Karsandas Mulji

Context

Karsandas Mulji has gained attention due to the release of the biopic “Maharaj.”

Early Life and Education

• Birth: Born in Bombay in 1832 into a Gujarati Vaishnav family.
• Education: Attended Elphinstone College, where he was part of the Gujarati Gnanprasarak Mandali (Gujarati Society for the Spread of Knowledge).
• Peers: Classmates with notable reformists like poet Narmad and educationist Mahipatram Neelkanth.

Contributions to Journalism and Social Reform

• Rast Goftar: Contributed articles to this Anglo-Gujarati newspaper founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1851.
• Streebodh: Co-founded this women’s magazine launched in 1857.
• Other Publications: Published a weekly called Mumbainu Bajar (the Bombay Market) and a monthly journal Vignanvilas on science and industry during his tenure as Assistant Superintendent of Rajkot state.
• Expulsion: Faced eviction from his family and caste excommunication due to his support for widow remarriage and an overseas journey.
• Employment: Worked at a charitable school founded by Sheth Gokaldas Tejpal.

Fight Against Exploitation

• Satyaprakash: Founded this publication in 1855 with support from wealthy reform-minded individuals.
• Exposés: Criticized the misdeeds of Vaishnav priests, including their exploitation of women devotees.

The Maharaj Libel Case

• Background: Criticized Vaishnav priest Jivanlalji Maharaj’s coercive agreement with followers, terming it gulamikhat (agreement of slavery). When Jivanlalji started losing followers, he fled from Bombay.
• Jadunath Maharaj: Tried to restore the sect’s influence by adopting liberal views but shifted the debate to questioning the divine origin of the scriptures.
• Libel Case: In 1862, Narmad published an article in Satyaprakash challenging the priests’ practices, leading to a libel lawsuit filed by the Maharaj against Karsandas and the paper’s publisher, Nanabhai Ranina. The case, termed “the greatest trial of modern times since the trial of Warren Hastings,” concluded in favor of Karsandas, establishing the principle that everyone, including priests, is equal under the law.

Legacy

• Death: Karsandas Mulji died in 1871.
• Remembered As: A social reformer-journalist who played a crucial role in the Maharaj Libel Case, advocating for legal equality and social justice.