Indian Renaissance (Socio-Religious Reform Movements)

Key Pointers

Context: 19th-century awakening triggered by Western education, the printing press, rationalist ideas and the social-religious evils of the time (sati, child marriage, caste rigidity, idolatry, ban on widow remarriage). The movement is often called the Bengal Renaissance since it began there.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy (Father of Indian Renaissance / 'Maker of Modern India'):
- Founded Atmiya Sabha (1815) and Brahmo Sabha (1828), which became the Brahmo Samaj.
- Campaigned against sati (abolished by Bentinck, 1829), idolatry, and polytheism; supported women's property rights and English education.
- Journals: Sambad Kaumudi (Bengali, 1821), Mirat-ul-Akbar (Persian). Books: Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin, Precepts of Jesus.
- Supported Hindu College (1817) and Vedanta College.
Brahmo Samaj later: Debendranath Tagore (Tattvabodhini Sabha, 1839); Keshab Chandra Sen (Brahmo Samaj of India, 1866); split led to Sadharan Brahmo Samaj (1878) under Anand Mohan Bose.
Young Bengal: Henry Vivian Derozio (Hindu College) promoted free thinking.
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar: Fought for widows; Hindu Widow Remarriage Act, 1856; supported women's education (Bethune School, 1849).
Dayanand Saraswati: Arya Samaj (1875, Bombay); Satyarth Prakash; slogan 'Back to the Vedas'; shuddhi movement; DAV schools; opposed idolatry and caste by birth.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda: Vivekananda addressed the Parliament of World's Religions, Chicago (1893) and founded the Ramakrishna Mission (1897) stressing service to humanity ('daridra narayana').
Theosophical Society: Founded by Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott (New York, 1875); HQ at Adyar (1882); Annie Besant led it later (Central Hindu College, Banaras, 1898).
Western India: Prarthana Samaj (1867) (Atmaram Pandurang, M.G. Ranade); Jyotiba Phule's Satyashodhak Samaj (1873), Gulamgiri; Gopal Hari Deshmukh ('Lokhitwadi'); Gokhale's Servants of India Society (1905).
South India: Narayana Guru (SNDP, 1903; 'One caste, one religion, one God'); Periyar's Self-Respect Movement (1925); Vaikom Satyagraha (1924).
Muslim reform: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (Aligarh movement, MAO College 1875); Deoband school (1866); Ahmadiyya (1889).
Others: Singh Sabha (1873) among Sikhs; Rehnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha (1851) among Parsis (Naoroji, S.S. Bengalee).
Women's reform: Pandita Ramabai (Sharada Sadan), Age of Consent Act (1891), Sarda Act (1929).
Significance: Rationalism, social equality, women's education, revival of national pride, laid the intellectual base for nationalism.

MCQs

Q1. Who is known as the 'Father of the Indian Renaissance'? (a) Dayanand Saraswati (b) Raja Ram Mohan Roy (c) Swami Vivekananda (d) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Answer: (b).

Q2. The Arya Samaj was founded in 1875 at: (a) Calcutta (b) Madras (c) Bombay (d) Lahore Answer: (c). Dayanand Saraswati founded it in Bombay; its main base later became Punjab.

Q3. The Satyashodhak Samaj was founded by: (a) M.G. Ranade (b) Jyotiba Phule (c) Narayana Guru (d) Periyar Answer: (b). Founded in 1873 in Maharashtra.