School and College Years

In 1904 the family left Satara for Bombay (today’s Mumbai), the capital of the Bombay Presidency BAWS Vol. 12, p. 665 Pritchett timeline. Over the next nine years, Bhimrao did something almost no one from his community had done before: he finished school and earned a university degree Pritchett timeline.

It was not easy. He studied in a crowded room, faced insults at school, married young, and relied on his father’s sacrifices and the help of two generous men. This chapter ends with the saddest day of his young life.

A one-room home in Bombay

The family lived in a single room in the Dabak Chawl at Lower Parel, an area full of mill workers Keer, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission, p. 16. A chawl is a building of small, one-room homes along a shared corridor. Their room was the kitchen, the bedroom and the study all at once. Firewood was piled overhead, and a goat lay near Bhim’s feet when he slept Keer, p. 17.

His father, Ramji, lived on a small army pension of fifty rupees a month. Even so, he bought his son new books, sometimes borrowing from his married daughters or pawning their jewellery Keer, p. 17. He sent Bhim to bed early, sat up himself until two in the morning, and then woke the boy to study by a kerosene lamp Keer, pp. 17–18.

Ramji also taught him at home, using English readers and translation exercises. Dr. Ambedkar later said this practice built up his vocabulary Keer, p. 16.

Elphinstone High School

After a few months at the Maratha High School, Bhim moved to Elphinstone High School, one of the best government schools in Bombay Keer, p. 17. He was its only “untouchable” pupil and sat alone on a back bench Pritchett timeline, quoting a 1932 New York Times interview.

Keer tells of a day when a teacher called Bhim to the blackboard. The other boys kept their lunch boxes behind the board. Afraid that his nearness would “pollute” their food, they rushed to pull the boxes away before he got there Keer, pp. 17–18.

Bhim and his elder brother wanted to study Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Hindu scriptures. They were not allowed to, because those texts were not supposed to be read by “untouchables”. They had to take Persian instead Keer, pp. 18–19. Years later, Dr. Ambedkar learned Sanskrit, partly on his own and partly with help from scholars Keer, p. 19. Money was short, so his brother Anandrao left school to work, and the family put all its hopes on Bhim Keer, p. 19.

A friend in the garden

After school, Bhim liked to read in a public garden near Charni Road. There he met Krishnaji Arjun Keluskar, known as “Dada” Keluskar, a teacher at Wilson High School and a Marathi writer. Keluskar was impressed by the boy’s story, showed him how to read methodically and lent him books Khairmode, translated on the Pritchett site Keer, pp. 19–20. He remained a mentor and helper for decades Scott R. Stroud, Forward Press (2018).

Cricket, music and plays

Bhim was not only a bookworm. In Bombay he gathered the neighbourhood boys into hockey, football and cricket teams. He captained his own side and played matches against teams from other castes. Cricket was his favourite Khairmode, translated on the Pritchett site.

His brother Anandrao loved the tabla (a pair of hand drums), and during his college years Bhim learned to play it too. He even wrote a play for the local children, based on Shakespeare’s King Lear, and staged it for the neighbours Khairmode.

A changing world

Bhim was growing up at a time when “untouchable” communities were starting to organise. In 1903 Shivram Janba Kamble, a Mahar from Pune, brought together Mahars from 51 villages at Saswad. They petitioned the Governor of Bombay for the right to government jobs, schools, the police and the army Pritchett timeline. In 1906 the reformer V. R. Shinde founded the Depressed Classes Mission to support education for these communities Keer, p. 21. In the princely state of Baroda, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III had opened schools for “untouchable” children as early as 1883 Keer, p. 4. He would soon play a big part in Bhimrao’s life.

Marriage to Ramabai

In 1906 Bhimrao’s marriage was arranged with Ramabai, a nine-year-old girl from Wanand, near Dapoli Pritchett timeline. Her name was Rami. Her father had worked as a porter, and after her parents died she lived with an uncle in Bombay PARI (2022). Child marriage was common at the time, and families arranged such matches Keer, p. 20.

The wedding took place at night in the open shed of the Byculla market. The two families used the stone platforms as benches and left early in the morning, before the market opened Keer, p. 20. Bhimrao and Ramabai would have five children, but four of them died in childhood PARI.

An exam, a celebration and a book about the Buddha

In 1907 Bhimrao passed the Matriculation Examination, the final school exam that allowed a student to enter university. His marks were average, and his best subject was Persian Pritchett timeline Keer, p. 19.

His community wanted to celebrate. In a preface he wrote in 1956, Dr. Ambedkar remembered that people wanted to hold a public meeting to congratulate him, because he was “the first boy in my community to reach this stage”. (In that preface he links the meeting to an earlier school exam, the “English Fourth Standard”. Keer and most later writers link it to matriculation. See “Where sources disagree” below.) His father said no:

“My father flatly refused, saying that such a thing would inflate the boy’s head; after all, he has only passed an examination and done nothing more.”

— Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, unpublished preface to The Buddha and His Dhamma (1956) Columbia University – Pritchett

The organisers asked Keluskar, a friend of the family, to persuade Ramji. The meeting went ahead, with Keluskar presiding. At the end, he gave Bhimrao a copy of his own book on the life of the Buddha, written for the Baroda Sayajirao Oriental Series unpublished preface. The book, in Marathi, had been published in 1898 BAWS Vol. 11, Vasant Moon’s preface, p. ix.

“I read the book with great interest, and was greatly impressed and moved by it.”

— Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, unpublished preface (1956) Columbia University – Pritchett

Dr. Ambedkar later traced his lifelong interest in the Buddha back to this gift unpublished preface.

