Intersectional Coloniality in 19^th Century India: The Sociological Praxis of Savitribai Phule and the Women Activists of Satya Shodhak Samaj (Truth Seeker Society)

In this article we contribute to the decolonial and global turn in sociology by highlighting the sociological contributions of 19th century scholar activist Savitribai Phule and the women activists of Satya Shodhak Samaj. In particular, we show how based on the lived experiences of those most marginalized by colonial capitalism, pre-colonial caste stratification,¹ and Brahminic patriarchy they theorized an intersectional analysis of colonial Indian society we call intersectional coloniality, that was missing from most sociological writing of the time and even today. Beyond conceptualizing intersectional coloniality, through the praxis of personal reflections and writing (foreshadowing the current focus in sociological research and teaching on personal narratives) they also fostered a critique of it to enable social transformation. Thus, their work is sociological and relevant to broadening the history of sociology and the discourse of global sociology today. Moreover, their work today inspires social justice activism by Dalit and non-Dalit movements today in India and the U.S.