B. R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) Biography, Family

Quick Info

Profession	Jurist, Economist, Social Reformer, Politician
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	14/04/1891
Age	65 years (died on 06, Dec, 1956)
Birthplace	Mhow, Central Provinces, British India (now in Madhya Pradesh, India)
Date of Death	06/12/1956

Latest News about B. R. Ambedkar

14/04/2026

India commemorated Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, 2026, marking the 135th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Government officials, Dalit rights groups, and educational institutions across the country held seminars and rallies to honor his legacy as the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution and his lifelong struggle against caste discrimination.

06/12/2025

On December 6, 2025, India observed the 69th death anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Mahaparinirvan Diwas). The Prime Minister and various state leaders paid tributes at his memorial in Delhi, emphasizing his contributions to social justice, the establishment of reservations, and the constitutional abolition of untouchability.

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Bio/Wiki

Full Name	Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
Nickname(s)	Babasaheb, Bheem, Baba Saheb, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
Famous For	Being the Father of Indian Constitution, Architect of the Indian Constitution, Champion of Dalit Rights
Birth Name	Bhimrao Ramji Sakpal

Physical Stats & More

Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black

Educational Qualification(s)

School(s)	A School in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh Elphinstone High School, Bombay (now, Mumbai)
College/University	Elphinstone College, Mumbai Columbia University, New York City London School of Economics University of Bonn, Germany Gray's Inn, London for the Bar Course
Education	Economics and Political Science Degree from Bombay University Master’s Degree in Economics from Columbia University D.Sc. in Economics from the London University Ph.D. in Economics in 1927
Influences	Studied under John Dewey at Columbia University and was influenced by his philosophy of pragmatism

Personal Life

Place of Death	26, Alipur Road, Delhi, India
Death Cause	Died in his sleep after suffering from Diabetes
Zodiac sign/Sun sign	Aries
Religion	Hinduism Buddhism (in his last years) Buddhism (converted in October 1956)
Caste	Dalit Mahar
Hobbies	Reading Writing Cooking Travelling Listening to Songs
Food Habit	Non-Vegetarian
Library	Owned an extensive personal library of approximately 50,000 books

Relationships & More

Marital Status

Married

Family

Wife/Spouse

Ramabai Ambedkar (1906-1935) (until her death)
Savita Ambedkar (1948–1956)

Children

Rajratna Ambedkar (Died), Yashwant Ambedkar
Indu (Died)
Rajratna Ambedkar (Died)
Yashwant Ambedkar

Parents

Father	Ramji Maloji Sakpal (Army Officer)
Mother	Bhimabai Sakpal

Siblings

Balaram
Anandrao
Manjula
Tulasi
Gangabai
Ramabai

Note

He was the 14th and last child of his parents. Out of 14 children, only three brothers and two sisters survived to adulthood.

Career

Political Party	Independent Labour Party
Political Journey	His political career started in 1936. Founded 'Independent Labour Party' on 15 August 1936. Transformed 'Independent Labour Party' into the All India Scheduled Castes Federation. Participated in the 1937 Central Legislative Assembly elections and won 14 seats. Participated in the Lok Sabha elections but lost. Appointed to the Bombay Presidency Committee to work with the Simon Commission in 1925.
Key Roles	Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution First Law Minister of Independent India Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution
Government Positions	Labor Member in the Viceroy's Council (pre-independence) First Law Minister of Independent India (1947-1951) Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution (1947)
Major Contributions	Drafted the Constitution of India based on debates of the Constituent Assembly Constitutional abolition of untouchability (Article 17) Established the system of reservations in civil services and education for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes Led legislative efforts for the Hindu Code Bill to transform Hindu law and advance women's rights Championed workers' rights and labor legislation Advocated for political rights and social freedom for Dalits
Social Movements	Established 'Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha' (Outcastes Welfare Association) in 1923 for spreading education and culture among the downtrodden Launched 'The Temple Entry Movement' in 1930 at Kalaram Temple, Nasik, as a landmark struggle for human rights and social justice Founded the newspaper 'Mooknayak' (Leader of the Silent) to reach people and educate them about social evils
Resignation	Resigned as Law Minister in 1951, disappointed at his lack of influence in the government regarding the Hindu Code Bill

Favourites

Food(s)	Plain Rice Arhar Dal Masoor Dal Chicken Fish
Book(s)	Life of Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy Les Misérables by Victor Hugo Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Person(s)	Gautama Buddha Harishchandra (Indian King) Kabir Das (Indian Poet)
Animal	Dog
Colour	Blue

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Born in 1891 in a Marathi family, as the youngest child.
2. Faced discrimination in school for being from a low-caste background.
3. Embraced Buddhism in 1950.
4. Championed for workers' rights and women labor legislations.
5. Received the Bharat Ratna honor in 1990 after passing away.
6. Owned an extensive library of around 50,000 books.
7. Converted to Buddhism in October 1956, along with approximately 50,000 to 200,000 fellow Dalits at a ceremony in Nagpur.
8. Wrote 'Who Were the Shudras?' to explain the formation of untouchables.
9. His book 'The Buddha and His Dhamma' was published posthumously in 1957.
10. Made a promise to himself more than 20 years before his death that although born a Hindu, he would not die a Hindu.

B. R. Ambedkar Jurist, Economist, Social Reformer, Politician Indian Mhow, Central Provinces, British India (now in Madhya Pradesh, India)