SOCIO RELIGIOUSREFORM MOVEMENTS

MODERN INDIAN HISTORYQUICK REVISION MODULE (UPSC PRELIMS 2021)

GAVE RISE TODESIRE FORREFORMS.

INDIANRENAISSANCE

THEPROCESS OF

REAWAKENING.

IMPACTOF BRITISH

RULE

SOCIALCONDITIONS

RIPE FORREFORM

OPPOSITIONTO WESTERN

CULTURE

NEWAWARENESS

AMONGENLIGHTENED

INDIANS

Re-unificationand consolidation.

Religious and Social Ills.

Depressing Positionof Women.

Caste Problem/divide.

An attempt toreinvigoratetraditional

institutions andrevival.

Modern Westernculture and

new awakeningand consciousness

about defeat

FACTORS FOR THE REFORM MOVEMENTS

NATURE OF THE MOVEMENTS:

NATURE

Different partsof India in

different periodbut having

considerablesimilarities.

Leadershipby emergingIntellectualmiddle class

Withoutreligious

reformation,there cannot be

any socialreformation

Raja RamMohan Roy

Rejected Supernatural Explanations.

Affirmed the principle of causality.

Demonstrability was the sole criterionof the truth.

Rationalism is our onlypreceptor.

Rationalism

ReligiousUniversalism

IntellectualCriteria:

Rationality &Religious

Universalism

Akshay KumarDutt

Different religion asnational embodimentsof Universal theism.

Raja RamMohan Roy

All prophets had the samedin (faith) and everycountry and nation haddifferent prophets.

Sir SyedAhmed Khan

Keshub ChandraSen

Our position is not that truth areto be found in all religions, but allestablished religions of the worldare true.

TIMELINE OF MAJOR REFORM MOVEMENTSTIMELINE OF MAJOR REFORM MOVEMENTS

AtmiyaSabha (1814)

Founding ofHindu Collage

(1817)

Establishmentof vendanta

Collage (1825)

Brahmo Samaj(1828)

Tattvabodh iniSabha (1839)

Brahmo Samajof India and AdiBrahmo Samaj

(1866)

Young BengalMovement(1820s-30s)

Widow Marriage Association 1850s

AtmiyaSabha (1814)

Founding ofHindu Collage

(1817)

Establishmentof vendanta

Collage (1825)

Brahmo Samaj(1828)

TattvabodhiniSabha (1839)

Brahmo Samajof India and AdiBrahmo Samaj

(1866)

Young BengalMovement(1820s-30s)

Widow Marriage Association 1850s

PrarthanaSamaj(1867)

PrarthanaSamaj (1867)

SatyashodhakSamaj (1873)

SatyashodhakSamaj (1873)

Arya Samaj (1875)Theosophical Society

(1875)

Arya Samaj (1875)Theosophical Society

(1875)

SadharanBrahmo Samaj

(1878)

SadharanBrahmo Samaj

(1878)

Arya Mahila Samaj (1881)Arya Mahila Samaj (1881)

SocialConfrenece

Movement (1887)

SocialConference

Movement (1887)

RamakrishnaMission (1897)

PoonaSarvajanak

(1870)Sabha

Sri NarayanaGuru Dharma

Paripalana (SNDP)Yogam (1902)

ofServantsIndia Society

(1905)

VaikomSatyagraha

(1924-25)

Self RespectMovement (1920)

TIMELINE OF LEGISLATIVE MEASURES FOR WOMEN

Ramkrishna MovementArya SamajTheosophical Movement

PAN INDIA MOVEMENT

1. Student’s Library and Scientific Society.

2. Paramhansa Mandalis

3. Satyashodhak Samaj

4. Servants of India Society

SNDP Movement.1. 2. Vokkaliga Sangha.

3. Justice Movement.

4. Self-respect Movement.5. Temple Entry Movement.

Brahmo Samaj.1. 2. Tattvabodhini Sabha.

3. Brahmo Samaj of India

4. Young bengal Movement.5. Prarthana Samaj.

REFORM MOVEMENTS (AMONG HINDUS)

Bengal Regulation(1795, 1804) declaring

infanticide illegal

Hindu Widow’sRemarriage Act,

1856

Age of ConsentAct, 1891

Sarda Act,1929

Special MarriageAct, 1954

BengalRegulation

(1829)Banning Sati

Hindu MarriageAct, 1955

Hindu Succession act,1956, Hindu Adoptionand Maintenance Act

MaternityBenefits Act,1961

Equalremuneration

Act, 1976

Dowry ProhibitionAct,1961

REFORMERMOVEMENT/

ORGANIZATIONASSOCIATED

MAIN IDEASAND PRINCIPLES

BOOKS, JOURNALS,AND NEWSPAPERS

Raja RamMohan Roy

Atmiya Sabha(1814)

Brahmo Sabha (1828)later renamed as BrahmoSamaj.

