For 1 mark Questions
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Was born in the garrison town of Mhow (military headquarters of war)
Father’s name: Ramji Sakpal joined in 1866, was promoted to Subedar, and later
appointed headmaster of an army normal school.
Mother was from a Mahar family, army linage
Ambedkar went to the cantonment primary school from age five and spent several
years at high school in Satara.
He graduated with BA in English.
He joined the army of the princely state of Baroda the following year, 1913, as a
lieutenant.
After his father’s death a professor named Krishna Arjun sought the assistance of the
Maharajah of Baroda to finance Ambedkar's studies at Elphinstone College.
Ambedkar went to Columbia University in New York in 1913, obtaining a Master's in
economics in 1915 for his thesis on trade in ancient India.
In 1916 his first foray at analyzing caste occurred when he presented a paper entitled
Castes in India, their Mechanism Genesis and Development to an anthropology
seminar.
In 1916 Ambedkar left the United States for England to study at the LSE. However,
the Maharajah of Baroda asked him to return to India in July 1917.
Ambedkar joined the state administration as a Military Secretary to the Maharajah.
he finished his Master's degree in June 1921.
Ambedkar presented his thesis in economics at the LSE, entitled 'The Problem of the
Rupee', in 1922. (was rejected in 1923)
after making revisions he successfully defended it in November of 1923.
In 1927, he was awarded a Ph.D. by Columbia University for his thesis entitled "The
Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India". (first untouchable to be obtained a
doctorate)
Ambedkar registered at the Bombay Bar in 1923 and began legal practice at the High
Court the following year.
He was initiated into institutional politics in 1919.
The Poona Pact: September 24, 1932.
In 1931 his 'Appeal on behalf of the Depressed Classes Institute', by which he tried to
raise £40,000, asked 'the Europeans and the Americans' to help a 'deprived
humanity'-a part of the human race.
Congress called Ambedkar “traitor to the country”.
All India Depressed Classes' Congress (August 8, 1930, at Nagpur) had explicitly
opposed the idea of complete independence, whereas it had recently been
enshrined in writing in Co~•s program, in December 1929, under pressure from
Nehru.
The Industrial Dispute Bill was passed on September 2, 1938, making strikes illegal
under certain conditions.
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Ambedkar was further outraged by Congress's refusal to abolish the khoti and vatan
systems.
In the early 1930s he had told Gandhi that Untouchables had no homeland, 13 and in
1939 he reasserted his position, his views having hardened in the intervening years.
Ambedkar shared Phule's view, that India did not constitute a nation: 'How can
people divided 'into several thousands of castes be a nation?', 15 he asked again in
1950.
he opposed Gandhi's decision, in August 1942, to launch the 'Quit India' movement.
Ambedkar joined the Viceroy's Executive Council as a Member of Labour, a post that
he hoped would allow him to improve the conditions of the Untouchables.
One of the most significant bills that Ambedkar managed to have passed was the
Indian Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill.
In August 1947 Nehru appointed Ambedkar, doubtless under Gandhi's pressure,37
his Law Minister in the first government of independent India. ( Ambedkar accepted )
he asked that temples be opened to Untouchables and that they be allowed to
participate in festivals and other 'social events organized by the Hindus'.
Ambedkar's name reappeared in the Indian political discourse in the 1980s. At the
time of writing, all political parties, including the BJP, refer to him and cite him as an
icon that nobody can ignore.
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For 5 marks Question
 Discuss the journey of Ambedkar as a political fighter.
Mention the above points till “Ambedkar joined the state administration as a
Military Secretary to the Maharajah” along with the –
Even in Baroda Ambedkar could not find accommodation when using his real identity
and had to pretend to be a Parsi to find a room in lodgings owned by someone from
that community. Unfortunately, he was found out and had to leave, an experience
that had a decisive influence on him. Thus did Ambedkar start out as a political
fighter.
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Ambedkar: the first pan-Indian untouchable political leader.
Thus, it was not by chance that Ambedkar became the first pan-Indian Untouchable
leader. His personal qualities-his intelligence and his energy-played a key role, as did
the familial, social, and regional contexts which shaped his destiny, notably as the
heir of the pioneering anti-Brahmin movement of Maharashtra and as the recipient
of the support extended to him by Maratha Maharajahs. His socio-political
awareness and militancy were directly attributable to the predicament of his caste
and family. But the decisive factor in shaping his revolt against the caste system was
his education overseas, which exposed him to egalitarian values and allowed him to
interrogate the mechanisms of caste. On returning to India, he further refined his
tools of sociological analysis the better to contest a social system in which
Untouchables were the prime victims.
