Question

Identify the Indian social reformer of the nineteenth century with the help of the following information and choose the correct option:
$\bullet$ He was from Maharashtra.
$\bullet$ He pointed to the suffering of the depressed classes.
$\bullet$ He demanded economic and social justice.

• A. Sri raya Guru
• B. Jyotiba Phule
• C. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• D. Swami Vivekand

Hint:

Associate key nineteenth-century social reformers directly with their states and core organizations: Jyotiba Phule $\rightarrow$ Maharashtra, Satyashodhak Samaj, Gulamgiri $\rightarrow$ Depressed classes upliftment.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Social reform movements in nineteenth-century India aimed at elimiting deep-seated social inequalities, caste-based oppression, and gender disparities. Reformers leveraged education and literature to challenge existing hierarchical structures.

Step 1: Alyzing the biographical and regiol details provided.
The problem provides three major clues to help pinpoint the identity of the reformer:
• Regiol Origin: The social reformer belonged to Maharashtra. This instantly rules out Sri raya Guru (who was from Kerala) and Raja Ram Mohan Roy as well as Swami Vivekand (both from Bengal).
• Focus on Depressed Classes: He targeted his activism toward upliftment and removing the structural suffering of low-caste communities and untouchables, classifying them as depressed classes.
• Core Philosophy: He advocated strongly for complete social equality, human rights, and fincial/economic justice.

Step 2: Evaluating the correct historical profile.
Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (Jyotiba Phule), born in Maharashtra in 1827, aligns completely with all these clues:
• He pioneered social reform in Maharashtra, alongside his wife Savitribai Phule.
• He founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-Seekers' Society) in 1873 to achieve socio-economic and educatiol justice for the lower castes (Shudras and Ati-Shudras).
• He authored landmark books like Gulamgiri (Slavery) to address the exploitation of the depressed classes. Thus, Option (B) is correct.