Socio- Religious Reform

Movements in 19th Century

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Previous Year Questions - Mains
● The women’s questions arose in modern India as a part of
the 19th century social reform movement. What were the
major issues and debates concerning women in that
period? 2017

● ‘Women’s movement in India has not addressed the

issues of women of lower social strata.’ Substantiate your
view. (15)

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Women’s Issues
● Education,

● Gender inequality,
● Superstition

● Sati,
● Condition of Widow,
● Tonsure,
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Women’s Issues
● Child Marriage,

● Female Infanticide

● Purdah,

● Polygamy,
● Dowry System
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Types of Movements
Reformist movements

● Responding to time, scientific temper of the modern era. For

instance, the Brahmo Samaj, the Prarthana Samaj, the
Aligarh Movement.
Revivalist movements

● Revival of old system. For example, Arya Samaj & the

Deoband movement.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Both these movements depended on an appeal to the lost
purity of the religion they sought to reform.

● The only difference between the two, is the degree to which

it relied on tradition or on reason & conscience.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Causes
● Modern education
● Impact of British rule
● Revolutions in other countries (like France)

● Pessimistic attitude towards activities of British &

Christian Missionaries

● Sanskritization by Upper caste

● Religious & Social ills
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
1984

The 19th century is generally called a period of Indian Renaissance.

Which were the major social reform movements of this period and
what changes did they bring about?

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Q: What was sati & what does it mean?
The term sati literally means a 'pure &
virtuous woman'. It was applied in case
of a devoted wife who contemplated
perpetual & uninterrupted conjugal union
with her husband life after life & as proof
thereof burnt herself with the dead body
of her husband.
q Indian reformers led by Ram Mohan Roy
launched a frontal attack on the evil of sati.
q With an eye, to the coming Charter debates in
the British Parliament and anxious to get a
renewal of its charter for another 20 years by
presenting a creditable image of its activities
in India, the Court of Directors encouraged
Bentinck to enact legislation to suppress sati
who banned it in1829.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Raja Ram Mohan Roy : Father of the Indian Renaissance

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Previous Year Questions

In the second half of the 19th –century India witnessed a strong wave
of reformation in the spheres of religion and society .What part was
played in this directly or indirectly by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Keshab
Chandra Sen and Justice M G Ranade?

The name of Raja Ram Mohan Roy stands foremost in the field of
religious and social reforms. Elucidate [Upsc 1997]

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Raja Ram Mohan Roy
● Used logical reasoning & rational thinking
● 1814: Set up Atmiya Sabha in Calcutta
● 1817: Supported David Hare to set up Hindu college
● Founded Vedanta College at Calcutta in 1825, where he introduced
Mechanics & Voltaire’s Philosophy.
● Wrote Gift to Monotheists (1809)
● Opposed Idol Worship
● Translated to Bengali the Vedas & 5 Upanishads
● Demanded property inheritance rights for women.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
2009

In collaboration with David Hare and Alexander Duff, who out of

the following established Hindu college at Calcutta?

(a) Henry Louis Vivian Derozio

(b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

(c) Keshab Chandra Sen

(d) Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Political Activist
● Roy condemned oppressive practices of Bengali zamindars &
demanded fixation of maximum rents.

● He also demanded abolition of taxes on tax free lands.

● He called for a reduction of export duties on goods abroad &

abolition of the Company's trading rights.

● He demanded judicial equality.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Internationalist
● He was influenced by the French Revolution.

● He stood for cooperation of thought & activity & brotherhood

among nations.

