At 11, she was ordered to return to her husband. She chose jail and went on to become colonial India’s first practising female doctor

At just 11, Rukhmabai found herself caught in a marriage she did not want. Instead of giving up her education and accepting the life expected of her, she resisted. Her refusal eventually became a landmark legal battle that sparked debate around child marriage and consent in colonial India. She later travelled to England to study medicine and returned as one of the earliest Indian women to practise Western medicine. Her story remains remarkable for its courage and determination.

Rukhmabai was married at 11

Womaniya channel on YouTube shared a post about Rukhmabai, beginning with the account of how she was only 11 when the court ordered her to return to her husband.

According to the post, Rukhmabai was married in 1875 to Dadaji Bhikaji, a 19-year-old relative. She wanted to continue her education, but her husband did not support her ambitions. With the backing of her stepfather, Dr Sakharam Arjun, she continued studying and remained at her family home.


Historical accounts from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh state that Rukhmabai had been married at 11 and continued living with her mother and stepfather rather than moving in with her husband. Her stepfather encouraged her education, and she found ways to continue learning at home.

Her refusal led to a landmark court battle

Rukhmabai's decision not to live with her husband eventually became a major legal case. Her husband sought restitution of conjugal rights, asking the court to compel her to live with him.

The case became a wider debate over marriage, consent, tradition and women's rights. In 1887, the court ordered Rukhmabai to live with her husband or face imprisonment. She refused, declaring that she would rather face imprisonment than live with him.

The legal battle continued for several years before a settlement was reached in 1888. Her husband eventually relinquished his claim after receiving Rs 2,000.

Her case influenced the Age of Consent Act

Rukhmabai's legal battle attracted considerable attention in both India and Britain. The case became part of a much wider discussion about child marriage and the age at which girls could legally consent to sexual relations.

According to the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, her campaign influenced the enactment of the Age of Consent Act in 1891. The law raised the age of consent for girls in British India from 10 to 12. Her case therefore became an important part of the social and legal debates that eventually contributed to the legislation.

Rukhmabai chose medicine and travelled to England

Winning her freedom did not end Rukhmabai's ambitions. She wanted an education and eventually pursued her dream of becoming a doctor.

Rukhmabai travelled to England and studied at the London School of Medicine for Women. She also gained clinical experience at the Royal Free Hospital, as well as institutions in Brighton and Dublin. At a time when women could not fully qualify as physicians through the standard route in London, she travelled to Scotland to take the Triple Qualification examination.

In 1894, she completed the Scottish Triple Qualification examinations conducted by the three Scottish medical colleges: the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. She also obtained a Doctor of Medicine qualification in Brussels in 1895.

She returned to India as a practising doctor

Rukhmabai returned to India in 1895 and took up the position of Chief Medical Officer at the Women's Hospital in Surat. From 1918, she worked as Chief Medical Officer at a hospital in Rajkot. She was also involved in public health work, including efforts during plague outbreaks.

Her work earned her the Kaiser-i-Hind medal, recognising her contribution to public health. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh describes Rukhmabai as an Indian physician whose landmark marriage case influenced the Age of Consent Act. It also notes that she was the first Hindu woman in India to legally obtain a divorce and that she chose to use only her first name rather than that of her former husband.

Rukhmabai's journey from an 11-year-old child bride to a practising physician was shaped by her insistence on education and her refusal to surrender her autonomy. Her legal battle helped bring questions of child marriage, consent and women's rights into public debate, while her medical career opened another path for Indian women seeking professional education.