Lakshmi Bayi Engan Bayi

A pioneering 19th century Indian social reformer who championed women's education and gender equality

Lakshmi Bayi Engan Bayi (1823-1897) was a visionary princess from the princely state of Cochin in southwestern India who made groundbreaking contributions to social reform during the 19th century. Defying societal norms, she established India's first girls' school in 1845 at her palace in Thiruvananthapuram, which later became the model for modern education systems in Kerala. Her progressive ideas were radical for her time - she advocated for women's right to inherit property, access education, and participate in governance through her influential writings published in Malayala Manorama newspaper.

Bayi's most notable achievement was founding the Saraswati Mahila Sabha in 1862, India's first women's organization dedicated to promoting literacy and social justice. Under her leadership, the Sabha established over 50 schools across Kerala by 1880, teaching 2000+ girls annually. She also pioneered medical education for women by opening the first nursing school in 1875 at her palace hospital.

Her progressive policies extended to abolishing caste-based discrimination in education and appointing female teachers in government schools - unprecedented measures in 19th century India. Bayi's reforms inspired later social movements like the Nair Reform Movement (1900s) and laid groundwork for Kerala's modern gender equality indicators. Historians credit her with establishing the foundation for Kerala's literacy rates which now exceed 94%, one of India's highest.