● He supported the revolutions of Naples & Spanish America &

condemned the oppression of Ireland by absentee English
landlordism & threatened emigration from the empire if the
reform bill was not passed.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Brahmo Samaj
● Main theme “Nirguna Sapna” (formless worship)
● Purpose was to purify Hinduism.
● Promoted Monotheism – Oneness of God.
● The new society was to be based on the twin pillars of reason & the
Vedas & Upanishads.
● Most of all it based itself on human reason which was to be the
ultimate criterion for deciding what was worthwhile & what was
useless in the past or present religious principles & practices.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Followers of Samaj were Keshab Chandra Sen, Debendra Nath
Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Ashwani Kumar Datta,
Derozians , Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Chandrashekhar Deb &
Tarachand Chakravarty, 1st secretary of the Brahmo Sabha.

● After Roy’s death, D N Tagore headed Brahmo Sabha Tagore

repudiated the doctrine that the Vedic scriptures were infallible.
● 1839-founded Tattvabodhini Sabha.

● Tattvabodhini Sabha & its organ the Tattvabodhini Patrika promoted

a systematics study of India's past in the Bengali language.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● The Samaj actively supported the movement for widow
remarriage, abolition of polygamy, women's education &
opposed superstitious practices & rituals.
● Samaj denied the need for a priestly class for interpreting
religious writings.
● Brahmo Samaj split, Keshub Chandra Sen , A M Bose left &
started “All India Brahmo Samaj”.
● Under D Tagore, it was Adi Brahmo Samaj
● AM Bose & Shiv Narayan Shastri started Sadharan Brahmo
Samaj.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
2012

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding

Brahmo Samaj?
1. It opposed idolatry.
2. It denied the need for a priestly class for interpreting the religious
texts.
3. It popularized the doctrine that the Vedas are infallible.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
2016
Consider the following :
1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee
2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation
3. Indian Reform Association
Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of
which of the above?
(a)1 and 3 only
(b)2 and 3 only
(c)3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3
Answer B
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Henry Vivian Derozio
● Teacher in Hindu college Calcutta 1826-31.
● Started the Young Bengal movement.
● Inspired by French revolution.
● Had radical thoughts of liberty & freedom.
● Derozio was perhaps the 1st nationalist poet of modern India.
● Due to his early demise the movement came to an end
● SN Banerjee described the Derozians as “the pioneers of the
modern civilization of Bengal, the conscript fathers of our race
whose virtues will excite veneration & whose failings will be treated
with gentlest consideration”.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
● Worked for the cause of emancipation of women.
● Promoted education among girls & set up institutions for them.
● As a Government Inspector of Schools, he organised 35 girls'
schools, many of which he ran at his own expense.

● As Secretary to the Bethune School, he was one of the pioneers

of higher education for women.
● All his life he campaigned against polygamy.
● Due to his efforts Widow Remarriage Act was passed in 1856.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● In 1850, he protested against child-marriage.
● Principal of the Sanskrit College.
● He opened the gates of the Sanskrit college to non-Brahmin
students.
● To free Sanskrit studies from the harmful effects of self-imposed
isolation, he introduced the study of Western thought in the
Sanskrit College.
● He also helped found a college which is now named after him.
● He also devised a new Bengali primer & evolved a new prose
style.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
2007

Who among the following wrote the book Bahubivah?

(a) Raja Ram Mohan Roy

(b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

(c) Pandita Ramabai

(d) Rabindranath Tagore

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
1999

Assess the contributions of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar to the making

of modern India.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Jyotiba Phule (1827-1890)
● Started the Dalit Movement
● Was against upper class Brahminical domination
● Satya Shodhak Samaj is a religion established by him in 1873.

● This was started as a group whose main aim was to liberate the
Shudra & Untouchable castes from exploitation and oppression.

● Phule used the symbol of Rajah Bali as opposed to the,

Brahmin's symbol of Rama.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● He openly condemned the inequality in the religious books,
orthodox nature of religion, exploitation of masses by the means
of it, blind & misleading rituals & hypocrisy in the prevalent
religion.
● Advocated the ideals of human well being in broader aspects,
human happiness, unity, equality, & easy religious principles &
rituals.
● 1851: Phule & his wife started a girls' school at Poona & soon
many other schools came up.
● Active promoters of these schools were Jagannath Shankar Seth
& Bhau Daji.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Through his writings & activities Phule always condemned caste
hierarchy & the privileged status of priests in it.
● Wrote Gulamgiri & Sarvajanic Satyadharma.
● Phule was also a pioneer of the widow remarriage movement

● Another prominent worker in this field was Karsandas Mulji who

started the Satya Prakash in Gujarati in 1852 to advocate widow
remarriage.

