Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891- December 6, 1956) was one of the prominent Indian leader of the 20th century. He was born in Mhow in central India, the fourteenth child of parents who belonged to the very lowest stratum of Hindu society, known as untouchables or Dalits.
Ambedkar’s father had acquired a certain amount of formal education in both Marathi and English. This enabled him to teach his children, especially Bhimrao, and to encourage them in their pursuit of knowledge.
In 1908, Ambedkar passed the matriculation examination for Bombay University. Four years later, Ambedkar graduated with a degree in Politics and Economics. Soon afterwards, he entered civil service in Baroda State, the ruler of which had awarded him a scholarship.
From 1913 to 1917, and again from 1920 to 1923, Ambedkar studied in the West, and at the age of 32 he finally returned to the country of his birth. He was one of the most highly qualified men in public life. During his three years at Columbia University he studied economics, sociology, history, philosophy, anthropology, and politics. He was awarded a Ph.D. for a thesis. After completing his studies in America, Ambedkar left New York for London, where he was admitted to the London School of Economics.
In 1920, having taught in a Bombay College and started a Marathi weekly, Ambedkar was able to return to London and resume his studies there. University of London awarded him a D.Sc. At this time, he was admitted to the bar. Before permanently ending his residence in England, Ambedkar spent three months in Germany, where he engaged in further studies in economics at the University of Bonn.
Between 1927 and 1932, Ambedkar led his followers in a series of nonviolent campaigns to assert the right of the Untouchables to enter Hindu places of worship and to draw water from public tanks and wells. In 1947, India achieved independence and Ambedkar, who had already been elected a member of the Constituent Assembly, was invited by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of the country, to join the Cabinet as Minister for Law.
A few weeks later the Assembly entrusted the task of framing the Constitution to a Draft Committee, and this committee elected Ambedkar as its chairman. For the next two years, he worked on the Draft Constitution, writing it almost single-handedly. Despite ill health, Ambedkar completed the Draft Constitution by the beginning of 1948 and later that year introduced it in the Constituent Assembly.
Ambedkar’s resignation from the Cabinet in 1951 marked the virtual end of his political career. In the general elections of January 1952 he failed to win a the Lok Sabha seat and was equally unsuccessful when he contested a by-election the following year. In March 1952 he was, however, elected to the Rajya Sabha.
On 14 October 1956, Ambedkar adopted Buddhism.
Ambedkar died on 6 December 1956. Ambedkar had been a Buddhist for only seven weeks.
His birthday is now a public holiday known as Ambedkar Jayanti. As a sign of respect, many Indians use the title ‘Babasaheb’ in front of his name. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1990 posthumously.
