 A few words about the 19th century when Narmad lived.
 India has over eighteen regional languages and nearly 800 dialects. Narmad wrote in Gujarati, a language of Western India.
Early nineteenth century was a dark period in the Indian history. Ignorance and superstition had cast a dark shadow over the lives of people. Education system was stagnant or non-existent, and the caste system's hold on the people was supreme. Social condition and status of women was dismal. Education for women was frowned upon, child marriages were common, and remarriage for a widow was a social taboo.
By the middle of the 19th century, British hold on the nation was firmly established. British system of education was introduced and universities were established in major cities like Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. India was undergoing a transition from a dark medieval period to the bright light of modernization. The social environment was ripe for a bold man of action and imagination to emerge and take charge of the situation and revolutionize the social atmosphere.
Narmad was one such man.
Narmad was one of the early products of this era of transformation. Safety matches, electricity and railways were introduced in India during this time. Narmad pioneered a movement for social change, women's education, abolition of the caste system and child marriages. He also exposed the corruption in the field of bureaucracy and in the realm of religion.
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