Elphinstone College and the Maharaja of Baroda

On 3 January 1908 Bhimrao enrolled at Elphinstone College, which was affiliated to Bombay University Khairmode, translated on the Pritchett site. Columbia University’s Pritchett timeline calls his admission “a unique feat” for a Mahar of his time and place Pritchett timeline. Illness cost him a year Keer, p. 21.

Even in college, caste followed him. The Brahmin who ran the college canteen refused to give him tea or water. One teacher, Professor Muller, lent him books and even clothes Keer, p. 22.

After he passed the Intermediate Arts exam, his father’s money ran out. Keluskar then took Bhimrao to Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the Maharaja (ruler) of Baroda. The Maharaja had promised in a public speech to help deserving “untouchable” students. He asked Bhimrao some questions and then granted him a scholarship of twenty-five rupees a month Keer, p. 21 Khairmode.

Baroda was a princely state, a kingdom ruled by an Indian prince under British control. Sayajirao was known as a reformer who opened many schools, tried to fight caste discrimination and offered scholarships to students from lower castes Scott R. Stroud, CASTE journal (2024).

Around this time the family moved to two rooms, numbers 50 and 51, in Improvement Trust Chawl No. 1 at Parel Keer, p. 22. In 1953 Dr. Ambedkar told Parliament that he had “all my life lived in Parel in a chawl of the Improvement Trust, Room No. 50”, for which he first paid three and a half rupees a month BAWS Vol. 15, p. 872.

A degree, a son and a job

In 1912 Bhimrao passed the BA examination of Bombay University Pritchett timeline Keer, p. 22. In December 1912 his first son, Yashwant, was born Forward Press chronology.

After graduating he took a job in Baroda State, even though his father was against it. Keer says he was made a lieutenant in the Baroda State Forces Keer, p. 24. A British intelligence (Special Branch) record from 1915 says he appeared in the Baroda Service List as a “Military Probationer” BAWS Vol. 17 Part I, p. 472.

A father’s last goodbye

He had been in Baroda for only about fifteen days in January 1913 when a telegram arrived: his father was seriously ill. On the way home he got off the train at Surat to buy sweets for his father and missed his train. When he reached Bombay the next day, his father was sinking. Ramji moved his weak hand over his son’s back, and then he died Keer, p. 24.

It was 2 February 1913. Keer calls it the saddest day of Bhimrao’s life Keer, p. 24 Pritchett timeline. Ramji died poor and in debt Keer, p. 25.

Within months, the Maharaja of Baroda offered Bhimrao the chance to study in America Keer, p. 25. On 4 June 1913 he signed an agreement to study at Columbia University in New York Stroud, CASTE (2024). On 15 June he sailed from Bombay on the S.S. Sardegna BAWS Vol. 17 Part I, p. 472. His life abroad is the subject of the next chapter.

Where sources disagree

• Matriculation year and marks. Keer, the Pritchett timeline and Vasant Moon all give 1907 Keer, p. 19 Pritchett BAWS Vol. 11, p. ix. A Gujarat government life sketch gives 1908 Government of Gujarat. Keer gives 282 marks out of 750; Forward Press gives 382 out of 750 Forward Press.
• Which exam was celebrated, and who presided. Dr. Ambedkar himself wrote that the meeting was held “The year I passed the English Fourth Standard Examination” and that Keluskar presided unpublished preface. Keer links it to the 1907 matriculation and says the reformer S. K. Bole presided Keer, p. 19.
• Marriage year and Ramabai’s family name. Pritchett (citing Kadam) and PARI give 1906 Pritchett PARI. Keer says the marriage came after the 1907 matriculation Keer, p. 20. Pritchett names her father Bhiku Dhutre Pritchett; Keer names him Bhiku Walangkar Keer, pp. 20–21.
• BA year and subjects. Every source we checked gives 1912 Pritchett Keer, p. 22 Forward Press. We found no reliable source for 1913. Pritchett lists his special subjects as Economics and Politics; Forward Press says his papers were in Persian and English, with 449 marks out of 1,000.
• Where Sanskrit was refused. Keer places it at Elphinstone High School Keer, pp. 18–19. Some retellings place it at Elphinstone College; we found no early source for that.
• The Baroda job. Keer says he joined as a lieutenant after his BA, before his father died Keer, p. 24. A 1943 government profile says the Maharaja made him a lieutenant while he waited to sail for America BAWS Vol. 10, p. 5. The 1915 Special Branch record says he had done no military training BAWS Vol. 17 Part I, p. 472.
• When the Baroda scholarship began. Pritchett links the Rs 25 stipend to his entry into college in 1908 Pritchett. Keer says it came after he passed the Intermediate Arts exam Keer, p. 21. An older Columbia timeline dates his meeting with the Maharaja to 1910 Columbia CCNMTL timeline.
• When he joined Elphinstone High School. Forward Press says 1904 Forward Press; the Pritchett timeline says 1901 Pritchett. Dr. Ambedkar wrote that the family lived in Satara “till 1904” BAWS Vol. 12, p. 665.

Read more

• Unpublished preface to The Buddha and His Dhamma — Dr. Ambedkar’s own short account of his father, the celebration and Keluskar’s gift.
• Pritchett timeline: the 1900s and the 1910s — Columbia University’s year-by-year timeline.
• Life and times of Dr B. R. Ambedkar (Forward Press) — a detailed chronology with notes on conflicting dates.
• Remembering Bhimrao and Ramabai Ambedkar (PARI) — a short account of Ramabai’s life.
• Scott R. Stroud, “The American Question” (CASTE journal, 2024) — how Sayajirao Gaekwad III came to send Ambedkar to Columbia.