SOCIO RELIGIOUS REFORM MOVEMENTS

SOURCES
1) X - SOCIAL SCIENCE UNIT 5, 10 “SCAN QR
CODE FOR
2) XII - HISTORT UNIT 19 FULL
DOCUMENTS”
3) XII(OLD) - HISTORY UNIT 13

T
he reform movements of nineteenth century in the In TamilNadu:
realm of religion fall under two broad
categories:1)Reformist-Brahmo Samaj, the
Prarthana Samaj and the Aligarh Movement etc • Kasi Viswanatha Mudaliar was an adherent of the
2)Revivalist Arya Samaj,Ramakrishna Mission and the Samaj and he wrote a play titled Brahmo Samaja
Deoband Movement. Natakam to expound the ideas of the Samaj.

• He also wrote a tract in support of widow remarriage.

EARLY REFORM MOVEMENTS IN BENGAL In 1864, a Tamil journal titled Tathuva Bodhini was
started for the cause of the Brahmo Samaj
1. RAJA RAMMOHAN ROY (1772-1833)
4. ISHWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR(1821-1891)
• Rammohan Roy founded the Atmiya Sabha in 1815.
Later it developed into Brahmo Samaj on 20 August
• Vidyasagar argued that the Hindu scriptures were
1828.
progressive.

• In 1817, he founded the Hindu College (now

• He played a leading role in promoting education of
Presidency College, Calcutta) along with David
girls and helped them in setting up a number of
Hare, a missionary.
schools.

• Rammohan Roy started the first Bengali weekly

• The movement led by Vidyasagar, resulted in the
Samvad Kaumudi and edited a Persian weekly
Widows Remarriage Reform Act of 1856.
Mirat-ul-akhbar.

• It was also to the credit of Vidyasagar that the first age

• Rammohan Roy was opposed to meaningless
of consent was included in the Indian Penal code,
religious ceremonies and all forms of pernicious
which was enacted in1860. 'The age for marriage was
social customs.
fixed as ten years. It was raised to twelve and thirteen
years in 1891 and 1925 respectively
• He was deeply influenced by monotheism and anti-
idolatry.The Samaj forbade idol-worship and
condemned meaningless religious rites and 5. PRARTHANA SAMAJ ( MAHARASTRA)
ceremonies.
• A movement similar to the Brahmo Samaj, but founded
• His tract written in 1818, A Conference Between an in Bombay in 1867, was Prarthana Samai.
Advocate for and an Opponent of the Practice of
Burning Widows, cited sacred texts to prove that no • Its founder was Dr. Atma Ram Pandurang (1825-
religion sanctioned the burning alive of widows. 1898)Two distinguished members were R.C.
Bhandarkar, Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade & K.T
• His campaign played a key role in forcing the Telang.
Governor-General William Bentinck's legislation
abolishing sati in 1829. • Activities: inter-caste dining, inter-caste marriage,
widow remarriage and improvement of women and
depressed classes.
2. YOUNG BENGAL MOVEMENT
• Ranade (1842-1901) was the founder of the Widow
• Henry Vivian Derozio was the founder of the Young
Marriage Association (1861), the Poona Sarvajanik
Bengal Movement
Sabha (1870) and the Deccan Education Society
(1884).
• His followers were known as the Derozians and they
attacked old traditions and decadent customs.
HINDU REVIVALISM
3. MAHARISHI DEBENDRANATH TAGORE
(1817-1905) 1. SWAMI DAYANAND SARASWATI

• In Bombay, Reform Movement spearheaded by Arya

• After the death of Raja Ram Mohan Roy Brahmo
Samaj (1875) founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati
Samaj was managed by Debendranath Tagore.
(1824-83).

• Brahmo Samaj broke into two namely Devendranath

• Movement became powerful in Punjab
Tagore's, 'Brahmo Samaj of India' and Keshub
Chandra Sen's 'Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.
• Book - Satyarthaprakash.He also rejected
superstitious beliefs in Hinduism and his cry was "go
back to Vedas.”