Socio- Religious Reform

Movements in 19th Century

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Gopal Hari Deshmukh
● An outstanding champion of new learning and social reform in
Maharashtra was Gopal Hari Deshmukh, who became famous by
the pen name of 'Lokahitawadi'.
● Advocated the reorganization of Indian society on rational
principles & modern humanistic & secular values.

● He attacked Hindu orthodoxy & supported social & religious

equality.
● He said, "If religion does not sanction social reform, then change
religion.“
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Started a weekly, Hitechhu, & also played a leading role in
founding the periodicals, Gyan Prakash, Indu Prakash &
Lokahitawadi.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Pandita Ramabai Sarasvati
● Was a social reformer who worked for the education of women &
their emancipation.

● 1889: She established Sharda Sadan at Bombay which functioned

as a shelter home for widows.

● It was shifted to Poona the following year.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Servants of India Society
● Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in
1905.
● The aim of the society was to train national missionaries for the
service of India; to promote, by all constitutional means, the
true interests of the Indian people; & to prepare a cadre of
selfless workers who were to devote their lives to the cause of
the country in a religious spirit.

● After Gokhale's death (1915), Srinivasa Sastri took over as

president.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Social Service League
● Another Gokhale follower Narayan Malhar Joshi founded it in
Bombay with an aim to secure for the masses better &
reasonable conditions of life & work.
● They organized many schools, libraries, reading rooms, day
nurseries & cooperative societies.
● Their activities also included police court agents' work, legal aid
& advice to the poor & illiterate, excursions for slum dwellers,
facilities for gymnasia & theatrical performances, sanitary work,
medical relief & boys' clubs & scout corps.
● Joshi also founded the All India Trade Union (1920).
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Sree Narayana Guru
● Sree Narayana Guru Swami, was a Hindu saint, sadhu & social
reformer.

● He was born into an Ezhava family, in an era when people from

that community & other communities, faced much social
injustice in the caste-ridden Kerala society.

● Gurudevan, as he was known by his followers, led a reform

movement in Kerala, rejected casteism & promoted new values
of spiritual freedom & social equality.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam.

● He stressed the need for the spiritual & social upliftment of the
downtrodden by their own efforts through the establishment of
temples & educational institutions.

● In the process he denounced cultural convention of Chaturvarna.

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

Ø On the occasion of Sivarathri in 1888, Sri Narayana Guru, despite

belonging to a lower caste, installed an idol of Siva at Aravippuram in
Kerala in his effort to show that the consecration of a god's image was not a
monopoly of the brahmins.

Ø On the wall of the temple he got inscribed the words, "Devoid of dividing
walls of caste or race, or hatred of rival faith, we all live here in
brotherhood."

Ø The event inspired several socio-religious reform movements in the South,

especially the Temple Entry Movement.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Temple Entry Movement
Ø Significant work in this direction had already been done by reformers and intellectuals like Sri Narayana Guru,
N. Kumaran Asan, T.K. Madhavan etc.

Ø 1924: Vaikom Satyagraha led by K.P. Kesava, was launched in Kerala demanding the throwing open of Hindu
temples & roads to the untouchables.

Ø The satyagraha was reinforced by jathas from Punjab & Madurai.

Ø Gandhi undertook a tour of Kerala in support of the movement.
Ø Again in 1931 when the Civil Disobedience Movement was suspended, temple entry movement was organized
in Kerala.

Ø Inspired by K. Kelappan, poet Subramaniyam Tirurnambu (the 'singing sword of Kerala') led a group of 16
volunteers to Guruvayur.

Ø Leaders like P. Krishna Pillai & A.K. Gopalan were among the satyagrahis.

Ø Finally, in 1936 the Maharaja of Travancore issued a proclamation throwing open all government-controlled
temples to all Hindus.
Ø A similar step was taken by the C. Rajagopalachari administration in Madras in 1938.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Justice Movement
● Madras Presidency of British India.

● It was established in 1917 by C.N. Mudaliar, T.M. Nair & P.

