This paper critically re-examines the contributions of Savitribai Phule (1831–1897), positioning her as a foundational yet underrecognized architect of Indian social reform. While existing scholarship predominantly highlights her pioneering role in women’s education, this study argues that her work constitutes a comprehensive and intersectional framework of social transformation, integrating education, anti-caste activism, and feminist thought. Drawing on a qualitative, interpretive methodology grounded in historical and textual analysis, the study engages with both primary sources, such as Kavya Phule and contemporary scholarly literature to reinterpret her contributions within broader theoretical contexts. The findings reveal that Savitribai Phule conceptualized education as a radical instrument of liberation, aimed at dismantling entrenched structures of caste and patriarchy. Her praxis demonstrates an early form of intersectionality, addressing the interconnected dynamics of gender, caste, and class oppression long before these were formally theorized. Furthermore, her writings and activism are shown to function as counter-hegemonic knowledge production, challenging dominant epistemologies and enabling the emergence of subaltern voices. The paper also identifies a persistent epistemic marginalization of Savitribai Phule within mainstream historiography and global academic discourse, attributing this to structural biases in knowledge production. By situating her contributions within feminist, postcolonial, and subaltern theoretical frameworks, the study advances a more integrated understanding of her intellectual legacy. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing efforts to decolonize knowledge systems and foreground indigenous thinkers in global scholarship. The study concludes that Savitribai Phule’s ideas remain highly relevant in addressing contemporary challenges related to educational inequality, gender justice, and social exclusion. Her vision of inclusive and transformative education offers critical insights for current policy debates and underscores the need for approaches that confront structural inequities. Ultimately, this paper reclaims Savitribai Phule not merely as a historical reformer but as a significant theorist of social justice and transformative change.