Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Social and Religious Reforms from Class 7 Social_Science.
The implementation of the western system of education brought about a new awakening among Indians. Indian reformers started finding new ways and means to bring social reforms to India. Now, let us learn about the socio-religious reformers of the 19th century who strived towards reforming Indian society by establishing various organizations. Our lesson covers three main competencies. First, to gain knowledge about the factors that led to the awakening of Indian society in the 19th century and the efforts of thinkers. Second, to recall the contributions of the reformers and their organizations towards social awakening. Third, to gain knowledge of the effects of the social reformation movement.
[CHECKPOINT]
As a result of the introduction of modern Western philosophy, there was a new awakening in India. Western culture, clothing, behaviour, society, religious ideas, beliefs, and British social ideals had a profound effect on Indians. Indians were especially influenced by western scientific thought, humanism, and rationalism. All these formed the cause of the Indian Renaissance during British colonization. Renaissance was the awareness of aspirations of equality. This was also known as Social and Religious Reformation. This movement laid emphasis on the social empowerment of Dalits and women. There have been discussions that the British imposed imperialism, maintaining that English education was the only path towards liberation for Indians.
[CHECKPOINT]
Let us begin with the Brahma Samaj, established in 1828. In modern times, Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the foremost among those who created social awareness among Indians. He was rightly called the Father of Indian Renaissance by Rabindranath Tagore. With an intention to revive the sluggish Indian society, he established an organization known as Atmiya Sabha in 1814. It closed down in 1819. In 1828, he established Brahma Sabha, which was renamed Brahma Samaj the following year. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the representative of a harmonious blend of Eastern and Western philosophies. Brahma Samaj vehemently opposed practices of sati, the caste system, idol worship, polygamy, child marriage, and all kinds of superstitions. Roy and his followers appealed to the British Government to eradicate the meaningless practice of sati. Thus, Governor General William Bentinck declared that the practice of sati was illegal in 1829. Roy firmly believed that inhuman practices could be eradicated through western education. He advocated widow marriage and monotheism, and began his social reformation movement by starting a newspaper named Samvada Kaumudi. He attempted to cleanse the Hindu religion through rationalism, and to justify his stand, he translated five Upanishads from Sanskrit to Bengali. Roy was one of the earliest persons to advocate English education. He ran an English school using his own funds, established a College of Vedanta, and was a pioneer in journalism, publishing many magazines. To sum up, he dedicated his life to fighting against social injustice. Devendranath Tagore and Keshab Chandra Sen continued his social reformist activities. A special note: the title Raja was given to Ram Mohan Roy by the Mughal emperor in 1829.
[CHECKPOINT]
Next is the Prarthana Samaj, started in 1867 by Atmaram Panduranga. After the Brahma Samaj, this was a prominent social reformist organization that started in the Bombay province, present-day Mumbai. Bal Wagle, N.G. Chandavarkar, and M.G. Ranade were its main leaders. They paid attention to widow marriage, inter-caste marriage, upliftment of women, and development of the deprived classes. They also started ashrams for the destitutes and orphans, and opened educational institutions for the welfare of widows.
Moving to the Satya Shodak Samaj, established in 1873. A non-Brahmin movement was started by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in Maharashtra. With an intention to create awareness among the lower strata of society, he established the Satya Shodak Samaj. He started schools for untouchables, orphans, and widows. He condemned the Brahmin priestly class and explained his philosophy in his book Gulamgiri, meaning Slavery. Along with his wife Savitribai, he opened a school for girls in Pune. In 1863, he attempted to put an end to female infanticide by starting rehabilitation centres for child widows, and encouraged widow remarriages. B.R. Ambedkar considered Mahatma Jyotiba Phule as his spiritual mentor.
[CHECKPOINT]
The reformist concerns of Raja Ram Mohan Roy inspired many young intellectuals in Bengal, paving the way for the Young Bengal Movement. The Anglo-Indian youth, Henri Vivian Derozio, was the leader of this movement. He gave a call to the youth to be independent and wise in their thinking. However, Indians did not respond appropriately to his call.
Now, let us explore the Arya Samaj, established in 1875. Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded it. His original name was Moolashankar. He wished that an ideal society which existed during the Vedic times in India should be re-established in the present times too. In this context, he gave the call: Return to the Vedas. He condemned idol worship, untouchability, child marriage, and the caste system. He encouraged inter-caste marriage and widow remarriage, and advocated monotheism. Dayananda Saraswati expressed his thoughts in his famous work Satyartha Prakasha. Arya Samaj worked towards the development of education in India and gave an impetus to the national movement. Arya Samaj leader Lala Hamsaraj established the Dayananda Anglo-Vedic School in Lahore in 1886. National leaders like Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai were profoundly influenced by its philosophy. Dayananda Saraswati’s disciple, Shraddananda, began the Shuddhi Movement to bring back to the Hindu religion all those who had converted to other religions. Dayananda opposed the acquisition of authority by Brahmins only on the basis of birth, declared that everybody including women had the right to study the Vedas, and supported the worship of cows. To sum up, Arya Samaj was a movement that inspired feelings of Swarajya and Swadeshi.
