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	'''~~Mahrshi~~ Vitthal Ramji Shinde''' (23 April 1873 – 2 January 1944) was one of the most important social and religious reformers in [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. He was prominent among the [[Liberalism in India\|liberal]] thinkers and reformists in India, prior to his independence. His greatest contribution was to attempt to remove the practice of [[Dalit\|untouchability]] and bring about equality to the depressed classes in Indian society.		'''Vitthal Ramji Shinde''' (23 April 1873 – 2 January 1944) was one of the most important social and religious reformers in [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. He was prominent among the [[Liberalism in India\|liberal]] thinkers and reformists in India, prior to his independence. His greatest contribution was to attempt to remove the practice of [[Dalit\|untouchability]] and bring about equality to the depressed classes in Indian society.

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	He was born on 23 April 1873 in the [[princely state]] of [[Jamkhandi]] in [[Karnataka]], India, a member of a [[Marathi language\|Marathi]]-speaking ~~[[Maratha]]~~ family. His early childhood was influenced by a liberal family environment. The family friends and acquaintances came from all religions and [[caste]]s. He was brought up to think that religion was not just a matter of a blind faith and meaningless rituals or [[puja (Hinduism)\|puja]]s, but meant getting personally and emotionally involved in the service of God.		He was born on 23 April 1873 in the [[princely state]] of [[Jamkhandi]] in [[Karnataka]], India, a member of a [[Marathi language\|Marathi]]-speaking family. His early childhood was influenced by a liberal family environment. The family friends and acquaintances came from all religions and [[caste]]s. He was brought up to think that religion was not just a matter of a blind faith and meaningless rituals or [[puja (Hinduism)\|puja]]s, but meant getting personally and emotionally involved in the service of God.

	His early spiritual awakening came from his reading of Sant Tukaram, Sant Eknath and Sant Ramdas of Maharashtra.		His early spiritual awakening came from his reading of Sant Tukaram, Sant Eknath and Sant Ramdas of Maharashtra.

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{{more citations needed|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2016}}

'''Mahrshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde''' (23 April 1873 – 2 January 1944) was one of the most important social and religious reformers in [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. He was prominent among the [[Liberalism in India|liberal]] thinkers and reformists in India, prior to his independence. His greatest contribution was to attempt to remove the practice of [[Dalit|untouchability]] and bring about equality to the depressed classes in Indian society.

==Early life==
He was born on 23 April 1873 in the [[princely state]] of [[Jamkhandi]] in [[Karnataka]], India, a member of a [[Marathi language|Marathi]]-speaking [[Maratha]] family. His early childhood was influenced by a liberal family environment. The family friends and acquaintances came from all religions and [[caste]]s. He was brought up to think that religion was not just a matter of a blind faith and meaningless rituals or [[puja (Hinduism)|puja]]s, but meant getting personally and emotionally involved in the service of God.

His early spiritual awakening came from his reading of Sant Tukaram, Sant Eknath and Sant Ramdas of Maharashtra.

His intellectual awakening was influenced by the writings of many intellectuals such as Hari Narayan Apte, Principal [[Gopal Ganesh Agarkar]], [[John Stuart Mill]], [[Herbert Spencer]] and [[Max Müller]], Chief Justice [[Mahadev Govind Ranade]] and Sir [[R. G. Bhandarkar]].

==Education==
In 1898 he obtained a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree from the [[Fergusson College]] at [[Pune]], India. He had also studied and passed the first year law and moved to Mumbai ([[Bombay]]) for the [[LL.B.]] examination; however, he gave up this course to attend to other compelling callings in his life. This same year he joined the [[Prarthana Samaj]], where he was further inspired and influenced by G.B. Kotkar, Shivrampant Gokhle, [[Mahadev Govind Ranade|Justice Mahadev Govinda Ranade]], [[Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar|Sir Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar]] and K.B. Marathe. He became a [[missionary]] for the Prarthana Samaj.

The Prarthana Samaj selected him to go to [[England]] in 1901, to study [[comparative religion]] at [[Harris Manchester College, Oxford|Manchester College]], [[Oxford University|Oxford]], which had been founded by the [[General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches|Unitarian Church]]. [[Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III]], of [[Baroda]], a progressive and reformist, provided some financial help for his travels abroad.