Tyagaraja as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences &
meetings in the presidency.

● Communal division between Brahmins & non-Brahmins began in

the presidency during the late-19th & early-20th century, mainly
due to caste prejudices & disproportionate Brahminical
representation in government jobs.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● They demanded separate representations for the lower castes in
the legislature.

● The Justice Party's foundation marked the culmination of several

efforts to establish an organisation to represent the non-
Brahmins in Madras.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
E. V. Ramasamy Naicker (1879 – 1973)
• E.V. Ramaswamy came from a middle-class family.

• Interestingly, he had been an ascetic in his early life & had

studied Sanskrit scriptures carefully.

• Later, he became a member of the Congress, only to leave it in

disgust when he found that at a feast organised by nationalists,
seating arrangements followed caste distinctions.

• Convinced that untouchables had to fight for their dignity, he

founded the Self Respect Movement (1925) in Tamil Nadu.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Self- Respect Movement
● In the early 20th century, the non-Brahman movement started.

● The initiative came from those non-Brahmin castes that had

acquired access to education, wealth & influence.

● The movement aimed to achieve a society where backward

castes have equal human rights, & encouraged backward castes
to have self-respect in the context of a caste-based society that
considered them to be a lower end of the hierarchy.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● The movement aimed at nothing short of a rejection of the
Brahmanical religion & culture.
● Periyar was an outspoken critic of Hindu scriptures, especially
the Codes of Manu, the ancient lawgiver, & the Bhagavad Gita &
the Ramayana.
● He said that these texts had been used to establish the authority
of Brahmans over lower castes & the domination of men over
women.

● He argued that untouchables were the true upholders of an

original Tamil & Dravidian culture which had been subjugated by
Brahmans.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● The movement was extremely influential not just in Tamil Nadu,
but also overseas in countries with large Tamil populations, such
as Malaysia & Singapore.

● “We are fit to think of 'self-respect' only when the notion of

'superior' & 'inferior' caste is banished from our land“

● Self-respect marriage system

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya
● Mahamana emerged as a notable leader of the Indian National
Movement.
● He was the founder of Banaras Hindu University ( 1916)
● 1887: He established Bharat Dharma Mahamandal, to propagate
Sanatan Dharma & Hindu culture.

● The offshoots of the Mahamandala were the Sanatan Dharma

Sabhas, founded for the defence of Hinduism from critics both
within the community & outside it.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● 1918: Presided over the Delhi Congress Session & said that the
slogan ‘Satyameva Jayate’ (Truth alone triumphs) from the
Mundaka Upanishad should be the slogan for the nation.

● Pt Malaviya condemned untouchability & emerged as a key leader

for the Harijan movement. In 1933, he presided at a meeting in
which the Harijan Sevak Sangh was founded.

● He worked for the eradication of various religious and caste barriers

& made massive efforts for the entry of untouchables in temples.
● 2014: Posthumously conferred with Bharat Ratna.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Mahad Satyagraha or Chavdar Tale Satyagraha
Ø Satyagraha led by B. R. Ambedkar on 20 March 1927 to allow untouchables to use
water in a public tank in Mahad (currently in Raigad district).

Ø The day (20 March) is observed as Social Empowerment day in India.

Ø August 1923: Bombay Legislative Council passed a resolution that people from the
depressed classes should be allowed to use places which were built & maintained by
the Government.

Ø January 1924: Mahad which was part of the Bombay Province passed the resolution
in its municipal council to enforce the act.

Ø But it was failed to implement because of the protest from the savarna Hindus.

Ø 1927: Ambedkar decided to launch a satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) to assert

their rights to use water in the public places.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Mahad Satyagraha or Chavdar Tale Satyagraha
Ø Mahad, a town in Konkan, was selected for the event because it had a nucleus of support from
'caste hindus’.

Ø These included A.V.Chitre, an activist from the Marathi Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP)
community; G.N.Sahasrabudhe, a Chitpawan Brahmin of the Social Service League
& Surendranath Tipnis, a CKP who was president of the Mahad municipality.