● Vishnu Shastri Pandit founded the Widow Remarriage

Association in the 1850's.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Previous Year Question
Satya Shodhak Samaj organized

(a)a movement for upliftment of tribals in Bihar

(b)a temple-entry movement in Gujarat

(c)an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra

(d)a peasant movement in Punjab

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Dayanand Saraswati
● He had received education on Vedanta from a blind teacher
named Swami Virajananda in Mathura.
● Started Arya Samaj (1875) movement at Bombay & shifted
headquarters to Lahore.

● Slogan: “Go Back to Vedas”

● Believed in infallibility of Vedas.
● Approved Vedas, rejected Puranas & anything related to western
culture.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● He also favored the study of western sciences.
● Swaraj word was used for the 1st time by Swami Dayanand.
● Advocated equal rights for men & women.
● He was against idol worship, ritual, dominance of Brahmans &
priesthood.
● It offered a sharp criticism of the existing Hindu practices, like
polytheism, widow celibacy, foreign travel, child marriage .
● He opposed caste system.
● Inter caste marriage act 1872.
● Satyarth Prakash

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Samaj fixed the minimum marriageable age at 25 years for boys
& 16 years for girls.

● Swami once lamented the Hindu race as "the children of

children".

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● The work of the Swami after his death was carried forward by
Lala Hansraj, Pandit Gurudutt, Lala Lajpat Rai & Swami
Shraddhanand, among others.

● Some of his followers later started a network of schools &

colleges in the country to impart education on western lines.

● Lala Hansraj played a leading part in this effort.

● 1902: Swami Shraddhananda started the Gurukul near Haridwar
to propagate the more traditional ideals of education.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● This movement became anti Muslim & anti Christian movement.

● Shuddhi movement began for reconversion of converted Hindus

● Cow protection movement

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
The ten guiding principles of the Arya Samaj are—

(i) God is the primary source of all true knowledge;

(ii) God, as all-truth, all-knowledge, almighty, immortal, creator of Universe, is alone
worthy of worship;
(iii) The Vedas are the books of true knowledge;
(iv) An Arya should always be ready to accept truth and abandon untruth;
(v) Dharma, that is, due consideration of right and wrong, should be the guiding
principle of all actions;
(vi) The principal aim of the Samaj is to promote world's well- being in the material,
spiritual and social sense;
(vii) Everybody should be treated with love and justice;
(viii) Ignorance is to be dispelled and knowledge increased;
(ix) One's own progress should depend on uplift of all others;
(x) Social well-being of mankind is to be placed above an individual's well-being.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Previous Year Questions

Who established the Arya samaj ? What was its goal?

[UPSC 2004]

What were the contributions of the Arya samaj to the social and
religious movements of India?
[UPSC 1992]

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Jat Pat Todak Mandal
● Society for the abolition of caste: Lahore
● Founder : Bhai Parmanand

● Decided to work
● 1st among the Arya Samajists in order to assimilate the
reconverted.

● Members brought in through Shuddhi.

● Condemned caste distinctions.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Ramakrishna Paramhansa
● Was a saintly person who sought religious salvation in the
traditional ways of renunciation, meditation & devotion(bhakti).
● In his search for religious truth or the realization of God he lived
with mystics of other faiths, Muslims & Christians.
● He emphasized that there were many roads to God & salvation &
that 'service of man was service of God, for man was the
embodiment of God’.
● “So long as the millions live in hunger & ignorance, I hold every
man a traitor, who having been educated at their expense, pays
not the least heed to them”.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
1999

In What ways did Ramakrishna infuse a new vigour and dynamism

into Hinduism?

