B. R. Ambedkar
B. R. Ambedkar | |
|---|---|
 Ambedkar in the 1950s | |
| Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha for Bombay State[1] | |
| In office 3 April 1952 – 6 December 1956 | |
| President | Rajendra Prasad |
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 1st Minister of Law and Justice | |
| In office 15 August 1947 – 6 October 1951 | |
| President | Rajendra Prasad |
| Governors General | Louis Mountbatten C. Rajagopalachari |
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Charu Chandra Biswas |
| Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee | |
| In office 29 August 1947 – 24 January 1950 | |
| Member of the Constituent Assembly of India[2][3] | |
| In office 9 December 1946 – 24 January 1950 | |
| Constituency | • Bengal Province (1946–47) • Bombay Province (1947–50) |
| Minister of Labour in Viceroy's Executive Council[4][5] | |
| In office 22 July 1942 – 20 October 1946 | |
| Governors General | The Marquess of Linlithgow The Viscount Wavell |
| Preceded by | Feroz Khan Noon |
| Leader of the Opposition in the Bombay Legislative Assembly[6][7] | |
| In office 1937–1942 | |
| Member of the Bombay Legislative Assembly[6][7] | |
| In office 1937–1942 | |
| Constituency | Bombay City (Byculla and Parel) General Urban |
| Member of the Bombay Legislative Council[8][9][10] | |
| In office 1926–1937 | |
| Personal details | |
| Pronunciation | Bhīmrāo Rāmjī Āmbēḍkar |
| Born | Bhiva Ramji Sakpal 14 April 1891 Mhow, Central India Agency, British India (present-day Madhya Pradesh, India) |
| Died | 6 December 1956 (aged 65) New Delhi, India[11][12] |
| Resting place | Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai, India 19°01′30″N 72°50′02″E |
| Political party | • Independent Labour Party • Scheduled Castes Federation |
| Other political affiliations | • Republican Party of India |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Yashwant Ambedkar |
| Relatives | See Ambedkar family |
| Residence(s) | • Rajgruha, Mumbai, Maharashtra • 26 Alipur road, Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial, New Delhi |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession |
|
| Known for | Dalit rights movement Heading committee drafting Constitution of India Dalit Buddhist movement |
| Awards | Bharat Ratna (posthumously in 1990) |
| Signature |  |
| Nickname | Babasaheb |
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates, served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism.
Ambedkar graduated from Elphinstone College, University of Bombay, and studied economics at Columbia University and the London School of Economics, receiving doctorates in 1927 and 1923 respectively and was among a handful of Indian students to have done so at either institution in the 1920s.[13] He also trained in the law at Gray's Inn, London. In his early career, he was an economist, professor, and lawyer. His later life was marked by his political activities; he became involved in campaigning and negotiations for India's independence, publishing journals, advocating political rights and social freedom for Dalits, and contributing significantly to the establishment of the state of India. In 1956, he converted to Buddhism, initiating mass conversions of Dalits.[14]
In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred on Ambedkar. The salutation Jai Bhim (lit. "Hail Bhim") used by followers honours him. He is also referred to by the honorific Babasaheb (BAH-bə SAH-hayb), meaning "Respected Father".
