Satya shodhak samaj was founded with a purpose to give education to the lower casts. Scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and made them aware of the exploiting tradition of the society. It was founded by Jyotirao Phule in 1873 in Pune. Like every other society this society also imposed a ban on the admission of the high-class people, aristocrats, bureaucracy, and Brahmins. This society only admits in it the members of Shudra Samaj or the people of the lower caste. Upper caste members can only become members of the society by analyzing its actions and habit.
Through his writing and work, Jyotirao advocated against caste system and the illogical and orthodox status of Brahmin in it also wrote against the inequality in the religious books, orthodox nature of religion and its exploitation nature, blind and misleading rituals, and the misogynistic beliefs prevalent in the Hindu religion. Jyotirao Phule established the Satya shodhak smaj by keeping certain thoughts and ideas in mind like ideals of human well-being, happiness, unity, equality, and easy religious principles and rituals. Phule had also started a newspaper: Deena Bandhu, provided the voice for the views of the Samaj.
The society attacked the Brahmins who considered themselves as the messenger of God and considered them as the medium of contact, between people and god and hence opposed the bureaucracy of Brahmins in their times. They rejected the Upanishads and Vedic culture and also rejected to respect the Aryan society; according to them, Aryan smaj is concentrated on destroying the non-Aryan samaj.
The movement was not stopped and kept alive after Phule’s death by early Maratha ruler of Kolhapur princely state, Shahu Maharaj. Later followed by Bhaurao Patil and Maratha leaders such as Keshavrao Jedhe, Nana Patil, Khanderao Bagal and Madhavrao Bagal
The society has the following objectives and started with the following objectives:-
1) To set free the Shudras and ati Shudras from the exploiting policies of Brahmins,
2) convincing and persuading every individual that he/she is a child of one god and thus on God is their father.
3) No medium is required to contact or communicate god. They debated; God can hear the voice and subject of prayer before it enters the outer world through the medium of voice.
Following oath and affirmations has to be taken by all the members who are willing to take participate in the society at the branches of Satya samaj shodhak, weekly meetings were organized. Here, in weekly meetings following described subjects were discussed:-
1) The necessity of education in the people of the lower class.
2) The society promulgates cottage industries and also highlights the importance of Indian goods.
3) Eradicating the status which is given to Brahmins.
4) Making such changes which allow men and women to marriage at affordable cost
5) To set free men from the handcuffs of the beliefs of ghosts, astronomy, study of stars, prediction etc.
6) The main target, which they want to fully eliminate is the bureaucracy of aristocrats and abolish the social status of Brahmins
7) The society called god as their father and thus asked an individual to live with fraternity and brotherhood between them.
Civil Services Aspirant