B. R. Ambedkar 1891 – 1956
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer, and the principal architect of the Indian Constitution. Born into the Mahar caste, he was the first Dalit to earn doctorates from Columbia and the London School of Economics, and devoted his life to the abolition of caste and the political and economic emancipation of the Dalits. His Annihilation of Caste remains one of the most powerful indictments of the Indian social order. Late in life he led half a million of his followers in conversion to Buddhism, founding a neo-Buddhist movement that has continued to grow.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Indian
- Era
- Contemporary
- Movements
- Indian Philosophy, Political
Selected quotes
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Attributed to B. R. Ambedkar:
“I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”
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Attributed to B. R. Ambedkar:
“Caste is not a division of labour; it is a division of labourers.”
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Attributed to B. R. Ambedkar:
“Educate, agitate, organize.”
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Attributed to B. R. Ambedkar:
“Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment; it has to be cultivated.”
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Attributed to B. R. Ambedkar:
“Religion is for man, not man for religion.”