Note: Dharma Sabha byRadhakant Deb forcountering Brahmo Samaj.

MaharishiDebendranathTagore

Tattvabodhini Sabha(1839).

Joined Brahmo Samajin 1842.

Adi Brahmo Samaj.

Promoted systematicstudy of India's pastwith a rational outlookand propagation ofRammohan's ideas.

A new vitality andstrength of member-ship of Brahmo Samaj.

KeshabChandraSen

Branches of the BrahmoSamaj were openedoutside Bengal.

Brahmo Samaj of India in1866.

Popularization ofSamaj outside Bengal.

Cosmopolitanisationof the Samaj'smeetings by inclusionof aspects from allreligion.

Strong views againstcaste system.

Denounced polytheism,idol worship, practices likeSati.

Discarded faith inincarnations.

Primacy of human reasonand conscience over anyscripture.

Worship of eternal,unsearchable, immutablegod.

Criticism of caste system.

Promotion of charity,morality, benevolence, etc.

No definite stand ondoctrine of Karma.

Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin(A Gift to Monotheism).

Precepts of Jesus (1820).

Translation of Veda's andUpnishads into Bengali.

Samvad Kaumudi.

Miratul-Akbar(Persian).

Atmiya Sabha Publication(Bengal Gazette).

Tattvabodhini Patrikain Bengali.

Support to inter-castemarriages.

IshwarChandraVidyasagar

Principal of SanskritCollege.

Secretary of BethuneSchool.

Legalization of widowremarriage.

Against child marriage andpolygamy.

Pioneer of highereducation for women.

Associated with:

Tattvabodhini Patrika.

Somprakash.

Sarbashubhankari Patrika.

Hindu Patriot.

SwamiDayanandaSaraswati

Vision for classless andcasteless society, a unitedIndia (religiously, sociallyand nationally).

India free from foreignrule, with Aryan religionbeing the common religionof all.

Revival of Vedic learningand Vedic purity of religionand not Vedic times.

Attacked Hinduorthodoxy, caste rigidities,untouchability, idolatry,polytheism, belief in magic,charms and animalsacrifices, etc.

“Back to the Vedas”.

Satyarth Prakash(The True Exposition).

Arya Samaj

Dayananda AngloVedic(D.A.V.) College in 1886.

Shuddhi (purification)movement.

SwamiVivekananda

Ramakrishna Math atBelur.

Objective was to bridgegap between Paramartha(service) and Vyavahara(behaviour).

Fundamental oneness ofGod.

Attended the Parliament ofReligions held at Chicago in1893.

Subscribed to Vedantasystem.

The service of jiva (livingobjects) is the worship ofSiva.

MahadeoGovindRanade

Prominent role inPrarthana Samaj(Established by AtmaramPandurang).

Poona Sarvajanik Sabha.

Social conferencemovement.

Widow RemarriageAssociation.

Founding member of INC.

Indian National SocialConference.

Member of Bombaylegislative council.

Judge of the Bombay HighCourt.

Disapproval of castesystem.

Women education.

Widow Remarriage.

Raising the age ofmarriage for bothmale and female.

Regarded as father ofIndian economics.

Emphasised the termretrograde movement.

Newspaper: Induprakash

OTHER PROMINENT PERSONALITIES (REGION-WISE):

RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA:

Ramakrishna MathSpreading the ideals of Vedanta.preaching, philanthropic and charitable work, all men, women and children, irrespective of caste, creed,etc. as equal.

HENRY VIVIAN DEROZIO:

Inspirer of progressive trend, influenceof French revolution, supported women’sright and education, first nationalist poetof modern India.

AKSHAY KUMAR DUTTA:

Progressive Bengalithinker behind thereformist BrahmoSamaj.

Formulated treatises

1. Bahya Bastur SahitManavprakritir SambandhaVichar.

2. Dharmaneeti

EASTERN INDIA:

WESTERN INDIA:

Jyotiba Phule: Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873.

Aim: Complete abolition of caste system andsocio economic inequalities, education amongwomen and lower caste people.

Works: Sarvajanik Satyadharma and Gulamgiri.

Awarded by title of Mahatma.

BALSHASTRI JAMBHEKAR: Father of MarathiJournalism, attacked orthodoxy.

STARTED NEWSPAPER: Darpan in 1832, as 1st Marathi Newspaper, Digdarshan in 1840.

Bombay Native General Library and NativeImprovement Society.

Pandita Ramabai: Arya Mahila Samaj, MuktiMission, Sharda Sadan.

Work areas: Against child marriages, promotionof girls education and improvement ofconditions of women.

Gopalhari Deshmukh‘Lokahitawadi’

Weekly Prabhakarunder the pen name of

Lokahitawadi.

Other works: GyanPrakash, Indu Prakash

and Lokahitawadi.

