Dhondo Keshav Karve
An Indian reformer who devoted his century-long life to liberating women, championing widow remarriage and founding the first women's university in India.
1858–1962 (age 104)·Indian social reformer·Birthday: April 18
Biography
Dhondo Keshav Karve began his adult life conventionally, as a college mathematics teacher, but the death of his first wife propelled him onto a radical path. Horrified by the bleak fate of Hindu widows—shunned, shorn, and condemned to poverty—he dedicated his existence to their uplift. He didn't just preach; he lived his principles, marrying a widow, Godubai, in a groundbreaking ceremony. Karve's mission was education, seeing it as the key to autonomy. He started shelters for widows and orphans, which evolved into schools. His vision culminated in 1916 with the founding of the SNDT Women's University, a revolutionary institution that offered higher education to women when it was scarcely available. Living to 104, he witnessed his once-controversial ideas gain national acceptance, crowned with India's highest civilian honor on his 100th birthday.
#1 When Dhondo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1858
Dhondo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1858Born
1863Started school
President: Abraham Lincoln
1871Became a teenager
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1874Could drive
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1876Could vote
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1879Turned 21
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1888Turned 30
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Turned 40
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1908Turned 50
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1918Turned 60
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 70
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1938Turned 80
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1962Died at 104
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
Key Achievements
- Founded the first women's university in India, the SNDT Women's University, in Pune in 1916.
- Established 'Anath Balikashram,' an orphanage for girls, which grew into a major educational network.
- Was a leading advocate for widow remarriage and social equality, remarrying a widow himself in 1893.
- Awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, on his 100th birthday in 1958.
Did You Know?
He was affectionately called 'Annasaheb,' which means 'respected elder brother.'
His work was financially supported in part by the sale of his own translation of an English biography of the 19th-century social reformer Pandita Ramabai.
He lived to be 104 years old, witnessing immense social change in India.
A postage stamp was issued in India in 1958 to commemorate his 100th birthday.
“I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”
