SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN INDIA

1. SOCIAL REFORM
MOVEMENT IN INDIA
Yatheesh Bharadwaj H S
1st Mphil PSW
DIMHANS

2. CONTENT
• Meaning and definition of reform
• Concept of social reform
• Major Social reform movement in india

3. Reform
• to put or change into an improved form or condition.
• to amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults or abuses.
• to put an end to (an evil) by enforcing or introducing a better method or
course of action.
• Dissatisfaction in existing form.

4. Social reform
• Societies are complex, dynamic structures created by and for the governance
of human interactions through laws and cultural norms at various levels.
• A reform movement is a type of social movement that aims to gradually
change or improve certain aspects of society such as education or
healthcare.
• As a result of disagreement/ dissatisfaction

5. 19th century SRM
• The transformation of society began by Individual revolts against the
prescribed ways of behaving.
• All the social rebels at that time were called reformers
• They devoted their life for the cause of the society
• Advocates of alterations in existing social customs

6. Factors which gave Rise to Reform Movements
Presence of colonial government on Indian soil
Religious and Social Ills
Discrimination
Spread of Education and Increased Awareness of the World
Printing press

7. Characteristics of the Reform Movements
• All the reformers propagated the idea of one God and the basic unity of all
religions. Thus, they tried to bridge the gulf between different religious
beliefs
• All the reformers attacked priesthood, rituals, idolatry and polytheism. The
humanitarian aspect of these reform movements was expressed in their
attack on the caste system and the custom of child marriage.
• The reformers attempted to improve the status of girls and women in
society. They all emphasised the need for female education.

8. • By attacking the caste system and untouchability, the reformers helped to
unify the people of India into one nation.
• The reform movements fostered feelings of self-respect, self-reliance and
patriotism among the Indians.

9. Brahmo Movement
• RAMMOHUN ROY (1774-1833)
• Stimulated by the Western ideas and Western values.
• He represented a synthesis of the thought of East and west.
• In 1809 he wrote in Persian his famous work Gift to Monotheists.
• Started Atmiya Sabha(1814)
• Establishment of Brahma samaj-1828-Wanted to purge the Hinduism from
its evil practices followed in the name of religion

10. • Vigorously opposed idol worship, and believed in shapeless, invisible,
omnipresent god.
• In 1820 he published Precepts of Jesus in which he wanted to separate the
moral messages of Christianity from the miracles
• Abolition of Sati in 1829
• Propagators of modern education in Bengal/India
• n 1825, he established Vedanta College
• According to him one of the aims of the religious reform is political uplift.
• Was a pioneer in Indian journalism and published journals in Bengali,
Persian Hindi and English
• Initiator of public agitation on political questions in the country

11. YOUNG BENGAL MOVEMENT
• Henry Vivian Derozio
• Derozio promoted radical ideas through his teachings and by organizing an
association for debates and discussions on Literature, History, Philosophy
and Science.
• Derozio wanted to spread intellectual revolution among young students.
• He was a great propounder of liberal thinking.

12. • He was supporter of ‘Freedom of Speech, Thought and Education of Women’.
• Defied social and religious conventions.
• He stated that radical views were the roots of religious philosophy.
• He ridiculed old social traditions and customs
• debated the existence of God.

13. Tattvaranjini Sabha(Tattvabodhini Sabha)
• Debendranath Tagore-1839
• promoted a systemic study of India’s past in the Bengali language
• Tattavodhini Patrik
• In 1839 he organised the Brahmo Samaj and put new life into it
• Supported the movement for widow remarriage, abolition of polygamy,
women’s education, and improvements of the ryot’s condition.
• Under his leadership several branches of Brahmo Samaj was set up in India

14. PRATHANA SAMAJ
• 1867 in Bombay by Atmaram Panduranga
• objective of rational worship and social reform.
• The two great members of this Samaj were R.C. Bhandarkar and Justice
Mahadev Govind Ranade
• inter-caste dining, inter-caste marriage, widow remarriage and improvement
of the lot of women and depressed classes.
• Mahavdev Govind Ranade was the founder of the Widow Remarriage
Association (1861) and the Deccan Education Society.

15. Satyashodhak Samaj
Jyotiba Phule organized a powerful movement against upper caste
domination and brahminical supremacy
• He founded the SatyashodhakSamaj (Truth Seekers’ Society) in 1873.
• The main aims of the movement were:
• Social service
• Spread of education among women and lower caste people

16. • Phule’s works, Sarvajanik Satyadharma and Ghulamgin, became a source
of inspiration for the common masses.
• Phule used the symbol of Rajah Bali as opposed to the brahmins’ symbol
of Rama.
• Phule aimed at the complete abolition of the caste system and socio-
economic inequalities.
• This movement gave a sense of identity to the depressed communities as a
class against the Brahmins, who were seen as the exploiters.

17. Arya Samaj Movement
• God is the primary source of all true knowledge;
• God, as all-truth, all-knowledge, almighty, immortal, creator of Universe, is
alone worthy of worship;
• The Vedas are the books of true knowledge;
• An Arya should always be ready to accept truth and abandon untruth;
• Dharma, that is, due consideration of right and wrong, should be the
guiding principle of all actions;
• The principal aim of the Samaj is to promote world’s well-being in the
material, spiritual and social sense;
• Everybody should be treated with love and justice;

18. ISHWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR
• Dedicated his entire life for the cause of social reform
• Rose to the position of principalship of Sanskrit College in 1851.
• He as a great humanist who possessed immense sympathy for the poor, the
unfortunate and the oppressed
• Worked for the women education
• Widow Remarriage Act was passed in 1856 under his facilitation.
• Protested against the child marriage

19. THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA
• Theosophical Society was founded in the United States by Madam Blavatsky
• Colonel H.S.Olcott - India and founded the headquarter at Adyar near Madras in
1886.
• Theosohist movement soon gained momentum in India as a result of leadership
given to it by Mrs. Annie Besant who came to India in 1893.
• Theosophists advocated the revival and strengthening of ancient religions of
Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism.
• They also preached universal brotherhood of man.

20. The Aligarh Movement
• Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1817-98)
• Impressed by scientific thought and tried to reconcile it with the philosophy
of Islam. He said if religion did not change with time, it would become
fossilised as had happened in India.
• In 1875, he founded at Aligarh the Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College as
a centre for spreading western sciences and culture. Later this college grew
into Aligarh Muslim University.
• He was opposed to Hindu-Muslim friction

22. Reference
• “Modern History of India”- bipin Chandra
• Textbook of NCERT- SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
• History Modern India- S.N. Sen, 2006

23. THANK YOU