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Poona Pact (chatgpt)
The Poona Pact is an important historical agreement that took place on September
24, 1932, between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who represented the Dalit community, and
Madan Mohan Malaviya, who represented the Hindu upper-caste leaders. This pact
is significant in the context of Indian history and the struggle for Dalit rights.
The Poona Pact emerged as a result of the Communal Award introduced by the
British government under the leadership of Ramsay MacDonald in 1932. The
Communal Award aimed to provide separate electorates for different religious
communities in India, including the Dalits, also known as the Scheduled Castes (SCs).
However, many Hindu leaders, particularly those from the upper castes, strongly
opposed the Communal Award. They feared that separate electorates for Dalits
would lead to a fragmentation of Hindu society and weaken their political
dominance. This opposition by the Hindu leaders created a deadlock in the
negotiations.
To break this deadlock and ensure the political representation of the Dalits, Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya engaged in intense discussions. Eventually,
they reached a consensus and signed the Poona Pact.
Under the Poona Pact, the separate electorates for Dalits were retained, but with
certain modifications. The number of seats reserved for Dalits was reduced from the
initial proposal, and instead, a system of "reserved constituencies" was introduced.
This meant that Dalit candidates would contest elections in general constituencies,
but only Dalit voters could elect them.
The Poona Pact also emphasized the importance of joint electorates, wherein
members of different communities could vote for candidates from other
communities. This provision aimed to promote social harmony and prevent the
complete separation of communities based on separate electorates.
The significance of the Poona Pact lies in the fact that it helped in averting a
potential division among the Hindus and secured some political rights for the Dalit
community. It demonstrated the importance of negotiation and compromise in
resolving conflicts and laid the foundation for future efforts towards social justice
and equality in India.
In summary, the Poona Pact was a historical agreement between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
and Madan Mohan Malaviya that modified the Communal Award's provisions for
separate electorates for Dalits. It introduced reserved constituencies and
emphasized joint electorates, aiming to address the concerns of both the Dalit and
Hindu upper-caste communities.
For 10 marks question
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Ambedkar's contribution to Dalit movement
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar played a pivotal role in the Dalit movement in India. Here are some
important dates and contributions associated with his work:
1916: Formation of the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha: Ambedkar founded the Bahishkrit
Hitakarini Sabha (Outcastes Welfare Association) in 1916, which aimed to uplift the
marginalized and fight for their rights.
1927: Mahad Satyagraha: In March 1927, Ambedkar led the Mahad Satyagraha, a movement
demanding the right of untouchables to access water from a public tank in Mahad,
Maharashtra. This event highlighted the struggle against social discrimination and led to
significant discussions on caste-based inequalities.
1930-1932: Round Table Conferences: Ambedkar represented the Dalit community in the
three Round Table Conferences held in London between 1930 and 1932. He advocated for
the political and social rights of Dalits, presenting his ideas on separate electorates and
reservations.
1936: Formation of the Independent Labour Party: Ambedkar founded the Independent
Labour Party (ILP) in 1936, which aimed to address the issues faced by the working class,
including Dalits. The ILP contested elections and worked towards social and political
empowerment.
1942: Drafting the Poona Pact: In 1942, Ambedkar played a crucial role in negotiating and
drafting the Poona Pact, an agreement between him and Madan Mohan Malaviya that
modified the Communal Award and secured political representation for Dalits.
1947: Inclusion of Dalit rights in the Indian Constitution: Ambedkar was appointed as the
chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly in 1947. He played a
significant role in drafting the Indian Constitution, which included provisions for the rights
and welfare of Dalits, such as reservations and safeguards against caste-based
discrimination.
1956: Conversion to Buddhism: On October 14, 1956, Ambedkar embraced Buddhism along
with thousands of his followers in a mass conversion ceremony. This act symbolized his
rejection of the caste system and his pursuit of a more egalitarian society.
These dates and contributions highlight some of the key milestones in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's
involvement in the Dalit movement and his tireless efforts to advocate for the rights and
empowerment of the marginalized sections of society in India