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Swami Vivekananda
● Disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa
● Great humanist
● Believed in Karma ( Action)
● Proclaimed the essential oneness of all religions.
● For our motherland a junction of the 2 great systems Hinduism
& Islam is the only hope.
● Vivekananda condemned the caste system & the current Hindu's
emphasis on rituals, ceremonies, & superstitions & urged the
people to imbibe the spirit of liberty, equality, & free-thinking.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● He himself subscribed to Vedanta , which he declared to be fully
rational system.
● Paramartha & vyavahara & spirituality and day to day life .

● 1893: Took part in World Religious Conference in US

● Lectures from Colombo to Almora

● 1897: Ramakrishna Mission started , Belur.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
q Vivekananda used the Ramakrishna Mission for humanitarian relief & social work.
The Mission stands for religious & social reform.

q Vivekananda advocated the doctrine of service—the service of all beings.

q Vivekananda was for using technology & modern science in the service of mankind.

q Ever since its inception, the Mission has been running a number of schools.

q It offers help to the affected of calamities like famines, floods & epidemics.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
q It is a deeply religious body, but it is not a proselytising body.

q It does not consider itself to be a sect of Hinduism.

q In fact, this is one of the strong reasons for the success of the Mission.

q Unlike the Arya Samaj, the Mission recognises the utility & value of image worship
in developing spiritual fervour & worship of the eternal omnipotent God, although it
emphasises the essential spirit & not the symbols or rituals.

q It believes that the philosophy of Vedanta will make a Christian a better Christian, &
a Hindu a better Hindu.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
2006

Lectures from Colombo to Almora is based on the experiences of

which of the following?

(a) Veer Savarkar

(b) Annie Besant

(c) Ramakrishna Paramhansa

(d) Swami Vivekananda

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
1990

Give a critical account of the Ramakrishna Mission with special

reference to the role played by swami Vivekananda.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
1995

‘Swami Vivekananda might well be called the father of Indian

Nationalism.’ Elucidate.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Shiv Narain Agnihotri & Dev Samaj
● Agnihotri was an active member of Brahmo Samaj in 1875 &
worked tirelessly for various reform movements started by it.
● 1887: Formed a new society, the Deva Samaj.

● Deva Samaj was originally established as a theistic society, but

later it emerged as an atheistic society, denying the existence of
gods & emphasising ethical conduct.
● The society emphasized on the eternity of the soul, the
supremacy of the guru, & the need for good action.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● It called for an ideal social behavior such as not accepting
bribes, avoiding intoxicants & non-vegetarian food & observing
non-violence.

● Its teachings were compiled in a book, Deva Shastra.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Prarthana Samaj
● Founded by the Dadoba Tarkhadkar and his brother Atmaram
Pandurang in 1867 at Bombay,when Keshub Chandra Sen visited
Maharashtra, with an aim to make people believe in one God &
worship only one God.

● Parallel to Brahmo Samaj

● Although the adherents of Samaj were devoted theists, they
didn’t regard the Vedas as divine or infallible.
● The emphasis was on monotheism, but on the whole, the samaj
was more concerned with social reforms than with religion.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● They drew their nourishment from the Hindu scriptures & used
the hymns of the old Marathi "poet-saints" like Namdev,
Tukaram in their prayers.

● Their ideas trace back to the devotional poems of the Vitthals as

part of the Vaishnava bhakti devotional movements of the 13th
century in Maharashtra.

● But, beyond religious concerns, the primary focus of the Samaj

was social & cultural reform.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Social Reform under Prarthana Samaj:
● "Prarthana Samaj" or "Prayer Society" reform movements led
many projects of cultural change & social reform in Western India
(Bombay):

○ Improvement of the position of women & depressed classes

○ An end to the caste system

○ Abolition of child marriages & infanticide.

