Rajarammohan

Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj
Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833), often called the father of Indian

Renaissance and the maker of Modern India. Father of Modern India’
or ‘Father of the Bengal Renaissance’.
In 1814, he set up the Atmiya Sabha (or Society of Friends) in Calcutta
to propagate the monotheistic ideals of the Vedanta and to campaign
against idolatry, caste rigidities, meaningless rituals and other social ills.
Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha in August 1828; it
was later renamed Brahmo Samaj. The long-term agenda of the
Brahmo Samaj—to purify Hinduism and to preach Monotheism—was
based on the twin pillars of reason and the Vedas and Upanishads.
Roy’s progressive ideas met with Strong opposition from orthodox
elements like Raja Radhakant Deb who organised the Dharma Sabha to
counter Brahmo Samaj propaganda.
Rammohan was a determined crusader against the inhuman Practice of
sati. He started his anti-sati struggle in 1818 and He cited sacred texts
to prove his contention that no religion Sanctioned the burning alive of
widows, besides appealing to Humanity, reason and compassion. His
efforts were rewarded by the Government Regulation in 1829 which
declared the practice of sati a Crime.
Roy’s death in 1833 was a setback for the Samaj’s mission.
Debendranath Tagore and Brahmo Samaj
Maharishi Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905), father of Rabindranath
Tagore founded Tattvabodhini Sabha in 1839. He joined the Samaj in
1842 and gave a new life to Brahmo Samaj and a definite form and
shape to the theist movement.
Keshab Chandra Sen and the Brahmo Samaj
Keshab Chandra Sen (1838-1884) was made the acharya by
Debendranath Tagore soon after the he joined the Brahmo Samaj in
1858.
Debendranath did not like some of Sen’s ideas which he found too
radical, such as cosmopolitanisation of the Samaj’s meetings by
inclusion of teachings from all religions and his strong views against the
caste system, even open support to inter-caste marriages. Keshab
Chandra Sen was dismissed from the office of acharya in 1865.
As a result;
Keshab and his followers founded the Brahmo Samaj of India in 1866,
while Debendranath Tagore’s Samaj came to be known as the Adi
Brahmo Samaj.
In 1878, Keshab’s inexplicable act of getting his thirteen-year-old
daughter married to the minor Hindu Maharaja of Cooch-Behar with all
the orthodox Hindu rituals caused another split in Keshab’s Brahmo
Samaj of India. Earlier, Keshab had begun to be considered as an
incarnation by some of his followers, much to the dislike of his
progressive followers. Further, Keshab had begun to be accused of
authoritarianism.
After 1878, the disgusted followers of Keshab set up a new
organisation, the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.
The Sadharan Brahmo Samaj was started by Ananda Mohan
Bose,Shibchandra Deb and Umesh Chandra Datta.
In Punjab, the Dayal Singh Trust sought to implant Brahmo ideas by
the opening of Dayal Singh College at Lahore in 1910.
Prarthana Samaj
In 1867, Keshab Chandra Sen helped Atmaram Pandurang
found the Prarthana Samaj in Bombay. Mahadeo Govind
Ranade joined the samaj in 1870, and much of the popularity
of and work done by the society was due to his efforts. His
efforts made the samaj gain an all-India character.
The samaj relied on education and persuasion and not on
confrontation with Hindu orthodoxy. There was a four-point
social agenda also:
(i) disapproval of caste systemSystem
(ii) women’s education,
(iii) widow remarriage, and
(iv) raising the age of marriage for both males and
females.
‘Young Bengal Movement’

