Jotirao, a pioneering thinker who laid the foundations of modernity in India, was born into the family of Govindrao Phule in Pune, Maharashtra. The social inequality he experienced in everyday life and the modern ideas of human rights he encountered through books at a missionary school shaped his personality and outlook. At the time, women and communities regarded as Shudra and Atishudra were denied access to education and opportunities for progress. To break these barriers, he established schools for girls and untouchables, with the support of Savitribai and a group of friends hailing from various castes.

Examining caste discrimination, the oppression of women and social injustice, he wrote 'Tritiya Ratna', 'Brahmananche Kasab', 'Gulamgiri' and 'Shetkaryacha Asud'. Through 'Sarvajanik Satyadharma', he presented a path based on equality and humanity. In 1869, he published a ballad on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In 1873, he founded the Satyashodhak Samaj, giving direction to the organised struggle against caste discrimination, ritualism and social inequality. Through initiatives such as the Infanticide Prevention Home, night schools and relief kitchens during famines, he supported the disadvantaged. By promoting modern approaches to agriculture and serving as a member of the Pune Municipality, he broadened the scope of social reform. He also introduced Satyashodhak religious ceremonies, challenging religious intermediaries.

Through his lifelong struggle for education, social justice, women's emancipation and farmers' rights, Jotirao inspired the oppressed to fight for human dignity and rights. For challenging entrenched social inequality through both thought and action, the people honoured him with the title 'Mahatma'. As a pioneer of social transformation in modern India, Mahatma Phule became a leading figure in the struggle for equality, freedom and human dignity.