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Anandi Gopal Joshi
Anandibai Gopalrao Joshee ( Marathi : आनंदीबाई जोशी) (31 March 1865 – 26 February 1887) was the first Indian woman to obtain a degree in Western medicine. (Kadambini Ganguly earned a medical degree the same year, 1886, after Anandibai.) She was also the first Hindu woman to do so, and is also believed to be the first Hindu woman to set foot on American soil.
Anandibai was born as Yamuna in Kalyan ( Dist.Thane Maharashtra) in an orthodox wealthy Brahmin family. Her family used to be the landlords in Kalyan they lost heir riches. At age 9, she was married to Gopalrao Joshi because of the pressure laid by her family, who was a widower almost twenty years her senior. After the marriage, her husband renamed Yamuna to Anandi.
Early life
Gopalrao worked as a postal clerk in Kalyan. Later, he was transferred to Alibag, and finally to Calcutta. He was a progressive thinker, and supported the education of women, which was not very prevalent in India at the time.
It was common for Brahmins in those times to be proficient in Sanskrit; however, influenced by Lokhitawadi's Shat Patre, Gopalrao regarded learning English well as more important than Sanskrit. Noticing Anandibai's interest, he helped her receive education and learn English.
At age of 14, Anandibai gave birth to a boy. But the child survived only ten days because the necessary medical care was unavailable. This situation proved a turning point in Anandibai's life, and inspired her to become a physician.
Please read more from here
Anandi Gopal Joshi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The White Woman's Other Burden: Western Women and South Asia During British Rule - Kumari Jayawardena - Google Books
