LITERATURE REVIEW After Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Non-Brahmin Movement was led by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur. He started the branches of Satya Shodhak Samaj in Kolhapur and other areas. Shahu Maharaj opened the Schools and Hostels to the students of Shudra and Ati- Shudra (Untouchable) castes in Kolhapur State. In 1907 he gave 50% reservation in employment to the Shudra and Ati-Shudra castes of Non-Brahmin communities in his state. (1) He also brought social legislations like prohibhition of practice of widowhood, Devadasi system and against other social evil practices like prohibition of practice of untouchability, mahar vatan and etc. Thus, brought revolutionary transformation amoung the Depressed and the Backward Classes . Rajarshi shahu maharaj also encouraged and financial helped to Dr.B.R.Ambedkar to launch the Dalit Movement and to start the ‘Mook Nayak’ paper.He presided over the Managaon Parishat of Mahars in 1921. Though Kolhapur State was geographically small in size, but Shahu Maharaja’s Satya Shodhak Movement and name fame spreaded beyond Kolhapur State i.e.to of entire Maharastra,North Karnataka andSouth India . RAJARSHI Shahu's tutor Mr Fraser arranged an educational tour of Northern India. They visited Agra, Fatehpr Sikri, Jaipur and Nasik. Shri Shahu observed the social life, religiousplaces and also the malpractices which were in existence there. Poverty and blind faiths in India moved him. This tour of about five thousand miles was completely educational . Chh. Shahu(1892) with this classmates went on another tour of Northern India.They visited Baroda, Mount Abu, Alwar, Bharatpur, Jodhapur, Mathura, Saharanpur,Haridwar, Amritsar, Multan, Hyderabad, Shujawal and Karachi and returned to Dharwar on 24 December 1892. They saw the beautiful cities and came to know that states of NorthernIndia were poor in comparison with the States of Southern India. In this tour Chh. Shahu notonly made friendship but also got the certificate of honour from Arya Samaj . Chh. Shahu's tutor Mr Fraser arranged an educational tour of Northern India. They visited Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur and Nasik. Shri Shahu observed the social life, religious places and also the malpractices which were in existence there. Poverty and blind faiths in India moved him. This tour of about five thousand miles was completely educational. It helped him immensely to enrich his knowledge. In 1892 Chh. Shahu with this classmates went on another tour of Northern India.They visited Baroda, Mount Abu, Alwar, Bharatpur, Jodhapur, Mathura, Saharanpur,Haridwar, Amritsar, Multan, Hyderabad, Shujawal and Karachi and returned to Dharwar on24 December 1892. They saw the beautiful cities and came to know that states of NorthernIndia were poor in comparison with the States of Southern India. In this tour Chh. Shahu notonly made friendship but also got the certificate of honour from Arya Samaj.(7) Thismovement of Shahu Maharaj in fact was continued part of the Satya Shodhak Movementof Mahatma Phule. In 1920 Satya Shodhak Samaj was transformed into a Politicalmovement known as ‘Non-Brahmin Movement’ .(10) The Satya Shodhak Movement of both Jyotiba Phule and Shahu Maharaj influenced the North Karnataka in particularly, the South India in general. There wherebranches of Satya Shodhak Samaj at Belgaum, Nippani, Dharwad and Hubli. So alsoChatrapati Shahu’s Non-Brahmin Movement spreader to Bombay Karnataka. (11) At his age of 17 an important event took place in Chh. Shahu's life. On the 1st of April, 1891 he married Laxmibai, the daughter of Sardar Gunajirao Khanwilkar. Gunajiraowas a Sardar in Baroda State. Laxmibai was only eleven years old at the time of hermarriage. She was grand-daughter of His Highness Ganapatrao Gaikwad. The total expenditure on this marriage ceremony was 1,44,330. After the marriage,arrangements were made for imparting education to the young Maharani Laxmibai. (12) Chh. Shahu's educational career was always the best. Abasaheb, Regent and father of Shahu was very careful about his son's education. Brithish Government was interested in their education. The progress in education made by Chh. Shahu is described by his tutor, Mr.Fitzgerald. He says- I should premise this report by stating that the Regent of Kolhapur Bestowed a greatdeal of care on the education of his children and that before the Maharaj was adopted he andgone through most of the vernacular standards and commenced to learn English. ….. I found that his vernacular education was nearly upto that of his own age in the Governmentschool .