Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj Study Centre

About Rajashri Shahu Maharaj

Rajashri Shahu Maharaj was a visionary ruler, a crusader for social justice, and a pillar of social democracy. He ushered in a new era of social movements. The Dalits, peasants, non-Brahmins, laborers, and women fought their educational, social, and economic struggles under his guidance. He cherished the idea of bringing about a casteless society and was against all kinds of exploitation and slavery. He abolished untouchability within his domain. His attempts to abolish Mahar Watan, impart education to illiterate masses, and provide land and jobs to non-Brahmins, Dalits, tribals, and nomadic tribes set the agenda for social transformation in Maharashtra. He initiated the cooperative movement, which increased production and carried out equitable distribution, leading towards the empowerment of all toiling castes and women. He was a harbinger of social justice who introduced caste-based reservations in India.

His developmental vision combined people’s participation and state initiatives, evolving developmental thought based on social justice. He made concrete efforts to alleviate the poverty of the masses and introduced practical economic measures against the existing laissez-faire policy of classical economists. He introduced famine relief programs, carried out experiments in agriculture, improved agriculture, set up industries in the cooperative and public sectors, and generated employment-oriented public projects. His development strategy avoided centralization and evolved a multi-centered developmental model where regional and social disparities were eliminated. He took a keen interest in the socio-cultural and economic upliftment of Dalits, peasants, tribals, nomadic tribes, and women. His developmental model, based on social justice, was later emulated by the Maharashtra Government. His passionate endeavor to educate the illiterate masses, provide health facilities, and his commitment to women’s reform were later substantiated by Amartya Sen (Nobel Laureate) in his economic thought.

He introduced compulsory and free primary education in the Kolhapur principality. He built hostels, started schools in remote villages, and awarded scholarships. He took innovative measures in spreading education, aiming to create capabilities that enabled the toiling masses to transcend caste barriers and elevate themselves. He remained an ardent supporter of democracy and strived hard to create democratic institutions. He wanted to liberate all toiling masses from the clutches of religious slavery and encouraged Satyashodhak and Dalit movements.