

    In 1854, Savitribai wrote a poem to Shiva. Jyoti Phule had no objection.

    But as their influence grew, they began to express their Anti-Hindu stand in public. It reached heights when Satyashodhak Samaj was established in 1873.

    Phule wrote poems/plays abusing Shiva, Vishnu, Durga 

    He referred to Goddess Durga as Yavani . He reserved his choicest abuses for God Vishnu calling him बंब्या (illiterate), घातकी (one who deceives), लबाड (Liar) & कृतघ्न (ungrateful).

    He referred to Lord Narasimha as "unintelligent like a wh*re".

    h/t @peshwaspeaks

    And Phule urged for downright Christian conversion in his plays.

    Here is his play Trutiya Ratna. A poor farmer exploited by a cunning Brahmin converts to Christianity and becomes enlightened.

    Then he decides to break the idol of Hanuman and substitutes it with cross.


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  • suyash9576 days ago | +0 points

    Phule's school was made in 1848. While in 1847, 1 year before that in Bengal Sri Kali Krishna Mitra, Naveen Krishna Mitra & Pyari Charan Sarkar established the 1st Girls school of India named 'Barasat Kalikrishna Uccha Balika Bidyalay'. This is how peoples history gets looted.

    Image

    In all likelihood Mahatma Flower started school for a few girls of his own Community (relatively prosperous, Land owning Mali) ! Nothing more.

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  • suyash9576 days ago | +0 points

    In the 11th Century, there was Savinirmidi in Karnataka who was hailed by the society as सर्वशास्त्र प्रसिद्धे learned in all shastras.A stone inscription was carved in her glory showing her reading manuscripts in the midst of manuscripts.Would have been a great teacher too.

    A all female kannada school established on 15/07/1912 at a village called "Chachadi" in Karnataka by Sardesai landlords who belonged to UC.

    Image

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  • suyash9576 days ago | +0 points

    2 native Christian agents ought to be placed at well selected places in the district. One is the evangelist who starts weird Samajs while the other teaches at school.Doesn't this ring a bell about the Phule couple ?

    Image


    Phule's school did not teach any modern education even by 19th cent standards. Please don't imagine that Savitribai taught quantum mechanics.Savitribai herself could not speak even basic English .In her school, Bible and Aesop's fables were taught in Marathi

    Read Savitribai works . When she talks about God, her reference is by default to the Biblical God for whom she has composed many poems.

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  • suyash9576 days ago | +0 points

    A Bengali Hindu widow named Hotee established a School in Varanasi for ALL women. She taught Poetry, Law, Mathematics and Ayurveda. She was awarded the title "Vidyalankar" by Kashi Pandits.This was BEFORE Savitribai Phule was even born. First Indian female teacher who?

    India has had a very rich tradition of female teachers right from the Vedic age.

    Why is this entire history and tradition intentionally buried to glorify a British Missionary Savitribai Phule as the first female teacher of India?

    Harkunwar Sethani was an orthodox Jain lady. She built Maganlal Karamchand School for girls in Ahmedabad. The construction was started in 1847 (completed 1850) which was one year BEFORE Savitribai Phule's "school".

    Why are hundreds of women like them ignored to hail Savitribai?

    Savitribai Phule wrote many poems glorifying British rule and Jesus Christ. (p/c @onkarmantra).

    Women like Hotee Vidyalankar & Harkunwar Sethani had no agenda. They did not betray their country by joining hands with white colonialists.

    But they are completely forgotten

    From newsportals to journalists. From activists to politicians. We see everyone regurgitating this falsehood every year.

    Savitribai Phule was NOT the first female teacher of India. She was also NOT the first woman to start a female school for girls.

    "Another Brahmana lady Hoti Vidyalankar was so erudite that like other eminent male scholars, she appeared in the meeting of Pandits and discussed Shastric matters".

    Source: Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar,a story of his life

    and work ( Subal Chandra Mitra 1902)

    William ward, a contemporary Englishman, writes about Hoti Vidyalankar in his book published in 1811.

    He says-"At length Hoti began to teach others, & obtained a number of pupils from all over the country. She is now universally known as Vidyalankara" (learning is her ornament)

    "Hoti Vidyalankar, an 18th century Child widow of Kulin Hindu brahmana family, was proficient in Sanskrit literature, philosophy and law. She ran a chatuspathi (center of learning) in Benares"

    - Historical dictionary of Bengalis (Library of

    congress 2013) by Kunal Chakrabarti

    "Exceptional women like Hoti Vidyalankar ran their own schools early in the 19th century. ...it would be a mistake to think Bengali women of 19th century were uneducated".

    - Feminizing Political Discourse, Women and the Novel in India, 1857-1905 (Jasbir Jain, 1997)

    Even the poor Chatbot is not safe from propaganda

    Caveat: The pic in first tweet is an ancient drawing.

    No reader with any intelligence would think that ancient cave art represents a 19th century woman. No extant pictures/paintings exist of Hoti. I chose this painting for my thread to represent ancient educated women of India

    It is very telling that there is NOT a SINGLE picture/Painting of Hoti Vidyalankar ANYWHERE (online libraries/books/internet) whereas millions of depictions exist for Savitribai Phule. 