[CHECKPOINT]
Let us visualize the map of social and religious reformist movement centres across India. The map shows the Indian subcontinent bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east. In the north, Lahore is marked as the centre of the Arya Samaj. Moving east, Aligarh is the centre of the Aligarh movement. In the west, Mumbai is identified for the Prarthana Samaj, and nearby Pune for the Satya Shodhak Samaj. In the east, Kolkata is the hub for both the Brahma Samaj and the Ramakrishna Mission. In the south, Chennai, specifically Adyar, is marked for the Theosophical Society. The map also shows neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
Next, we learn about the Ramakrishna Mission, established in 1897. The call Arise! Awake! and Stop not till the goal is reached was given by Swami Vivekananda. His original name was Narendranath Dutta, born on 12 January 1863 at Kolkata. He was a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and later became a monk. After the demise of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the responsibility of bringing together all his disciples and guiding them fell on Narendranath’s shoulders. In 1892, heeding the suggestion of the king of Khetri, Ajith Singh, Narendranath Dutta was renamed Swami Vivekananda. He participated in the first Parliament of World Religions in 1893 at Chicago, representing the Hindu religion. The speech he gave there about Vedanta made him famous worldwide. He was attracted by the many achievements of western culture and equality shown to women. Vivekananda toured the length and breadth of India on foot and was moved by the plight of society in the country. He used to say that, as long as there is starvation, poverty and ignorance in the world, he would repeatedly take birth to alleviate all those problems.
[CHECKPOINT]
Pandit Eshwarchandra Vidyasagar started a Sanskrit College for non-Brahmin students. In 1856, for the first time, a widow remarriage in the upper class took place legally in Kolkata, under his leadership. Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Mission in order to continue his humanitarian work and social service. Having a lot of respect and concern for women, he emphasized that the upliftment of women is the upliftment of the nation. He urged everyone to help the poor. To sum up, he dreamt about the excellence of India. Bal Gangadhar Tilak described Swami Vivekananda as the True Father of Indian Nationalism. Many national leaders including Subhash Chandra Bose were influenced by his writings. Before going to the Parliament of World Religions, Swami Vivekananda paid a visit to the Mysore province. Chamarajendra Wodeyar X, who invited Vivekananda to his palace, provided financial assistance to him to attend the Conference. On the advice of Vivekananda, the king started three separate schools for Dalits.
[CHECKPOINT]
Now, the Theosophical Society, established in 1875. It was established at New York by the Russian lady, Madame H.P. Blavatsky, and an American colonel, H.S. Olcott. They came to India and established the Society's International Office at Adyar, near Chennai. Later, Dr. Annie Besant became its President. She was influenced by Indian culture and translated the Bhagavadgita into English. She published the newspapers New India and Commonweal. She became a powerful force in taking the Indian Theosophical movement forward. The objectives of the Theosophical Society are: first, to establish Universal Brotherhood, irrespective of all differences. Second, to do a comparative study of Religion, Philosophy and Science. Third, to investigate the unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man. Annie Besant established the Central Hindu College at Benaras, which later became Benaras Hindu University. She began the Home Rule Movement too. She was the first lady President of the Indian National Congress in 1917.
[CHECKPOINT]
Let us move to the Aligarh Movement and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. The majority of Muslims viewed western education with suspicion and believed it was against their religious interests. In 1863, Nawab Abdul Latif established the Mohammedan Literary Society to spread English education and promote harmony between Hindus and Muslims. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan gave these attempts the nature of a movement. Born in 1817 at Delhi, he was appointed as a Judicial Officer in the British East India Company. He saw that his community had lost economic and social opportunities due to a lack of English education. Hence, he desired that his community would find suitable representation in the government by getting educated. As a social reformer, he opposed the purdah system, polygamy, and the system of talaq. He began the Translation Society to enable translation of English scientific and literary works into Urdu, later renamed the Scientific Society. To spread scientific thinking among Muslims, he started the magazine Aligarh Institute Gazette in both English and Urdu. In 1875, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan established the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College, which transformed into Aligarh Muslim University in 1920.
[CHECKPOINT]
Next is Sri Narayana Guru, well-known as a saint and social reformer. He was born in 1854 in a family of the Ezhava community in Tiruvankur. In 1903, he established an organization named Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam. Through it, he strived to achieve social, economic, and cultural progress of the Ezhava and other backward communities of Kerala. He opposed the caste system and animal sacrifice. He started Sanskrit schools and gave admission to everybody, irrespective of caste and religion. He built around 30 temples, and all people of Kerala, including untouchables, were allowed to enter them. He wanted every temple to have a good library with the holy books of all religions. His vision is evident in the statement: One God, One Religion and One Caste. Even Karnataka came under his influence. He passed away in 1928.
