Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-20
A PLUCKY BRAHMIN LADY.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE FORWOMAN'S
EDUCATION IN INDIA.
Among the Brahmin women-Pundita
Ramabai sanscrita's Address-A Trip
to England and to America

fundita Ramatai, the distinguished
Brahmin lady who, with her little daughter,
years OF age, arrived here in the British
Princes to witness the graduation in medi-
cine lat the Wonan's Medical college,
Phiiadelphia) OF her relative, Mrs Anan-
debai Joshee, is a remarkable character.
She is the daughter Of the famous pundit
Of Poont, Bombay presidency, India.
who sacrificed his worldly prospects and
eventually his life to the cause Of
emancipating the women Of India
he gave this daughter the same education
that be gave his only son, and 10th the
sister and the brother became famed for
their learning and Travelled together
throughout India The brother dying sud
denly, the sister married las few Hindu
ladies are permitted to marry the man of
her choice, q graduate Of the Calcutta
university, Sanskrit scholar and pleader
at law. About a year and half after this
marriage, which was a happy one, the hls-
band died OF Asiatic cholera.
NATIVE SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS.
Stricken to the earth by this bereave
ment, parents and brother also dead, dark
ness for time encompassed the widow
Then she rallied, 10 devote her life to i'm
prove the degraded condition of her coun-
trywomen- For this purpose she returned
to her native city Poona, and formed So
ciety of ladies known Us the Arya Mehila
Saba, whose object was the establishment
OF native schools for girls. She then went
from city to city throughout Bombay presi-
dency, establishing branch societies and
arousing the peope by her eloquent ap-
peal.
She is chiefly known in the United States
through a remarkable scene in which she was
prominent actor, in Poona, in September,
isS2. AT that time the English education
commission visited this conservative and
wealthy city TO inspect the educational in
situations, whereupon the leading Brahmin
ladies, members of the newly formed society
and others, to the number of about 800, not
withstanding heavy rainstorm, assembled
with their children in the town hall to wei
come the educational commission and to
show them that although the municipality
had not encouraged girls schools, a real
movement was being made by the best fami-
lies OF the Maharatta country. This was quite
an unparalleled occasion among Brahmin
women, who are kept in such strict seclu-
sion.
Pundita Ramahai Sanscrita was the or
ator of the occasion. She read an address
eloquent speech in Merathi She dwelt upon
the difficulties which, as won n OF good
family, they had to encounter from the alb
ssnced of trained female teachers and the
absence of school books fit to be placed in
the gir.s' hands
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
I'VE want she said, education for our
girls as well as for our boys, but the Eng
1s.l,
teachers and suitable books for BOYS and
none for the girls. The president of the
commission, DIR. ". w. Hunter in reply
ing to the address, expressed his pleasure at
meeting such an assemblage, which was al
together a new experience to him In India
''If the women of India" he said, have re-
ally made up their minds that their girls
ought to he educated all minor difficulties
will quickly disappear"
As AN immediate consequence the mem
bers of the Poona municipality intimatei to
the commission the next day their willing
ness TO take mp the cause Of girls schools
and to provide the necessary funds Now
four years later, not only are thess clement
airy schools, but native high school is in
successful operation in Poona. In 1888 Pun
dita Ramabia went to England to acquaint
herself more fully with the methods of
teaching and with educational work in gen
eraL Her scholarship was tested by Pro-
fessor Max Mailer and others, both in Cam
bridge and Oxford, and pronounced sound,
and on the Recommendation of these distin-
guished friends, she was appointed professor
of Sanscrit in a woman's college in Chelten-
ham This position she has held for two
years in the meantime improving the rich
Op,ortunities on every hand for snacial
courses of study.
Her purpose in England accomplished,
she is now about to return TO India to re-
sumo her educational work But the great
event 50 fraught with significance to India,
about to occur in Philadelphia, led her to
decide 10 visit the United States, that holy
land called America" Gs she styles i, in
recent letter, TO witness the graduation as
doctor Of medicine of Mrs Joshee, Hindu
Brahmin Lady.-Philadelph Ledger.