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  • suyash9576 days ago | +0 points

    My other question - how can you award titles like first school, in a civilization where the Vedas (created thousands of years ago) feature the works of multiple rishikas. How did those ALL those female poets and philosophers produce this level of work, without schooling??

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  • suyash9576 days ago | +0 points

    Every Indian saint was an activist and reformist who tried to break caste barriers without bashing our scriptures - Eknath, Kabir, Nanak, Thiruvllur, Tyagaraja, Narsinj Mehta But history starts from the Britishers and all reforms started by only Phule, Rajaram Mohan Roy etc

    Katyayana and Patanjali knew female teachers centuries before Savitribai Phule was even born.

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  • suyash9576 days ago | +0 points

    तंजावर के महाराज #सरफॉजी_भौंसले ने 1805 में कन्या विद्यालय प्रारम्भ किया था। जिसमें महिला शिक्षिकाओं की भी नियुक्ति की गई थी। जबकि #सावित्री_बाई_फुले का जन्म ही 1831 में हुआ था। अब आप ही बताइए, कि 1805 पहले आता है या 1831 ??

    सिर्फ तंजावर के महाराज ने ही कन्या शाला प्रारम्भ की थी,बल्कि1829 में #Cynthia_farrar नाम की मिशनरी महिला द्वारा मुम्बई में एक"गर्ल्स मिशनरी"स्कूल चलाया जा रहा था और बंगाल में1847 #कालीकृष्ण (#ब्राह्मण) नाम की कन्या शाला चल रही थी।

     

    बाकी1835 से पहले भारत में शिक्षा दर लगभग सौ फीसद थी,प्रमाण के लिए धर्मपाल जी की पुस्तकthe ब्यूटीफुल ट्र्री पढ़ सकते हैं। तो ये है #सावित्रीबाई_फुले पर आधारित मनगढ़ंत कहानी का खंडन

     

    Charter act of 1813 given full supportto Christian Missionaries to come India and enlightened the people

    Firstgirls school opened way before birth of savitribai phule


    #AhilyabaiHolkar 1725- 1795 Indore India Pioneer in restoring past women's rightsfor Equality In All fields from education adminstration to even warfare

    Sri SayajiRao Gaekwad 1868 1939 Barodamade women's education compulsory his deewans like Tanjawurkar Madhavrao implementedit with bullock cart book box libraries

    In 1870s Deccan region of Indiawitnessed an artificial engineered famine by the British during which millionsof women lost their lives, mothers witnessed their children dying because ofstarvation.But Savitri bai who lived during that period in the same region waspraising brts

     

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  • suyash9575 days ago | +0 points

    Women, education and Hinduism historyA Hindu temple panel showing a girl writing Sanskrit in Kannada script @ Ishwara temple, Jalasangvi, near Karnataka–Telangana border (50 km SW of Bidar)The inscription she is writing helps date this temple to c. 1100 AD.

    An art panel in a Hindu temple, Jalsangvi Karnataka: this stone relief shows a girl writing Sanskrit language inscription in Kannada script. The inscription helps date this Ishwara temple to about 1100 AD.


    Women, education and HinduismMalkapuram pillar (Andhra, c. 1262 AD) Sanskrit–Telugu inscription:1. Queen Rudrama Devi builds Shiva temple-college-hospital-monastery complex2. Sanskrit + seven vidyas3. General and maternity hospital4. Kitchen to feed poor, no discrimination

    An inscribed pillar near Shiva temple ruins, 13th century. A long Sanskrit-Telugu inscription. Translated by DC Sircar (Studies in the Religious Life of Ancient and Medieval India, pp. 156–160). The pillar mentions queen Rudrama Devi built a complex of buildings for a college, temple, monastery, kitchen and hospital with general and maternity services. The kitchen, it says, must feed any poor who comes asking for food, without discrimination. The ruins of the complex that survive includes this pillar in Malkapuram, Andhra Pradesh (between Vijayawada and Amaravathi).


    Women, education and Hinduism1. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (c. 800 BC) celebrates Gargi's learning, debate.2. Maitreyi and few more educated women in Upanishads.3. Uttararamacarita (725 AD) mentions a school where girl Atreyi studies with Lava and Kush (Ramayana). 4. Etc

    A leaf from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad – an ancient sacred Hindu text. It details the debates and sophisticated philosophical arguments made by girls such as Gargi. See BAU subchapters 3.4, 3.8, 4.5 etc.


    Women, education and Hinduism1. The oldest (c. 150 BC), definitive evidence of "female teachers" in ancient India is found in Patanjali's Sanskrit classic "Mahabhasya" II.147–149. @indumathi37

    2. Katyayana's text is older (c. 400 BC), but his verse on this is a bit ambiguous.


    A clip to aid discussion and to comment on Scharfe's book on Education in Ancient India. The specific verse about female teachers reads "upetyadhiyate tasya upadhyayi, upadhyaya". The context of Patanjali's verse makes it certain that he is explaining proper Sanskrit grammar and sentences for female teachers. To be fair, not just Hindus, even Jains had female teachers in ancient India. Hindu evidence is much older than Jains, though.

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