(13) Shahu Maharaj posed a challenge to the traditional social order and opposed the Brahminical domination and supremacy. The Non-Brahmin leaders of Bombay Karnataka were so much influenced by Shahu Maharaj that, they invited him to Non-Brahmin Conference at Hubli in 1920. Before this Shahu Maharaj invited Bombay Karnataka Non-Brahmin leaders to Kolhapur and gave financial assistance to start the educations organizations like Schools and hostels. Thus, the Satya Shodhak Movement of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj greately influenced Karnataka, especially Bombay Karnataka, as a result there was a emergence prominent leaders like Sir Siddappa (14) Prof. A.B. Latthe writes about Chh. Shahu's education: "To those who knew how powerful a brain the Maharaj developed in his youth and manhood such remarks would appear inconsistent with facts…..". Prof. Latthe describes Maharaja's ability in these words: "Solid growths are always slow growths ".(15) Shahu Maharaja was ruler of Kolhapur during British period. He was great administrator, who realized the significance of equality in society. As such, he was wandered throughout his State to know about the problems of common people. He found that caste based discrimination made non-brahmins poor and negligent a n d e v e n h e f o u n d t h a t untouchability was great menace, through which Dalits are suffering in society. As such, he took many of reforms to promote education of g i r ls a n d n o n - b r a h m i n s, employment of non-brahmins, eradication of untouchability, reservation to non-brahmins in employment, etc to bring social equality in society .(16) Chh. Shahu ruled over Kolhapur State for twenty eight years. He was a king of changing period. British power was becoming weaker at that time. Unrest of the Indian people was increasing against British Government. When Chh. Shahu ascended the throne he had to undergo many difficulties. Prof. A.B. Latthe describes the situation in these words- "He (Shahu Maharaj) found that the prestige of Kolhapur was reduced to a very low level…" (17) The Vedokta incident had vividly brought to his notice how Brahmin priests in the name of religion, socially exploiting the ignorant Backward classes in the society. Shahu decided to revolt against this social hierarchy in the Hindu religion. The Vedokta conflict was an important incident not only in the life of the Maharaja, but in the social life of the whole of Maharashtra. What began as a private and incidental affair turned out to be a milestone in the social history of Maharashtra and an eye-opener to the Maharaja. The incident, as it were, made clear to the Mahatma the mission of his life .(18) His relations with Europeans were very polite. He never lost a single chance to express his faith in British Empire and this was the reason why British Government gave him protection in his difficulties. G.C.S.I. honour was conferred on him by her Majesty the queen Empress on January 1st, 1895. On this occasion Lord Sandhurst said, "In the person of His Highness we see one of the great remaining representatives of the Maharashtra Power "(19) As per tradition Puranokta Mantras are meant for low caste Shudras and Vedokta Mantras are meant for high caste Brahmins and Kshatriyas. Bhagwat Shastri brought this to the notice of the Maharaja. The Maharaja asked the priest for explanation. And surprisingly, the priest replied that as the Maharaja was not a Kshatriya, he was not entitled to the Vedokta Mantras. Shahu tried to tell him that he was a descendant of ChhatrapatiShivaji and as such, was a Kshatriya. The priest arrogantly replied that he was not prepared to accept him as such unless the Brahmin community accepted him as a Kshatriya2. Due to Vedokta incident, Shahu emerged victorious but it took much of his time and energy. It only widened the distance between the Brahmins and non- Brahmins in Maharashtra . (20) His relation with common class people was famous. In Shikar-trips he mixed with poor people and tried to understand their problems. Chh. Shahu's participation in Non-Brahmin movement was also a part of his political act. He handled Shivaji Club movement against him very carefully and made the club useless. In Vedokt incident Shri Rajopadhyeand Mr B. G. Tilak (famous Lokmanya) in his backing – remained unsuccessful and were defeated by Chh. Shahu Maharaj .(21) Vedokta Controversy When Brahmin priests of the royal family refused to perform the rites of non-Brahmins in accordance with the Vedic hymns, he took the daring step of removing the priests and appointment a young Maratha as the religious teacher of the non-Brahmins, with the title of KshatraJagadguru(the world teacher of the Kshatriyas). This was known as the Vedokta controversy. It brought a hornet's nest about his ears, but he was not the man to retrace his steps in the face of opposition. He soon became the leader of the non-Brahmin movement and united the Marathas under his banner .(22) ShahuMaharaj is credited with doing much to further the lot of the lower castes and indeed this assessment is warranted. He did much to make education and employment available to all: he not only subsidized education in his state, eventually providing free education to all, but also opened several hostels in Kolhapur thereby facilitating the education of the rural and low-caste indigent.