The Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-Seeking Society) was set up by

The Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-Seeking Society) was founded by Jyotiba Phule on September 24, 1873, in Pune, Maharashtra [4]. Phule, a social reformer from the Mali community, established the society to challenge upper-caste domination and Brahminical supremacy [2]. The movement's primary objectives were social service and the spread of education among women and the lower castes, specifically targeting the Shudras and Dalits [4]. Phule's radical ideology, expressed in works like 'Gulamgiri' and 'Sarvajanik Satyadharma', sought to unite the non-Brahmin masses against social degradation [2]. While Vinoba Bhave was a Gandhian leader known for the Bhoodan movement [3], and B.R. Ambedkar was a later champion of Dalit rights, it was Phule who pioneered this specific 'Truth-Seeking' organization to advocate for rational thinking and social equality.

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Satyashodhak Samaj and Jyotiba or Jyotirao Phule > p. 215
2. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyashodhak_Samaj
3. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 19: Towards Modernity > Satya Shodhak Samaj 19.2 (1873) > p. 302
4. [3] NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation > Bhoodan – Gramdan > p. 88