Ø Surendranath Tipnis, the president of the Mahad municipality declared its public spaces open to
untouchables & invited Ambedkar to hold a meeting at Mahad in 1927.

Ø After the meeting, they proceeded to the 'Chowder tank'. Ambedkar drank water from the tank
& thousands of untouchables followed him.

Ø Ambedkar also made a statement addressing the Dalit women during the Satyagraha.

Ø He asked them to abandon all old customs that provided recognizable markers of untouchability
& asked them to wear saris like high caste women.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
Radhaswami Movement
Ø Tulsi Ram, a banker from Agra, also known as Shiv Dayal Saheb, founded
this movement in 1861.

Ø They believe in one supreme being supremacy of the Guru, a company of

the pious people & a simple social life.

Ø Spiritual attainment, they believe does not call for renunciation of the worldly
life.

Ø They consider all religions to be true.

Ø While the sect has no belief in temples, shrines & sacred places, it considers
as necessary duties, works of faith & charity, service & prayer.

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

This Sangha in Mysore launched an anti-brahmin movement in 1905.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Dharma Sabha
● Radhakant Deb founded Dharma Sabha in 1830.

● It was an orthodox society which stood for preservation of status

quo in socio-religious matters, & opposed even the abolition of
sati.

● However, it favored the promotion of Western education, even

for girls.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Sarda Act
● Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 popularly known as the Sarda
Act after its sponsor Rai Sahib Harbilas Sarda to the British India
Legislature in India was passed in 1929, fixed the age of
marriage for girls at 14 years & boys at 18 years.
● It came into effect in 1930 & it applied to all of British India, not
just to Hindus.
● It was a result of social reform movement in India.
● The legislation was passed by the British Indian Government.
● However, the Act remained a dead letter during the colonial
period.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
2020
In the context of Indian history, the Rakhmabai case of 1884 revolved around

1. women's right to gain education

2. age of consent

3. restitution of conjugal rights

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
2020
The Vital-Vidhvansak, the first monthly journal to have the
untouchable people as its target audience was published by

(a) Gopal Baba Walangkar

(b) Jyotiba Phule

(c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

(d) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Religious Reform Among Parsis
● Bombay, 1851: Rehnumai Mazdayasan Sabha or Religious
Reform Association.
● Prominent leaders of the Sabha included Naoroji Furdunji
(President), Sorabji Shapurji Bengali (Secretary), KN Kama &
Dadabhai Naoroji

● Dadabhai was one of the founders of an association to reform

the Zoroastrian religion & the Parsi Law Association which
agitated for the grant of a legal status to women & for uniform
laws of inheritance & marriage for the Parsis.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● The message of reform was spread by the newspaper Rast
Goftar (Truth-Teller).
● The Anglo-Gujarati newspaper started by Naoroji & Kama in
1851 was the main organ of the association; it championed
social reform among the Parsis.
● It campaigned against the entrenched orthodoxy in the religious
field
● Initiated the modernization of Parsi social customs regarding the
education of women, marriage & the social position of women in
general.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Muslim Reform Movement
● While the Hindu community responded to Western influences with a
desire to learn, the first reaction of Muslim community was to shut
itself in a shell & resist all forces of change.

● Hence Muslim reform movements arose relatively later, i.e. only

after 1860s.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
● Started the Aligarh movement
● Impressed by modern scientific thought & worked all his life to
reconcile it with Islam.
● This he did, first of all, by declaring that the Quran alone was the
authoritative work for Islam & all other Islamic writings were
secondary.
● According to him Muslim women should be given political &
economic rights.
● 1875: Set up Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Insisted on cooperation with Britishers & reforms among
Muslims.
● Persuaded Muslims to receive modern education.
● Opposed purdah ,polygamy, easy divorce etc.
● His loyal followers are collectively described as the Aligarh
School.
● Chiragh Ali, the Urdu poet Altaf Husain Hali, Nazir Ahmad, &
Maulana Shibli Nomani were some of the other distinguished
leaders of the Aligarh School.

