HISTORY PROJECT

TOPIC 1:

1) INTRODUCTON
Society has always been an integral part of every country and hence, all
reforms automatically are forced to confront certain major reforms in the
religious background of that country. Social reforms were a precondition for
the reawakening of the people of India and the growth of nationalism.

The Indian society had remained stagnant for many years. With the result,
certain degrading and inhuman social customs had crept into society. The
weak and the low caste were primarily the victims of such customs.
Infanticide, system of sati, polygamy, dowry, untouchability, etc. were the
evils that blocked Indian's mentality. They compelled the women to suffer a
heavy setback for prolonged years.

At that time, a few English-educated middle class realised that if a new

India was to be formed, the country must have to get rid of such irrational
and debasing social customs.
2) RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY

The maker of modern India Raj Ram Mohan Roy was born on May 22, 1772,
at a time when society was cursed with the iniquities clad in the fabrics of
religion. Though he belonged to a privileged and prosperous Brahmin family
of Bengal, Roy was aware and progressive enough to found the Brahma Samaj
and dedicated his life to challenging the unorthodox religious ideas of
traditional Hindu culture including the Sati Pratha.

Among countless feats, Raja Ram Mohan Roy's greatest achievement was
that of setting up of the Brahmo Samaj in 1828. It is considered to be one
of India's first socio-religious reform movements.

Brahmo Samaj believed in the fatherhood of God and brotherhood of

mankind. It not only discarded meaningless rites and rituals but also forbade
idol-worship. Raja Ram Mohan Roy believed in the oneness of God and
preached the same.

It preached to love human beings, stop animal sacrifice and offerings. It

came forward for the promotion of charity, morality, piety, benevolence,
virtue and the strengthening of the bonds of union between men of all
religions and creeds.

Through Brahmo Samaj, Raja Ram Mohan Roy raised his voice against the
caste system, polygamy, child marriage, infanticide, untouchability, seclusion
of women and Purdah system.

Brahmo Samaj attacked the age-old social taboos and tried to make Indian
society more secular than before. The Samaj was lesser of a religion and
more of an intellectual approach.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy studied Persian and Arabic along with Sanskrit, which
influenced his thinking about God. He read Upanishads, Vedas and the Quran
and translated a lot of the scriptures into English.

When he returned home, his parents married him off in a bid to change his
outlook. But Roy continued to explore the depths of Hinduism only to
highlight its hypocrisy.

Ram Mohan Roy believed the extremely low position of Hindu women was
responsible for practices like Sati Pratha. He advocated the abolition of
polygamy and wanted women to be educated and given the right to inherit
property.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy also brought reforms in the field of education. He
established The Hindu College, the City College, Vedanta College, and English
Schools were established in Calcutta through his efforts.

He contributed a lot for the development of Bengali, Sanskrit, Arabic,

Persian, Urdu and English language and wrote books in these languages.

3) JYOTIBA PHULE

Mahatma Phule was a prolific social activist and thinker, who pioneered women’s
education in India especially in Maharashtra.
He was born on 11 April 1827 in Katgun, Satara District in Maharashtra. He
belonged to the Mali caste of gardeners and his family was mostly illiterate. His
family was well-off owing to success in the flower business. His father Govindrao
carried on the family business while also owning some farmland. His mother
Chimnabai died when he was just 9 months old.
Phule attended primary school where he learnt the basic 3 R’s. He was then pulled
off from school and engaged in the family business. However, a family friend on
seeing the child Phule’s intelligence convinced his father to enrol him in an English
missionary school. Phule completed his English schooling in 1847.
It was in 1848 that he read American political activist and philosopher’s work ‘Rights
of Man’. This book influenced his idea of social justice.
Phule understood that the lower castes and women in society were a
disadvantaged lot and that their deliverance lay in education.
He taught reading and writing to his wife Savitribai. They then started a school for
girls in Pune in 1848, which was the first such school by Indians. He faced social
ostracism because of this and even had to leave his parental home.
Later, he started a school for children of the lower castes. He advocated widow
remarriage and fought against female infanticide. As an example in the fight against
the caste system and untouchability, he opened up the well of his house to people
from all castes.
He opened a home for widows and infants as well.
He is credited with using the word ‘Dalit’ for the depressed classes for the first time.
It is a Marathi word meaning ‘broken’ or ‘crushed’.
Mahatma Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj on September 24, 1873.
Through the society, he opposed caste system, idolatry and denounced the need
for priests. He also championed the necessity of rational thinking. He promoted
respect for all religions but shunned the rituals associated with them.
Phule inspired many latter-day leaders including B R Ambedkar.
Savitribai was also an active participant in the movement and she continued the
work after her husband’s death.
Phule was also the Commissioner of the Poona Municipality from 1876 till 1883.
Mahatma Phule passed away in Pune aged 63.
Some of Mahatma Phule’s published works

 Tritiya Ratna
  Brahmananche Kasab
 Powada : Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha (Life of Shivaji)
 Manav Mahammand (Muhammad) (Abhang)
 Gulamgiri
 Satyashodhak Samajokt Mangalashtakasah Sarva Puja-vidhi
 Sarvajanic Satya Dharmapustak
 Shetkaryacha Asud

4) CONCLUSION
Social & religious reforms is the only thing keeps India as a unified sate, thanks to those grate
leaders like Thanthai periyar, raja ram mohan roy, M.G.Gandhi, Henry Vivian derozio, lord William
Bentinck, Annie besant....because of this people selfless deeds we now able to see a morden India
where we "almost' crushed social evils like "sati, polygamy, child marriage, female infanticide and
caste discrimination" and gave birth to reforms like "liberty, equality & fraternity". Yes only by
this social religious reforms we now identify as INDIAN.