As colonial rule expanded its bounds in the mid-late 19th century, it gave rise to a new middle class of English educated intellectuals, professionals, and reformers, who sought to make the colonial rule more responsive to the people it exploited and work for the rights of both themselves and the people they claimed to represent - the peasants, tenants and factory/plantation workers.

He would be promoted in 1895, and could now more effectively propagate his vision of reform for the Indian society, which he called ‘Humanize, Equalize and Spiritualize’. He encouraged reforms in education, religion, and traditions, especially along western lines, given their material progress. Furthermore, he became involved with the Prarthana Samaj, a society which argued for a more bhakti-based formulation of Hinduism, rather than the social structure and customs based one prevailing in his time.

His efforts against child marriage, promoting widow remarriage, against tonsure of Brahmin widows, and against caste restrictions for travelling abroad made him a part of a large-scale change in the perception of Hinduism coming into effect in the late 1800s, as a new identity to better suit modern times was articulated.

He would not be without critique, however. He married Ramabai, a 10-year-old girl, in 1863, after his wife had died. This caused a storm of controversy and accusations of hypocrisy against him. Thus, like many others before and after him, Ranade was another reformer in Maharashtra giving his life in the work of the religion he sought to reform. He passed away on the 16th of January 1901.