● Syed's progressive social ideas were propagated through his

magazine Tahdhib-ul-Akhlaq.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Muhammad Iqbal
● One of the greatest poets of modern India
● Influenced through his poetry the philosophical & religious
outlook of the younger generation of Muslims as well as of
Hindus.

● Like Vivekananda, emphasized the need for constant change and

ceaseless activity & condemned resignation, contemplation, &
quiet contentment.

● He urged the adoption of a dynamic outlook that would help

change the world.
● A humanist.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● In fact he raised human action to the status of a prime virtue.

● Man should not submit to nature or powers that be, he said, but
should control this world through constant activity.

● Nothing, was more sinful in his eyes than passive acceptance of

things as they were.
● Condemning ritualism, asceticism, & other worldly attitude, he
urged men to work for & achieve happiness in this world of the
living.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Wahabi/ Waliullah Movement
● The Wahabi Movement was the 1st Muslim movement to emerge in
response to Western influences.
● It was a revivalist movement which tried to purify Islam of all the
un-Islamic practices that had crept into Muslim society through the
ages.

● The movement was led by Abdul Wahab of Arabia as well as Delhi's

Saint Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (1702-62).
● In India, their teachings were popularised by Syed Ahmed Barelvi
(also known as Syed Ahmed of Rae Bareilly) & Shah Abdul Aziz.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Barelvi condemned all innovations in Islam and advocated a return
to original religion of Islam & Islamic society of Arabia as it was
during the Prophet's times.

● Barelvi & Aziz gave the movement a political color & aimed at
creating a Muslim homeland.
● Aziz set out a fatwa (ruling) declaring that India was Dar-ul-harb &
the need was to make it Dar-ul-Islam.

● Jihad was initially declared against the Sikhs of Punjab then ruled
by Ranjit Singh.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● After the British annexation of Punjab, jihad was directed against
the British.
● During the Revolt of 1857, the Wahabis played a significant role in
spreading anti-British sentiments.
● The movement was suppressed by the British in the presence of
superior military might.
● 1870: The term 'sedition' was added in the IPC to outlaw speech
that attempted to ‘excite disaffection towards the government
established by law in India’; thus, this movement marked the
beginning of sedition law in India.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Titu Mir Movement
● Mir Nithar Ali, popularly known as Titu Mir, was a disciple of
Sayyid Ahmad Barelvi, the founder of the Wahhabi Movement.

● Titu Mir adopted Wahhabism and advocated the Sharia.

● Titu organised a peasant agitation of the Muslim peasants of

Bengal against the Hindu landlords & the British Indigo planters.

● Mir was killed in a confrontation with the British in 1831.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Faraizi Movement
● Founder: Haji Shariatullah of Faridipur.
● The Faraizi movement originally began as a peasant movement
directed against the landlords & the British oppressors.
● However, under the leadership of Dudu Mian (founder's son), the
Faraizis turned into a religious sect, advocating radical religious &
socio-political changes.
● Dudu Miyan propagated an egalitarian ideology—that all men are
equal & that all land belongs to God & no one has the right to levy
tax on it. He took upon himself the task of driving away the British
intruders from Bengal.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Deoband School
● Also known as 'Darul-Uloom Deoband',

● Was organized by the orthodox section among the Muslim ulema

who stressed on the traditional Islamic learning.

● It was a revivalist movement which focused mainly on the

attainment of 2 objectives:

○ Propagating the pure teachings of the Quran & the Hadis

among the Muslims.
○ Keeping alive the spirit of Jihad against the British rulers.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● 1866: The Deoband School was founded at Deoband town in
Saharanpur by the ulema under the leadership of Muhammad
Qasim Nanotvi (1832-80) & Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (1828-1905).

● The school curricula included original Islamic religion & it totally

shut out English education & Western culture.