It was radical, intellectual trend among the youth in Bengal. A
young Anglo-Indian, Henry Vivian Derozio (1809-31), who the
Hindu College from 1826 to 1831, was the leader and inspirer
of this progressive trend. Drawing inspiration from the great
French Revolution, Derozio inspired his pupils to think freely
and rationally, question all authority, love liberty, equality and
freedom, and oppose decadent customs and traditions. The
Derozians also supported women’s rights and education. Also,
Derozio was perhaps the first nationalist poet of modern India.
Balshastri Jambhekar
Balshastri Jambhekar (1812-1846) was a pioneer of social
reform through journalism in Bombay; he attacked brahminical
orthodoxy and tried to reform popular Hinduism. He started
the newspaper Darpan in 1832. Known as the father of Marathi
journalism, Jambhekar used the Darpan to awaken the people
to awareness of social reforms, such as widow remarriage, and
to instil in the masses a scientific approach to life. In 1840, he
started Digdarshan which published articles on scientific
subjects as well as history.
Paramahansa Mandali
Founded in 1849 in Maharashtra, the founders of the
Paramahansa Mandali—Dadoba Pandurang, Mehtaji Durgaram
and others—began as a secret society that worked to reform
Hindu religion and society in general. The ideology of the
society was closely linked to that of the Manav DharmabSabha.
Besides believing that one god should be worshipped, the
society also said real religion is based on love and moral
conduct.
Satyashodhak Samaj and Jyotiba or Jyotirao Phule
Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth Seekers’ Society)
in 1873. Phule’s works, Sarvajanik Satyadharma and Gulamgiri,
became sources of inspiration for the common masses.
Phule was awarded the title ‘Mahatma’ for his social reform
work.
Gopalhari Deshmukh ‘Lokahitawadi’
Gopalhari Deshmukh (1823-1892) was a social reformer and
rationalist from Maharashtra. He held the post of a judge under
British raj, but wrote for a weekly Prabhakar under the pen
name of Lokahitawadi on social reform issues. He advocated a
reorganisation of Indian society on rational principles and
modern, humanistic, secular values. He attacked Hindu
orthodoxy and supported social and religious equality. He
wrote against the evils of the caste system. He said, “If religion
does not sanction social reform, then change religion.” He
started a weekly, Hitechhu, and also played a leading role in
founding the periodicals, Gyan Prakash, Indu Prakash and
Lokahitawadi.
Gopal Ganesh Agarkar was a principal of Fergusson College. He
was also the first editor of Kesari, the journal started by
Lokmanya Tilak. Later, he started his own periodical, Sudharak,
which spoke against untouchability and the caste system.
The Servants of India Society
Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1915), a liberal leader of the
Indian National Congress, founded the Servants of India Society
in 1905 with the help of M.G. Ranade. 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; and to prepare a cadre of selfless workers who
were to devote their lives to the cause of the country in a
religious spirit. In 1911, the Hitavada began to be published to
project the views of the society. The society chose to remain
aloof from political activities and organisations like the Indian
National Congress.
Social Service League
Narayan Malhar Joshi founded the Social Service League in
Bombay with an aim to secure for the masses better and
reasonable conditions of life and work. Joshi also founded the
All India Trade Union Congress (1920).
Ramakrishna Mission and Swami Vivekananda:
The 19th-century God-man of India was- Ramakrishna
Paramhansa and Vivekananda. Ramkrishna Paramhansa’s and
Vivekananda’s philosophies moved around the harmony of
religions. Ramakrishna Mission was founded in 1897 by the
favourite disciple of Ramkrishna Paramhansa i.e. Vivekananda
It was founded and conceived by Swami Vivekananda in 1897
that is around 11 years after the death of Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa.
Ramakrishna Paramhansa was a priest in a temple at
Dakshineswar near Calcutta. After coming in contact with the
leaders of other religions, he accepted the sanctity of all faiths.
Ramakrishna Mission was founded in 1897 by his favourite
disciple Vivekananda.
The mission stood for social service. The best way to serve God
is to serve mankind was its motto.
Vivekananda in 1893 participated in the All World Religions
Conference (Parliament of Religions) at Chicago in the U.S.A.
It was in 1898 that Swami Vivekananda acquired a large piece
of land at Belur where the Ramakrishna Math was finally
shifted and registered as such.
Arya Samaj
It was founded by Dayananda Saraswati or Mulshankar. The
first Arya Samaj unit was formally set up by him at Bombay in
1875 and later the headquarters of the Samaj were established
at Lahore.
Dayananda’s views were published in his famous work, Satyarth
Prakash (The True Exposition).
His vision of India included a classless and casteless society, a
united India (religiously, socially and nationally), and an India
free from foreign rule, with Aryan religion being the common
religion of all.
It should be clearly understood that Dayananda’s slogan of
‘Back to the Vedas’ was a call for a revival of Vedic learning and
Vedic purity of religion and not a revival of Vedic times.
Seva Sadan
A Parsi social reformer, Behramji M. Malabari (1853- 1912),
founded the Seva Sadan in 1908 along with a friend, Diwan
Dayaram Gidumal. Malabari spoke vigorously against Child
marriage and for widow remarriage among Hindus.
Dev Samaj
Founded in 1887 at Lahore by Shiv Narayan Agnihotri (1850-
1927), earlier a Brahmo follower, Dev Sadan is a religious And
social reform society.
Dharma Sabha
Radhakant Deb founded this sabha in 1830.
Radhaswami Movement
Tulsi Ram, a banker from Agra, also known as Shiv Dayal Saheb,
founded this movement in 1861.
Sree Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Movement
It was started by Sree Narayana Guru Swamy (1856- 1928)
among the Ezhavas of Kerala, who were a backward caste of
toddy-tappers and were considered to be untouchables, denied
education and entry into temples.
Self-Respect Movement
This movement was started by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, a
Balija Naidu, in the mid-1920s.
In 1924, the Vaikom Satyagraha led by K.P. Kesava, was

launched in Kerala demanding the throwing open of Hindu
temples and Roads to the untouchables
Indian Social Conference

Founded by M.G. Ranade and Raghunath Rao, the Indian Social
Conference met annually from its first session in Madras in
1887 at the same time and venue as the Indian National
Congress. The conference advocated inter-caste marriages,
opposed polygamy and kulinism. It launched the ‘Pledge
Movement’ to inspire people to take a pledge against child
marriage. It launched the ‘Pledge Movement’ to inspire people
to take a pledge against child marriage.

Rajarammohan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rajarammohan

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rajarammohan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj

Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833), often called the father of Indian

‘Young Bengal Movement’

In 1924, the Vaikom Satyagraha led by K.P. Kesava, was

Indian Social Conference

You might also like