[CHECKPOINT]
Now, we learn about Woman Social Reformers. The main figures are Madam H.P. Blavatsky, Annie Besant, Savithribai Phule, Tharabai Shinde, and Panditha Ramabai. Savithribai Phule was a prominent social and educational reformer and poetess. She started a school for girls in Pune with her husband Jyotiba Phule and worked as a teacher there. She tried to stop infanticide by opening a rehabilitation centre for child widows. She fought against gender discrimination and the caste system, facing societal resistance. She shouldered the responsibility of the social struggle waged by her husband. She led the Sathya Shodhak Samaj after his death. While treating plague patients along with her son, she died of the plague. Her friend Fatima Sheikh accompanied her in all her struggles. Tharabai Shinde is the first woman freedom fighter of Maharashtra. As a member of the Sathya Shodak Samaj, she participated actively in social struggles. She backed the protection of child widows and widow remarriages, and strongly opposed the exploitation of women in her book Stri Purush Tulana. Panditha Ramabai was a famous Christian Reformer of India. Born in Gangamoola to Anantha Shastri Dongre and Lakshmibai, she received education against the practice of the times. She accepted Christianity while studying in England. She dedicated her life to the betterment of women and established Mukti Mission in 1889. This institution remains active today, providing rehabilitation to widows, orphans, and alcoholics.
[CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us carefully go through the textbook exercises. Exercise One: Fill in the blanks. One: Raja Ram Mohan Roy started Samvada Kaumudi. Two: Mahatma Jyotiba Phule wrote the book Gulamgiri. Three: Dayananda Anglo Vedic College in Lahore was started by Lala Hamsaraj. Four: Panditha Ramabai started Mukti Mission for the upliftment of women. Exercise Two: Answer in a word or sentence. Five: Raja Ram Mohan Roy is called the Father of Indian Renaissance. Six: Mahadev Govind Ranade was a main leader of the Prarthana Samaj. Seven: Mahatma Jyotiba Phule is the founder of Satya Shodak Samaj. Eight: Swami Vivekananda gave the call Arise! Awake! Stop not till the goal is reached. Nine: Annie Besant was President of the Theosophical Society, translated the Bhagavadgita, published New India and Commonweal, established Central Hindu College, began the Home Rule Movement, and became the first woman President of the Indian National Congress in 1917. Ten: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was the leader of the Aligarh Movement. Eleven: Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam was the institution started by Sri Narayana Guru. Twelve: Tharabai Shinde was the author of Stri Purush Tulana. Thirteen: Panditha Ramabai was the famous Christian social reformer of India.
[CHECKPOINT]
Exercise Three: Discuss in groups. Fourteen: Raja Ram Mohan Roy established Atmiya Sabha in 1814 and Brahma Sabha in 1828, later renamed Brahma Samaj. He opposed sati, caste system, idol worship, polygamy, child marriage, and superstitions. His appeals led Governor General William Bentinck to ban sati in 1829. He advocated widow marriage, monotheism, and western education, started Samvada Kaumudi, translated five Upanishads, ran an English school, established a College of Vedanta, and pioneered journalism to fight social injustice. Fifteen: Jyotiba Phule started a non-Brahmin movement and founded Satya Shodak Samaj in 1873. He opened schools for untouchables, orphans, and widows, condemned the Brahmin priestly class, wrote Gulamgiri, opened a girls school in Pune with Savitribai, started rehabilitation centres for child widows in 1863 to stop infanticide, encouraged widow remarriages, and mentored B.R. Ambedkar. Sixteen: The Theosophical Society aims to establish Universal Brotherhood, comparatively study Religion, Philosophy and Science, and investigate unexplained laws of Nature and latent human powers. Seventeen: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan promoted Muslim education, opposed purdah, polygamy, and talaq, founded the Scientific Society, published Aligarh Institute Gazette, and established the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875, which became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. Eighteen: Sri Narayana Guru founded SNDP Yogam in 1903 for backward communities, opposed caste and animal sacrifice, opened inclusive Sanskrit schools, built 30 temples open to all, advocated temple libraries with all religious texts, and promoted One God, One Religion, One Caste. Nineteen: Panditha Ramabai received education against norms, converted to Christianity in England, and founded Mukti Mission in 1889 to rehabilitate widows, orphans, and alcoholics, remaining active today.
[CHECKPOINT]
Exercise Four: Match the following. One, Swami Vivekananda matches with Ramakrishna Mission. Two, Swami Dayananda Saraswati matches with Arya Samaja. Three, Syed Ahmad Khan matches with Aligarh Movement. Four, Jyotiba Phule matches with Sathya Shodhak Samaja. Five, Annie Besant matches with Theosophical society. Exercise Five: Discuss. Upliftment of women is upliftment of the nation. Is this relevant today? Yes, it remains highly relevant. Educated and empowered women drive economic, social, and cultural progress, leading to healthier families, better educated children, and stronger communities, proving national development depends on women's upliftment.
[CHECKPOINT]
Finally, let us complete the textbook activities. First, collect information on Vivekananda's Chicago speech. You will find he began with Sisters and Brothers of America, receiving a standing ovation, and spoke on Vedanta's universality and religious tolerance. Second, collect more on Sri Narayana Guru. Explore his literary works, temple entry movements, and lasting impact on Kerala's reform history. Third, read biographies of M.G. Ranade, Jyotiba Phule, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, and Sri Narayana Guru. Refer to the Bharata Bharati series for their inspiring lives.
I hope this lesson has helped you understand the great social and religious reformers who shaped modern India. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]