Kolhapur’s Maharaja pioneered caste reservation policy from 1902

Evidence

In May 1920, backed by Chhatrapati Shahu, the Maharaja of Kolhapur, known for his anti-Brahmin views and for pioneering the policy of reservation in education and jobs as far back as 1902, Ambedkar and his colleagues organised the first All-India Depressed Classes Conference in Nagpur. It was agreed that no Untouchable representative chosen by a caste-Hindu majority could (or would) genuinely work against chaturvarna. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 317

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Baroda’s Maharaja funded Ambedkar’s education and opened schools for Untouchables — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 1217