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Abstract
The persona and thoughts of Jotirao Phule has influenced generations and remain relevant even for the present Indian society. His understanding of social issues and his commitment to the cause of social justice is an excellent example of how changes can be brought in the most difficult times. It is because of people like Phule that the backward communities in India began to assert their presence and the movement for social equality could be brought to forefront by leaders like Ambedkar. His contribution in making of modern Indian democracy is second to none and needs proper recognition. This piece is an attempt to understand the psychology and methodology employed by Phule in understanding Indian society and finding solutions to its most important problem of caste discrimination and the inequalities produced thereby. The piece is based on a critical engagement with one of the seminal works of Phule, Ghulamgiri, which remains to be his most significant written work. In this work I argue that in his rhetorical publication Ghulamgiri, Phule produces a critique of Indian caste system by highlighting the logical inadequacies used to justify caste hierarchy, which he looks as a product of the process of creation of ‘Brahmanical Hegemony’. As a response he tries to propose a counter myth and also prepare the ground of a integral unity to develop a category that he calls ‘shudratishudra’ to counter the hegemony produced by the caste system. He presents a critique of the caste system present in Hindu society thereby advocating a society based on the principles of rights and equality.