Biography of rukhmabai

One of the first practicing women doctors in colonial India. For the film based on her life, see Doctor Rakhmabai film. Early life [ edit ]. Dissolution of Marriage [ edit ]. Rukhmabai's Testimony to the Government of India. Daily Telegraph, 15 July Influence on Age of Consent Act, [ edit ]. Main article: Age of Consent Act, Career [ edit ].

Later life [ edit ]. Death [ edit ]. In popular culture [ edit ]. Recognition [ edit ]. See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Oxford University Press. ISBN South Asia Research. S2CID University of California Press. In Chandra, Sudhir ed. Enslaved Daughters. Retrieved 4 March Economic and Political Weekly. JSTOR Queen Victoria: A Biographical Companion.

Wilfrid Laurier University Press. In Giduma, Dayaram ed. The Life and Life-work of Behramji M. Bombay: Education Society. Because widows who remarried could not keep their former husband's property, Janyantibai gave her inheritance to her daughter. When Rukhmabai was 11, she was married to year-old Dadaji Bhikaji in an arranged marriage.

Dadaji had not yet demonstrated any capacity for study or a profession.

Biography of rukhmabai

For this reason, although it was the norm for the bride to join the groom's household, Rukhmabai's stepfather negotiated that Dadaji would join their house. The family hoped that the young man would eventually become a competent husband. Six months later, Rukhmabai reached puberty. It was the custom to perform the sacrament of garbhadahthe consummation of the marriage, at puberty.

However, Rukhmabai's stepfather, Dr. Sakharam, still considered it too early to consummate the marriage. This decision pleased Rukhmabai. It also kept her inheritance under the roof of her mother and stepfather. In contrast, Dadaji was growing increasingly frustrated. He felt entitled to the consummation of his marriage and to access to Rukhmabai's money.

Girls in colonial India rarely studied past the age of 10, but Rukhmabai considered learning one of her greatest pleasures. She obtained books from a free church library to continue her studies on her own. With her mother, Rukhmabai also attended weekly meetings of Prarthana Samaj, a Hindu biography of rukhmabai society interested in religious and social reform.

Dadaji, however, only showed interest in avoiding work and acquiring debts. Dadaji now spent most of his time at the home of his maternal uncle, who was considered a bad influence. Dadaji's health declined, and he received treatment from Dr. Sakharam Arjunwho was a doctor and a professor. She was married off at the young age of eleven, while her husband, Dadaji Bhikaji was nineteen years old.

Despite being married, Rukhmabai and Dadaji never lived together. Rukhmabai continued with her education. He later got in touch with her, perhaps interested in the money she had inherited after her mother passed away. She refused to go, continued to live with her step-father and pursued her education, going against the norms of society.

Dadaji sent a legal notice to Sakharam through his lawyers, in Marchasking him to stop preventing Rukhmabai from living with him. Even though the response to Dadaji was given in a civil letter by Sakharam, he eventually had to obtain legal aid for his daughter. Rukhmabai had refused to live with the man she was married to as a child, as she had no say in the marriage.

The British precedents could not be implied in this case, as British law was meant to be applied in the case of consenting adults. Justice Pinhey found this limitation in British law and found no previous cases of such nature in Hindu law. Rukhmabai 22 November — 25 September was an Indian physician and feminist. She is best known for being one of the first practicing women doctors in colonial India first one being Dr.

Kadambini Ganguly who started practicing in as well as being involved in a landmark legal case involving her marriage as a child bride between and Read more on Wikipedia.