We Also Made History

We Also Made History documents the experiences and contributions of Dalit women in Maharashtra's Ambedkarite movement. The book combines historical research with oral testimonies gathered from women who participated in the Buddhist conversion movement and social reform efforts of the mid-20th century. The text presents firsthand accounts from activists and ordinary women who challenged caste oppression and gender discrimination in their communities. Through extensive interviews and archival material, Pawar and Moon reconstruct the roles women played in religious gatherings, protest movements, and educational initiatives. The narrative spans multiple generations of Dalit women's involvement in social and political organizing, from the 1920s through the post-independence period. It includes perspectives from both rural and urban settings across Maharashtra. This groundbreaking work fills critical gaps in both feminist and Dalit historiography by centering the intersections of caste and gender in India's social justice movements. The authors establish Dalit women as agents of change rather than passive subjects of history.

Readers value this book as one of the first English translations documenting Dalit women's participation in the Ambedkarite movement. Many appreciate how it preserves first-person accounts from women activists whose stories might otherwise be lost to history. Readers highlight: - The oral history format gives voice to marginalized perspectives - Personal narratives provide insight into daily life and social conditions - Translation makes these accounts accessible to non-Marathi readers Main criticisms: - Some find the translation stilted in places - Limited availability and high cost of printed copies - Readers wish for more historical context and background information Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (32 ratings) Amazon India: Not enough reviews for rating Note: This book has relatively few online reviews in English, though it is frequently cited in academic work on gender and caste in India. Most discussion appears in scholarly articles rather than consumer reviews.

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🔷 "We Also Made History" was originally written in Marathi under the title "Amhihi Itihas Ghadavila" and later translated into English, making crucial Dalit feminist history accessible to a broader audience 🔷 Author Urmila Pawar conducted over 200 interviews with Dalit women who participated in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's movement, preserving first-hand accounts that might otherwise have been lost to history 🔷 The book challenges traditional feminist narratives by highlighting how Dalit women faced triple oppression - as women, as members of a lower caste, and as laborers - creating a unique perspective on Indian feminism 🔷 Co-author Meenakshi Moon worked as a government official and spent her spare time documenting these histories, often traveling to remote villages on weekends to collect testimonies 🔷 The publication sparked a new wave of Dalit feminist literature and inspired similar documentation projects across India, helping to establish Dalit women's experiences as a distinct category in feminist scholarship