==Life work==
After returning from England in 1903, he devoted his life to religious and social reforms. He continued his missionary work for the Prarthana Samaj. His efforts were devoted mainly to the removal of untouchability in India.
In 1905 he established a night school for the children of [[Dalit|untouchables]] in Pune, and in 1906 he established the [[Depressed Classes Mission]] in (Bombay). Also in 1910 he founded MURALI PRATIBANDHAK SABHA. And in 1912 organised a "ASPRUSHATA NIWARAN PARISHAD "In 1922 the mission’s Ahalyashram building was completed at Pune.
In 1917 he succeeded in getting the [[Indian National Congress]] to pass a resolution condemning the practice of untouchability.

From 1918 to 1920, he went on to convening all the India untouchability removal conferences. Some of these conferences were convened under the president-ship of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and Maharaja Sahyajirao Gaekwad.
His written communications with the Mahatmaji are noteworthy.
In 1919 he gave evidence before the [[Southborough Franchise Committee]], asking for the special representation for the untouchable castes.
In 1923 he resigned as the executive of the Depressed Classes Mission since some of the members of the untouchable castes wanted its own leaders to manage the mission’s affairs.
His work and association with the Mission continued even though he was disappointed by the [[separatist]] attitude of the leaders of the untouchables, especially under the leadership of Dr. [[B.R. Ambedkar]]. Like Mahatma Gandhi, he wanted unity amongst the untouchables and the [[Hindu]] caste, and feared that the British rule would take advantage of such divisions within Indian society and exploit them for their own benefit.

In 1930 he participated in the [[Civil Disobedience]] movement of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and was imprisoned for six months of hard labor, in the Yerawda Central [[Jail]] ([[prison]]) near Pune.

In 1933 his book ''Bhartiya Asprushyatecha Prashna'' ("India’s untouchability question") was published.
His thoughts and examination of the Hindu religion and social culture were similar to Raja [[Ram Mohan Roy]] and [[Dayananda Saraswati]]. In his writings, he opposes the caste system, idol worship, and inequities against women and depressed classes. He opposed meaningless rituals, the dominance of hereditary priesthood, and the requirement of a priest to mediate between God and his devotees.

Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde died on 2 January 1944.

=== Depressed Class Mission ===

Shinde was a prominent campaigner on behalf of the [[Dalit]] movement in [[India]] who established the ''Depressed Classes Mission of India'' to provide education to the Dalits.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kshīrasāgara |first=Rāmacandra |title=Dalit Movement in India and Its Leaders, 1857-1956 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wx218EFVU8MC |access-date=2008-01-07 |year=1994 |publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt (. Ltd. |isbn=81-85880-43-3 |pages=128}}</ref> He laid the foundation of [[Depressed Class Mission]] on 18 October 1906 in order to work against [[untouchability]] on the national level. Aims of this mission were:
#To try to get rid of untouchability.
#To provide educational facilities to the untouchables.
#To start schools, hostels, and hospitals for the untouchables.
#To solve their social problems.

Many schools and hostels were founded by this mission.<ref>Study books of Nathe, K'Sagar and Chanakya mandal publications.</ref>

==Sources==
{{reflist}}
Dr. G.M. Pawar, English translation by Sudhakar Marathe "The life and work of Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde, Sahitya Akademi 2013, {{ISBN|978-81-260-4064-3}}
*Gore, M.S.; ''Vitthal Ramji Shinde, An Assessment of his Contribution'' (book in English language), (1989), [[Tata Institute of Social Sciences]], Bombay, India.
*Pawar, G.M.; ''Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde, Jeevan wa Karya'' (book in [[Marathi language|Marathi]] language), (2004), Mumbai (Bombay), India. {{ISBN|81-88284-37-8}}.
*Katare.maharashtra history (2013) edition ..

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[[Category:1873 births]]
[[Category:1944 deaths]]
[[Category:Dalit activists]]
[[Category:People from Jamakhandi]]
[[Category:Activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Activists from Karnataka]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Prarthana Samaj]]

Vitthal Ramji Shinde - Revision history

Krishan Kumar Jangir at 15:09, 16 March 2026

UpdateBot at 11:02, 17 February 2022

>Rasnaboy: /* Sources */ Adding categories

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