● The aim was religious & moral regeneration of the Muslim

community & to train religious leaders for the Muslim community.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Mahmud-ul-Hasan (1851-1920), the new leader, tried to work out a
balance between the religious & political aspirations of the Muslims
in the overall context of national unity.
● He thus added a political & intellectual content to the religious ideas
of the school.
● The Jamat-ul-Ulema later gave a concrete shape to Hasan's ideas.
● Shibli Nomani, a supporter of the Deoband School, favored the
introduction of English language & Western sciences in the
education system.
● He founded the Darul-Uloom in Lucknow in 1894-96.
● He had faith in the idealism of Congress & advocated peaceful co-
existence between the Hindus & the Muslims.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Ahmediya Movement
● It was an Islamic religious movement founded in Punjab towards
the end of the 19th century.
● The movement takes its name from its founder Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad (1835-1909) born in the town of Qadian (Punjab), who
claimed that he was the awaited Messiah prophesied by Prophet
Muhammad & foretold by the Holy Quran.

● He proclaimed that Muslim religion & society has deteriorated to

the point requiring divine intervention & that Allah has chosen
him as the renewer (Mujaddid) of Islam.
Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● Mirza Ghulam Ahmad stated that all the major world religions
were propounded by God himself & were part of God's plan
towards the establishment of Islam as the most complete & final
religion.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 The Sikh Movement
● Baba Dayal Das (1783-1855) a contemporary of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh, emerged as the 1st among the reformers of Sikh
community.

● Baba Dayal taught his followers to believe in one formless God

(hence the name Nirankari).

● He preached against idol worship of human gurus & worship of

tombs & graves.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● He introduced a simple version of marriage named 'Anand Karat
(a joyous deed).

● Under this system, marriage is performed in the presence of the

Guru Granth, the holy book of the Sikhs with the priest singing
four relevant hymns from this book.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Namdhari or Kuka Movement
● 1840: Namdhari Movement was started by Bhagat Jawaharmal
(Sian Saheb) & Baba Balak Singh in western Punjab.

● It was popularly called 'Kuka' because its followers resorted to

shrieks (kukan) while in ecstasy.
● It emerged as a powerful instrument of socio-religious reform
among the Sikhs under Baba Ram Singh, who preached worship
of one God & attacked social evils like caste system, female
infanticide, early marriage & barter of daughters in marriage.

● He also popularised simple & inexpensive Anand marriages.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Singh Sabha Movement
● The year following the suppression of the Kukas saw the
emergence of the Singh Sabha Movement (1873, Amritsar).

● The movement was founded in an era when Sikh Empire had

been dissolved & annexed by the British, Khalsa had lost its
prestige & mainstream Sikhs were rapidly converting to other
religions.

● Its leaders believed that social evils in the Sikh community were
chiefly due to lack of education.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Singh Sabha Movement
● It was thus founded with two-fold objectives:

○ To bring to the Sikh community the benefits of Western

enlightenment through modern education.

○ To oppose the proselytizing activities of the Christian

missionaries, Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, the Aligarh &
Ahmadiyya Movements.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 The Akali Movement
● The Akali movement (also known as Gurudwara Reform
Movement) was an offshoot of the Singh Sabha Movement.

● It aimed at liberating the Sikh gurudwaras from the control of

corrupt Udasi mahants (the post having become hereditary).

● These mahants were a loyalist & reactionary lot, enjoying

government patronage.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
● The government tried its repressive policies against the non-
violent non-cooperation satyagraha launched by the Akalis in
1921, but had to bow before popular demands;

a. It passed the Sikh Gurdwaras Act in 1922 (amended in 1925)

which gave the control of gurudwaras to the Sikh masses to
be administered through Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak
Committee (SGPC) as the apex body.
b. The Akali Movement was a regional movement but not a
communal one.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Impact
Wave of reforms:
● Removal of Sati
● Child infanticide banned
● Widow remarriage Act in 1856.
● Focus on Education
● National Orientation
● Cultural consciousness
● Woman Empowerment
● Marriageable age of girls was raised 1860.

Modern History: Module – VIII (Socio - Religious Reform Movements in 19th Century)
 Negative Effect
● Communal consciousness

● Caste based identity

● Community orientation rather than national orientation

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