○ Educational opportunities for women, & remarriage of widows.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
○ Its success was guided by Sir Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, a
noted Sanskrit scholar, Narayan Chandavarkar, & Justice MG
Ranade.
○ It became popular after Ranade joined. The main reformers
were the intellectuals who advocated reforms of the social
system of the Hindus.
○ Along with Dhondo Keshav Karve, Ranade founded the Widow
Remarriage Movement as well as Widows’ Home Association
with the aim of providing education & training to widows.
○ It was spread to the southern India by noted Telugu reformer &
writer, Kandukuri Veeresalingam.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Indian Social Conference
● Founded by M G Ranade & Raghunath Rao.
● The National Social Conference met annually from 1887 to 1895
as part of the INC Sessions.
● Met annually at the same time & venue as the INC
● Can be called the social reform cell of the INC
● Conference advocated inter caste marriages, opposed polygamy
etc.
● Launched pledge movement to inspire people to take a pledge
against child marriage.
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Previous Year Questions
During Indian freedom struggle, the National Social
Conference was formed. What was the reason for its
formation?
(a)Different social reforms groups or organisations of Bengal region united
to form a single body to discuss the issues of larger interest and to
prepare appropriate petitions/ representations to the government.
(b)Indian National Congress did not want to include social reforms in its
deliberations and decided to form a separate body for such a purpose
(c)Behramji Malabari and M.G. Ranade decided to bring together all the
social reform groups of the country order one organization.
(d)None of the statements (a), (b) and (c) given above is correct.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Theosophical Society
● 1875: Started by Helena Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, William
Quan Judge in New York.
● After a few years Olcott & Blavatsky moved to India & established
the International Headquarters at Adyar.
● Theosophists advocated the revival & strengthening of the ancient
religions of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, & Buddhism.
● They recognized the doctrine of the transmigration of the Soul.
● They also preached the Universal Brotherhood of Man.
● As religious revivalists the Theosophists were not very successful.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Movement led by westerners who glorified Indian religions &
philosophical tradition.
● This helped Indians recover their self-confidence, even though it
tended to give them a sense of false pride in their past greatness.

Annie Besant & Theosophical society

● 1907- Elected as its President.
● Worked for revival of Hinduism -its philosophy & modes of worship.
● Founded the Central Hindu college at Banaras which was later
developed by Madan Mohan Malaviya into the Banaras Hindu
University.
● Organized Home Rule Movement.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Previous Year Question
Annie Besant was
1. Responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement
2. The founder of the Theosophical Society
3. Once the President of the Indian National Congress
Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given
below.
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Previous Year Question
Discuss the role of the Theosophical society in the history of
religious movements in India.
[UPSC 1991]

Write a short note on Theosophical society.

[UPSC 2004]

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Behramji Merwanji Malabari
● An Indian poet, publicist, author, and social reformer.
● Best known for his ardent advocacy for the protection of the
rights of women & for his activities against child marriage.

● The relentless efforts of this Parsi reformer, was rewarded by the

enactment of the Age of Consent Act (1891) which forbade the
marriage of girls below the age of 12.

● Malabari acquired & edited the Indian Spectator.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
1996

His principal forte was social and religious reform. He relied upon
legislation to do away with social ills and worked unceasingly for the
eradication of child marriage, the purdah system….To encourage
consideration of social problems on a national scale, he inaugurated
the Indian National Social Conference, which for many years met for
its annual sessions alongside the Indian National Congress. Who is
being referred to in this passage? Select the correct answer from the
following options.
(a) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
(b) Behramji Merwanji Malabari
(c) Mahadev Govind Ranade
(d) B.R Ambedkar

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Seva Sadan

• He founded the Seva Sadan in 1908 along with a friend, Diwan

Dayaram Gidumal.

• Seva Sadan specialized in taking care of those women who were

exploited & then discarded by society.

Modern History: Module – VII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)