Pandita Ramabai Through Her Own Words

Book excerpt: Pandita Ramabai (1858-1922) is a key figure in the social reform movement underway in western India. Following an orthodox Hindu childhood steeped in Sanskrit, she eventually converted to Christianity during a stay in England and later became deeply involved in a feminist campaign in the US to raise funds for residential schools for widows in India. She was an influential public lecturer, campaigner, and writer. This book collects a wide range of her writings, both in English and translated from the Marathi, and it will prove an invaluable resource for women's studies, women's history, and sociology.