Today’s History: Birth of the country’s first female teacher, 18 schools opened for girls, fought for women’s rights throughout her life

On this day in 1831, the country’s first female teacher Savitribai Phule was born. Savitribai Phule was born in a farming family in Naigaon, Satara, Maharashtra. She played an important role in improving the status of women and became the leader of women’s education in India.

Savitribai Phule is considered one of the first modern feminists in India. In 1840, at the age of nine, Savitribai was married to 13-year-old Jyotirao Phule. He raised his voice against evils like child marriage and sati.

Emphasis was on women’s education, 18 schools were opened for girls

Together with her husband Jyotirao, she laid great emphasis on women’s education. The first school for girls in the country was opened by Savitribai and her husband Jyotirao in 1848 in Pune. After this Savitribai and her husband Jyotirao together opened 17 more schools for girls.

In 1998, the Indian Postal Department issued a postage stamp on Savitribai Phule.

Savitribai not only worked for the rights of women but she also fought against the corrupt caste system prevalent in the society. As part of his passion to end the caste system, he had built a well in his house for the untouchables. Savitribai was not only a social reformer but she was also a philosopher and poet. His poems mostly focused on nature, education and the abolition of caste system.

Steps taken for widows, rape victims

Seeing the pathetic condition of the pregnant rape victims, she along with her husband opened a care center for such victims named “Child Hatred Prohibition Home”. To ease the miseries of widows, he led a strike against barbers for not shaving widows, which was a practice at the time.

He made a unique effort to stop the children from studying and dropping out of school. She used to give stipend to the children to go to school. At a time when the caste system was at its peak in the country, he encouraged inter-caste marriages. She, along with her husband, founded the ‘Satyashodhak Samaj’, which conducted marriages without priests and dowry.

In 1897, there was a plague in Pune and due to this epidemic, Savitribai Phule died on 10 March 1897 in Pune at the age of 66.

Statue of Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Mussolini became the dictator of Italy

On this day in 1925 Mussolini declared himself dictator of Italy. Mussolini was the leader of the National Fascist Party of Italy. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy for 21 consecutive years from 1922 to 1943.

Mussolini ruled peacefully in the early years of his tenure, respecting democracy. At that time he had full support of the public. But as soon as Mussolini started the dictatorship, the life of the people started getting difficult and gradually the people of Italy turned against Mussolini.

After the death of Mussolini, the people of Italy had desecrated his body.

The friendship of Italian dictator Mussolini and German dictator Adolf Hitler is also famous in history. Its hallmark was also seen during the Second World War, when Mussolini had supported Hitler in that war. For this reason, on 25 July 1943, the King of Italy dismissed Mussolini’s government.

In 1945, Mussolini tried to flee to Switzerland during the Second World War, when Germany was defeated. But Mussolini was captured along with some of his teammates and girlfriend, Claretta Petacchi. Mussolini and his girlfriend were shot on 28 April 1945. After being shot, his body was hung upside down.

It is said that the people of Italy were so fed up with Mussolini that people spit, kicked, punched and jumped on the dead body of him and his girlfriend. Their bodies lay in Milan for the whole day. The next day he was buried in an anonymous place.

Important events of January 3 in India and the world: