RELEGIOUS AND SOCIAL REFORMS MOVEMENTS-ugc

1. 19^th Century witnessed  New vision – Also called renaissance.  Impact of British Rule, Religious superstition, Boredom with religious movements social conditions, Caste factor  raising of nationalism and democracy led to REFORMS.  

2. Social base –Emergence of Middle Class and Western Educational intellectual – through renaissance, Re-formation and enlightenment

b) Ideological base – Nationalism, Religiosm , Universalism, Humanism and secularism.   Authority in religion was given up and truth in religion was searched.   Universal theism of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Social Reform movements played important role.  Movements like Brahma Samaj, Pradhana Samaj,  Aligarh  movements which were reformed and Arya Samaj,  Deoband which were revivalist played important role

3. Social Reform

a) Social equality and equal worth of individuals which were humanistic  and idealist had major impact. Originally it was integral part of Religious Reform.  But later on adopted secular approach.  Originally upper caste followed; later lower strata of society also followed.   Various organisation and individuals also played important role.  Languages played important rule and Drama, Poetry and press spread their use.   Broadly Social   Reform had 2 point Agenda

(i) Betterment status of Woman in Society   (ii) Removing caste inequalities

4. Betterment of Woman

a) Abolition of Sati – Raja Ram Mohan Roy- 1829 Bengal Presidency abolished and from 1830 Madras and Bombay presidency 

b) Female Infanticide  – Prevalent among  upper class Bengalis and Rajputs.  Bengal regularisation 1795, 1804 declared infanticide  has equivalent  to Murder and Act 1870 made compulsory Registration of Birth.   Widow Remarriage Brahmo  Samaj    had the issue in its agenda.  

c) Widow Remarriage But Eswar Chandra Vidhaya Sagar (1822-1891)  Principal of Sanskrit College at Calcutta was instrumental in passing Act of 1856.  Vishnurajagiri  Pandit founded Widow remarriage association in 1850.  V. Bandulu  made in Madras. Karve  marriage a widow in 1893 and became Secretary of Widow remarriage association and opened a home in Pune.  Set up Indian woman university at Bombay in 1916.

d) Child marriage  

First prohibited in 1872through Native Marriage Act.  But limited as not applicable to Hindus and Muslims- through age of Consent act 1891.  marriage age  was raised to 12.  Other acts to be noted.

e) Education of Woman

Christian Missionary in 1819.    Vidhyasagar was associated with 35 Girls School in Bengal-. Iin 1914 Woman Medical Service.  Trained Nurses and Midwife.  Karreys Indian Woman University 1916 – Laid Harding Medical College in Delhi.

f) Participation in the Swadeshi  and acted participation and human rule moments were new openings and woman faced lathis  and Bullets and imprisonment – later they took part in Trade union.  Later elected to legislative/ Local bodies.

Sarojini Naidu became president of Indian National Congress 1925 and First Governor of United Provinces of India Woman Conference 1927.

g) Various legislative measures in India after Independence to be analysed. 

5) Struggle against Caste-Based Exploitation.

a) Various Castes –Chaturvarnashrama – Caste determined who could get education, ownership, profession, dress, food etc.,

b) Factors which reduced  caste Regidities.

i) Creation of Private property in land   ii) New Industries and Opening of New Economy

iii) Equality before law    Iv) Judicial functions of caste Panchayats taken away

v)Education and Recruitment  open to all   vi) Social Reform Movements

(vii)National Movement

viii) Congress Government did work for upliftment of the depressed Classes like free education for Harijans etc.,

ix) Gandhiji founded All India Harijan Sangh in 1932

x)Government of India act 1935 which clear representation.

xi)Jyotiba Phule and Ambedkar who opened All India Schedule Caste Federation in 1942    xii) Other self respect movement.

xiii) New Constitution and Directive Principles.

6) Various Organisations 

Brahmo Samaj – Raja Ram Mohan Ray  founded – called father of Indian Renaissance –

At the age of sixteen, Rammohun became convinced of the futility of idol worship and to that effect wrote a treatise, Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin (Gift to Monotheists) in Persian.

In 1815, he founded the Atmiya Sabha.

On 20 August 1828, he founded the Brahmo Samaj.

He strongly denounced idol worship and called upon the Hindus to abandon it.

He called upon the British to make India their permanent home, so that the drain of Indian wealth could be stopped.

According to the eminent writer Satyendra Nath Majumdar, Rammohun was the first Hindu of his time to go abroad.

 He Translated Vedas and Upanishads and he set up Atmiya Sabha in Calcutta in 1814.  He wrote Precepts of Jesus in 1820. He was a linked between east and west culture.  He knew more than 12 languages.   Practice against Sati.  He supported David Hare to found Hindu College in 1815 in 1825. He established a Vedanta College.

b)Maharishi Debendranath Tagore – Father of Tagore – Succeeded Roy – He also found Tattvabodhini Sabha in 1839.

After the demise of Raja Rammohun  Roy in 1833, the leadership of Brahmo Samaj was passed on to the hands of Maharishi Devendranath Tagore (1817-1905), the grandfather of Rabindranath Tagore.

In 1839, he had founded the Tattvabodhini Sabha, which was meged with Brahmo Samaj in 1842.

In 1866 the Brahmo Samaj was split into the Brahmo Samaj of India headed by Keshav Chandra Sen and the Adi Brahmo Samaj, which remained under the guidance of Devendranath Tagore

 Brahmo Samaj aimed at 5 principles .

i) It denouonced polytheism and idol worship

ii)It discarded faith in divine avataras (incarnation)

iii)It denied that any scripture could enjoy the status of ultimate authority transcending human reason and conscience 

iv) It took no definite stand on the doctrine of karma  and transmigration of soul and left it to individual Brahmos to believe either way v) It criticised the caste system

c) Prarthana Samaj

K.C. Sen found in Bombay – Paramhansa Sabha founded in 1849.

d) Young Bengal Movement – Radical, intellectual trend among the youth under Henry Derozio  started. He got inspiration from French Revolution.   He was called first nationalist poet of modern India.

e) I.C.Vidyasagar.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891) occupied a prominent place among the social reformers and educationists of the 19^th century.

In 1849, he founded the Bethune School at Calcutta. The main aim of this school was to encourage female education.

He was Principal of Sanskrit College 1850 and open it to admit non brahmins.  Introduced western thought in Sanskrit College, Secretary of Bethune School 1849.  Started Movement in support of Widow remarriage. remarriage. 

f)B.C. Chatterjee: The eminent Bengali novelist as well as the composer of the famous national song Bande Mataram, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894) aroused a new consciousness in the 19^th century Bengali society.

In 1872, he started the publication of a monthly magazine under the title Banga Darshan from Behrampur.His novel is Anand Math

g) SERVANTS INDIA SOCIETY: G.K. Gokule founded in 1905. TO TRAIN  National Machinery and to promote interest of Indian people. In 1915 Srinivasa Sasthri took over as President.

h) Social Service Leaque – Narayana Malhoth Joshi founded in Bombay. He also founded All India Trade Union Congress in 1920.

i) Ramakrishna Movement – Started to propagate Bakthi – Yoga by Ramakrishna Pramahamsa (1834-86) – Vocation Priest of Kali Temple in Dakshineshwar. He taught salvation by renunciation, mediation and Bakthi. He said all Gods are same though names are different. (Mutt) founded by Ramakrishna.

j) Vivekananda (1862-1902) – Known as Narendira Nath Datta – Found Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 with Headquarters at Belur. Vivekananda used technology at modern type in the service of mankind. His famous speech at Chicago in 1893 is world famous. He never gave any political message. He was considered as spiritual father of the Modern National Movement.Subhas Chandra Bose regarded him as the founder of modern India who possessed the heart of Buddha and the intellect of Shankaracharya. Tagore ‘He is genius of creation.

k)Dayananda Saraswathi – Dayananda founded the Arya Samaj inm Bombay on 10 April 1875 based on a set of 28 principles of Lahore.

For the cause of national liberation Swami Dayananda stressed on Swadeshi, swadharma, swabhasha and swarajya.

Annie Besant, the famous Theosophist regarded Dayananda as first person, who gave slogan of Indian nationhood, emphasizing the superiority of Indian culture.

His famous wok was Sathiyach Prakash. He gave the slogan back to Veda – Revival of Vedic learning. He was against Orthodoxy, Caste, Untouchablity and Polytheism.  He supported Cheturvarma  - Man not born in any caste but according to occupations he followed. It prescribes marriageable age as 25 and 16.  He started Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) School first at Lahore in 1886.  He gave ten principles.

l) Seva Sadhan - Started by Parsi Chromji. Malabari. It took care of women and their welfare. 

m)Dharma Sabha. Radha Khan Beg founded in 1830.

n) Sri Narayana Guru Dharma Paribalana – Ezahavas of Kerala – 1902 - Admission, Appointment, Assess to temple and Political representations.

o) Vokkaliga Sangam – Launched in1905 in Mysore. 

p) Justice Movement – D.N. Mudaliar, T.M.Nair and Sri Thiyakaraja to secure jobs and representations for non-Brahmin.  In 1917 Madras Presidency Association was found.

q) Self Respect Movement started by E.B.R. in 1920.

r)Aravippuram  Movement in 1988 on the occasion of Sivarathiri by Narayana Guru to install ideal of Shiva.

s)Temple Entry Movement – Narayana Guru – Kumaran and T.K.Madhavan – in 1924 Vaikom Sathya Giraha of Kesava wanted 

opening Hindu Temple to untouchables – Jothas in Punjab. 

t) Indian National Conference founded by M.G. Ranadate in 1887 at Madras.

u) Theosophical Movement – Madam Blagalsky  and Thomas Alcott  founded in 1875 at USA. In 1882 Shifted Headquarters to Adyar. Believed special relationship could be established between God and Soul  by prayer revelation et

v)Annie Besant became President in 1907 after the death of Alcot. She came to India in 1893 and laid foundation of Central Hindu College in Banaras in 1898. It became Banaras Hindu University in 1916.

separate peoples and increased communal consciousness. v)  Historical process of evolution of composite culture arrested to some extent.