Kashibai Kanitkar

Kashibai Kanitkar (1861–1948) was the first major woman writer in Marathi from Maharashtra, India since the 15th century "sant" poet Kanhopatra . Kashibai was born into a wealthy Brahmin family in the town of Ashte in Sangli District, and according to the social custom of her days, her marriage was arranged at the age of nine to Govind Vasudev Kanitkar (who was seven years older than her). Kashibai had no formal education, but with her progressive husband's strong encouragement, she learned to read, and gradually mastered many Marathi, Sanskrit, and English works.