Brahmin teachers in their private tuitions would teach Sanskrit mantras and slokas, Puranic mythology, ideas of Varnashrama Dharma, etc., to their students. Phule made sure there was no Brahminical indoctrination in his schools and included topics like language, grammar, maths, history, geography, physics, chemistry and agricultural science in the syllabus. The quality of education imparted in Phule’s schools can be gauged by an essay written by a 14-year-old Dalit student Mukta Salve. Salve minced no words in attacking the Peshwas, the Brahmins and the Brahmins’ religion. She wrote, “If the Vedas belong only to the brahmans, then it is an open secret that we do not have the Book. We are without the Book—we are without any religion. If the vedas are for the brahmans only, then we are not bound to act according to the Vedas. If merely looking at the Vedas can get us into grievous sins (as the brahmans claim), then would not following them be the height of foolishness?”