MAHADEV GOVIND RANADE LIFE STORY : –
Born : – 18 January 1842, Nifad, Nashik, Maharashtra
Death : – January 16, 1901,
For his work : – Indian social reformer, scholar and jurist
Mahadev Govind Ranadel was a noted Indian nationalist, scholar, social reformer and jurist. Ranade strongly opposed social evils and superstitions and actively participated in social reforms. Ranade was greatly influenced by social reform organizations such as Prarthana Samaj, Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj. Justice Govind Ranade was one of the founders of the Deccan Educational Society. Being a nationalist, he also supported the establishment of the ‘Indian National Congress’ and was also a supporter of Swadeshi. During his lifetime, he held many important and prestigious positions, prominent among whom were members of the Bombay Legislative Council, members of the Finance Committee of the Central Government and judges of the Bombay High Court. During his lifetime he contributed to the formation of many public organizations. Prominent among these were the Vakrututvotejak Sabha, Poona Public Meeting and Prayer Samaj. He also edited an Indo-Marathi letter ‘Induprakash’.
Early Life : –
Mahadev Govind Ranade was born on 18 January 1842 in Nifed Taluka, Nashik. He spent most of his childhood in Kolhapur where his father was a minister. At the age of 14, he started studying at Elphinstone College, Bombay. The college was affiliated to Bombay University and Mahadev Govind Ranade received his first B.A. (1862) and the first LL.B. (1866) were part of the batch. He b.a. And LL.B. Ranked first in the class of Renowned social reformer and scholar R.G. Bhandarkar was his classmate. Ranade later earned an M.A. And once again finished first in his class.
Career : –
Mahadev Govind Ranade was elected as the Presidency Magistrate. In 1871, he was made the fourth judge of the Bombay Small Cases Court, the first class co-judge of Poona in 1873, the Judge of the Poona Small Cases Court in 1884, and finally the Judge of the Bombay High Court in 1893. He remained in the Bombay Legislative Council from 1885 until he became a judge of the Bombay High Court.
In 1897, Ranade was made a member of a finance committee by the government. For this service, the British Government awarded him the ‘Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire’. He also served as Special Judge under the ‘Deccan Agriculturists Act’. He also served as Dean in Arts at Bombay University and fully understood the needs of the students. As a Marathi language scholar, he insisted on translating useful books and works of English language into Indian languages. He also insisted on printing the university curriculum in Indian languages.
Ranade wrote books on the Indian economy and Maratha history. He believed that only the establishment of large industries can lead to economic development of the country and Western education can play an important role in the development of modern India.
Justice Ranade believed that only after understanding the Indian and British problems, the interests of everyone can be improved and achieved. He also said that the country can become stronger by adopting good aspects of Indian and Western civilization.
Religious Activities : –
Atmaram Pandurang, Dr. R.G. Along with Bhandarkar and V.A.Modak, he played an important role in the establishment of ‘Praya Samaj’. Inspired by the Brahmo Samaj, the aim of this organization was to develop an enlightened faith based on the Vedas. Keshav Chandra Sen was the founder of ‘Prarthana Samaj’ whose aim was to bring religious reforms in Maharashtra. Mahadev Govind Ranade presided over a meeting to honor his friend Veerachand Gandhi. In 1893, at the ‘World Parliament of Religions’ held in Chicago, Veerchand Gandhi put forward the strong side of Hinduism and Indian civilization.
Political Activities : –
Mahaveda Govind Ranade played an important role in the establishment of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Ahmednagar Education Committee and the Indian National Congress. He is considered to be the Guru of Gopal Krishna Gokhale and also an opponent of the politics and thinking of Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Social Activities : –
Ranade founded the Social Conference Movement and strongly opposed social discrepancies such as child marriages, shaving widows, excessive expenses in weddings and ceremonies and caste discrimination for traveling abroad. Along with this, he also stressed widow remarriage and female education. He was one of the founders of the ‘Widow Marriage Organization’ (founded in 1861). He gave great importance to the history and civilization of India but at the same time he recognized the influence of British rule in the development of India.
He asked the people to accept the change and also stressed that we should bring a change in our traditional caste system, only then we can save the great cultural heritage of India. Ranade wanted complete upliftment of society and country.
Although Ranade strongly opposed superstitions and evil practices, he was himself a conservative in his personal life. When his first wife died, his reformist friends hoped that Ranade would marry a widow but under pressure from his family, he married a young girl (Ramabai Ranade). He taught and taught Ramabai, and after his death, Ramabai himself carried on his social and educational work. Ramabai writes in her memoir that when a reformist from Pune, Vishnupant Pandit, married a widow, Mahadev Govind Ranade welcomed him to his house in his honor, which led to his conservative father leaving home and when Ranade left He threatened to quit his government job and then changed his mind.
