B.R. Ambedkar Biography and Works.

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, usually called B.R. Ambedkar, was born on April 14, 1891. He is also known as Babasaheb and was an Indian jurist, orator, political leader, thinker, philosopher, anthropologist, historian, prolific writer, economist, scholar, editor, a revolutionary and one of the founding fathers of independent India.

Ambedkar was born into a poor Mahar family and spent his whole life fighting against social discrimination.

He converted to Buddhism and is also credited with providing a spark for the conversion of many untouchables to Theravada Buddhism.

Ambedkar was also the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of Indian Constitution. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1990.

Ambedkar became one of the first so-called outcastes to obtain a college education in India. He gained reputation as a scholar and practised law for a few years. Later, he also campaigned for advocating political rights and social freedom for India’s so-called untouchables by publishing journals.

Ambedkar is regarded as a Bodhisattva by some Indian Buddhists, though he never claimed himself to be a Bodhisattva.

He died on December 6, 1956.

Trivia

As he was educated by the Baroda State, he was bound to serve the state. He was appointed as the Military Secretary to the Gaekwad of Baroda. However, he had to quit within a short time. This fiasco was described by Ambedkar in his autobiography.