Gopal KrishnaGokhale

Servants of India Societyin 1905.

To train national missionaries.

Works like the Hitavada.

Gopal GaneshAgarkar

Co-founder: New English School,the Deccan Education Society and

Fergusson College.

Educationist and social reformer.

1st editor of Kesari andstarted Sudharak.

Brahmo Samaj (1828) by Raja Rammohan Roy

Split in Brahmo Samaj in 1866:

1. Keshab Chandra Sen formed Brahmo Samaj of India.

2. Debendranath Tagore’s samaj became Adi Brahmo Samaj.

In 1878, Cooch-Behar controversy: 13 year-old daughtermarried to the minor Hindu Maharaja of Cooch-Behar.

New faction is Sadharan Brahmo Samaj started by AnandaMohan Bose, Shibchandra Deb and Umesh Chandra Datta.

REFORMER MOVEMENT/ORGANIZATIONASSOCIATED

MAIN IDEAS ANDPRINCIPLES

SRI NARAYANAGURU

Sree Narayana Guru DharmaParipalana (SNDP) Movement

Aruvippuram movement.

Removal of much discriminationin Kerala's society.

Held all religions are same.

Against divisiveness on thebasis of caste, race or creed.

Took issues like right ofadmission to public schools,government services, accessto roads and entry totemples, etc.

E.V.RAMASWAMY

NAICKER

Self-Respect Movement. Rejection of the Brahminicalreligion.

KANDUKURIVEERESALINGAM

Hitakarini (Benefactor). Influenced by the ideals ofBrahmo Samaj.

SOUTH INDIA:

THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Founded in the United States byMadam H.P. Blavatsky and ColonelH.S. Olcott.

Headquarters at Adyar.

Preaching the wisdom of Krishnaand Gita.

VAIKOM SATYAGRAHA

Lead K P Kesava

Demanding throwing openof Hindu Temples and roads tountouchables.

DEVA SAMAJ

Shiv Narain Agnihotri

Eternity of the soul, theSupremacy of the guru and theneed for good action.

RADHASWAMI MOVEMENT

Tulsi Ram (Shiv Dayal Sahab).

One Supreme Being, supremacyof the guru, a company of piouspeople (satsang), and a simplesocial life.

VOKKALIGA SANGHA

In Mysore:An anti-brahmin movement.

TEMPLE ENTRY MOVEMENT

Mainly by T.K. Madhavan onthe ideals of Sree NarayanaGuru and N. Kumaran Asan.

Madras Presidency

C.N. Mudaliar, T.M. Nair andP. Tyagaraja

For representation ofnon-brahmins.

JUSTICE MOVEMENT

OTHER HINDU REFORM MOVEMENTS:

MUSLIM REFORM MOVEMENTS:

FARAIZI MOVEMENT

Founded by Haji Shariatullahin East Bengal.

Eradication of socialinnovations current amongthe Muslims of the region.

AHMADIYA MOVEMENT

Mirza Ghulam Ahmed in1889.

Principle of Universal religionof all humanity, opposingjihad.

DEOBAND MOVEMENT

Mohammad Qasim Nanautavi(1832-1880) and Rashid AhamdGangohi (1828-1916)

Propagating pure teachings ofQuaran and Hadis amongMuslims and keeping alive thespirit of jihad against theforeign rule.

MUSLIMSOCIAL

REFORMERS

SHAH WALLIULLAH

Revivalist response to Western influences.

Harmony among the four schools of Muslimjurisprudence.

Recognition of the role of individualconscience in religion.

TITU MIR

Adopted wahabism.

Organised the Muslim peasants of Bengalagainst the landlords.

Reconcile Western scientificeducation with the teachingsof the Quran.

Growth among Indian muslimsthrough better education and employment opportunities.

Social reforms among Muslimsrelated to Purdah, polygamy,widow remarriage, etc.

SIR SYED AHMED KHAN

Aligarh Movement.

Member of the Imperial LegislativeCouncil.

Knighthood in 1888.

Anglo-Oriental College.

WORKS:1. Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind 2.Tahdhib AI-Akhlaq

SINGH SABHAMOVEMENT, 1873

Modern western educationto the Sikhs.

KHALSA SCHOOLS &COLLEGES, 1892

Promote Gurumukhi, Sikhlearning and Punjabiliterature.

AKALI MOVEMENT, 1920

Gurudwara Reform Movement.

To counter the proselytising activities.

Shiromani GurudwaraPrabandhak Committee (SGPC)as the Apex body.

RahnumaiMazdayasnan

Sabha 1851 withleaders like NaorojiFurdonji, DadabhaiNaoroji, K.R. Camaand S.S. Bengalee.

Seva Sadanby BehramjiM. Malabari

in 1885.

Rast Goftar(Truth-Teller)

Anglo-Gujaratipaper started by

Dadabhai Naoroji.

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