THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
The society was formed by Madame H.P. Blavatsky and Colonel H.s. Olcott in 1875 who, after their arrival in India in 1886, established its headquarters at Adyar (near Madras). But it was under Mrs. Annie Besant, who came to India in 1893, that the society gained immense ground. The aim was to resurrect India's glorious religious traditions to help Indians gain a spirit of cultural and national pride. The society stressed on universal brotherhood of human beings. In the field of education, the Central Hindu School was started by Besant in Banaras. It was later developed into the Banaras Hindu University by Madan Mohan Malaviya.
THE DHARMA SABHA
The Sabha was founded by Radhakant Deb (1794-1876), in 1830 for the protection of orthodoxy. Abolition of sati and other efforts of the reformers were condemned. However, the Sabha helped in the spread of western education among all.
Monday, November 30, 2009
DAYAN AND SARASWATI AND THE ARYA SAMAJ
DAYAN AND SARASWATI AND THE ARYA SAMAJ
A major social reform movement, Arya Samaj, was begun under the aegis of Moolshankar or Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875. Hailing the Vedas as the root of all knowledge, Dayanand gave the call of 'Back to the Vedas' to inspire Indians to take pride in their past. He was the first Hindu reformer to deal with attacks on Hinduism by launching a counter-attack and challenging the other religions on their own ground. 'India for the Indians' was the political slogan of Dayanand Saraswati. He translated the Vedas and wrote the Satyartha Prakash, Veda Bhasya Bhumika and Veda Bhasya.
With a pan-Hindu revivalist framework and ideology, the Arya Samaj was an aggressive assertion of the Hindu faith over other religions. But it denounced its rites and supremacy of the Brahmins. Idolatry and superstitions were also discouraged. Its social reform programme stood for a varna system based on merit, not birth, besides rights to women and opposition to child marriage and untouchability. For the spread of western education, it established the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) schools. The Samaj kindled national pride among a large following in Punjab, UP, Rajasthan and Gujarat. But the Samaj's militant attitude in the 'Cow Protection Movement' (1882), and its controversial 'Shuddhi Movement' for allowing converts to come back to Hinduism earned the Samaj unpopularity.
A major social reform movement, Arya Samaj, was begun under the aegis of Moolshankar or Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875. Hailing the Vedas as the root of all knowledge, Dayanand gave the call of 'Back to the Vedas' to inspire Indians to take pride in their past. He was the first Hindu reformer to deal with attacks on Hinduism by launching a counter-attack and challenging the other religions on their own ground. 'India for the Indians' was the political slogan of Dayanand Saraswati. He translated the Vedas and wrote the Satyartha Prakash, Veda Bhasya Bhumika and Veda Bhasya.
With a pan-Hindu revivalist framework and ideology, the Arya Samaj was an aggressive assertion of the Hindu faith over other religions. But it denounced its rites and supremacy of the Brahmins. Idolatry and superstitions were also discouraged. Its social reform programme stood for a varna system based on merit, not birth, besides rights to women and opposition to child marriage and untouchability. For the spread of western education, it established the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) schools. The Samaj kindled national pride among a large following in Punjab, UP, Rajasthan and Gujarat. But the Samaj's militant attitude in the 'Cow Protection Movement' (1882), and its controversial 'Shuddhi Movement' for allowing converts to come back to Hinduism earned the Samaj unpopularity.
DEROZIO AND THE YOUNG BENGAL MOVEMENT
DEROZIO AND THE YOUNG BENGAL MOVEMENT
Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-1831), appointed as a young teacher at the Hindu College, inspired a radical trend which gained great support from the Hindu College students. He edited the papers, the Hesperus and The CalcUi Library Gazette and was connected with the India Cazet Derozio's intellect and per:;onality drew young educatl Bengalis. Armed with a firm belief in truth, freedom ar reason, the Young Bengalis began attacking the vices of tl society. The movement included Rasikkrishna Mullic Tarachand Chuckervati and Krishnamohan Banerjee. TI journal, lnanavesan, and the Society for the Acquisition t General Knowledge served as their main organs of prop. gation. The movement existed only from 1826 to 1831. S.!' Banerjee termed the leaders of the movement as the 'pic neers of modem civilisation of Bengal'.
VIDYASAGAR
A well-known and active social reformer of the 19th centur was Vidyasagar. A Sanskrit scholar, his was a struggle fo securing women their rights. He opposed caste evils ani priestly domination as well. In 1850, he protested agains child marriage and in 1856, in Calcutta, he supervised th. first lawful widow re-marriage. He ran as many as 35 girl: schools, most of them at his own expense.
THE PRARTHANA SAMAJ
Founded in 1867, the Samaj had Mahadeo Govind Ranad{ as its chief mentor. M.G. Ranade prepared, "A Theist'~ Confession of Faith", 39 articles explaining his thoughts on theism. Its prominent leaders included Dr. Atmaram Pandarung and R.G. Bhandarkar. Its two main concerns, worship and reform of society, were promoted through emphasis on monotheism, upliftment of women, abolition
of caste discrimination and religious orthodoxy.
Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-1831), appointed as a young teacher at the Hindu College, inspired a radical trend which gained great support from the Hindu College students. He edited the papers, the Hesperus and The CalcUi Library Gazette and was connected with the India Cazet Derozio's intellect and per:;onality drew young educatl Bengalis. Armed with a firm belief in truth, freedom ar reason, the Young Bengalis began attacking the vices of tl society. The movement included Rasikkrishna Mullic Tarachand Chuckervati and Krishnamohan Banerjee. TI journal, lnanavesan, and the Society for the Acquisition t General Knowledge served as their main organs of prop. gation. The movement existed only from 1826 to 1831. S.!' Banerjee termed the leaders of the movement as the 'pic neers of modem civilisation of Bengal'.
VIDYASAGAR
A well-known and active social reformer of the 19th centur was Vidyasagar. A Sanskrit scholar, his was a struggle fo securing women their rights. He opposed caste evils ani priestly domination as well. In 1850, he protested agains child marriage and in 1856, in Calcutta, he supervised th. first lawful widow re-marriage. He ran as many as 35 girl: schools, most of them at his own expense.
THE PRARTHANA SAMAJ
Founded in 1867, the Samaj had Mahadeo Govind Ranad{ as its chief mentor. M.G. Ranade prepared, "A Theist'~ Confession of Faith", 39 articles explaining his thoughts on theism. Its prominent leaders included Dr. Atmaram Pandarung and R.G. Bhandarkar. Its two main concerns, worship and reform of society, were promoted through emphasis on monotheism, upliftment of women, abolition
of caste discrimination and religious orthodoxy.
RAMAKRISHNA AND VIVEKANANDA
Ramakrishna Paramhansa (1834-86), was a simple rustic saint of Dakshineshwar in rural Bengal in the 19th century. He denounced the scriptures, rituals and priestly domination and emphasised on renunciation, meditation and bhakti, for salvation. His disciple, Narendranath Dutta (1863-1902), also known as Swami Vivekananda, popularised the saint's message and made it more socially relevant. Vivekananda's portrayal of Hinduism in his speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, astounded the audience. The Hinduism preached by Vivekananda was called 'Neo-Hinduism'. In 1897, two centres were opened at Belur, near Calcutta, and Mayavati, near Almora, which became the focal points of his Ramakrishna Mission. The Mission worked to help the poor, improve the social conditions for women, overhaul the education system and fought against the caste system and superstition.
Vivekananda urged the youth of ~dia to take inspiration from the Vedanta, which he held as the touchstone of reason, so that they could free India both politically and spiritually. He advocated the acquiring of physical and moral strength and pride in India's past glory. It was through such means that he sought to awaken the Indian nationalism for promoting reform, freedom and unity. Vivekananda's fiery spirit infused confidence in the minds of many freedom fighters. Vivekananda, who never came out with anti-British policies or open nationalism, is recognised by Subhash Chandra Bose as a spiritual leader of India's national struggle.
Vivekananda urged the youth of ~dia to take inspiration from the Vedanta, which he held as the touchstone of reason, so that they could free India both politically and spiritually. He advocated the acquiring of physical and moral strength and pride in India's past glory. It was through such means that he sought to awaken the Indian nationalism for promoting reform, freedom and unity. Vivekananda's fiery spirit infused confidence in the minds of many freedom fighters. Vivekananda, who never came out with anti-British policies or open nationalism, is recognised by Subhash Chandra Bose as a spiritual leader of India's national struggle.
THE BRAHMO SAMAJ
Rammohan Roy and the Samaj Rammohan Roy (17721833), hailed as the 'Father of Modern India', represented a synthesis of the thoughts of the East and West. He condemned idolatry and polytheism in religion. In 1809, he wrote Tuhfat-i-Muwahidin (Gift to Monotheists), a Persian tract. Proclaiming the Vedanta Sutras as the fountainhead of Indian knowledge, he translated them into English between 1816 and 1819. Eclectic in his religious ideas, he worked to reform Hinduism while defending it from the attacks of Christian missionaries. In 1814, he founded the Amitya Sabha which became the Brahmo Samaj in 1828. The Brahmo Samaj was founded on the principle of reason as found in the Vedas and Upanishads.
It emphasised monotheism. It believed that God was the source of all things that exist. Stressing on love for mankind and service to men, it was against belief in incarnation, meditation, sacrifices and existence of priests as mediators. It opposed idolatry, ritual, superstition, sati and the caste system. A champion of women's rights, Raja Rammohan wrote the tract 'Modem Encroachments on the Ancient Rights of Females according to the Hindu Law of Inheritance'. He advocated widow remarriage and education for women. It was largely due to his efforts that sati was declared a punishable offence when William Bentinck passed an Act (Regulation No. 17) against the same in December 1829. Rammohan established the Hindu college in Calcutta in 1817. In his letter to Lord Amherst in 1823, he pleaded for an English-medium education system in India teaching western sciences and philosophies. The Vedanta College formed in 1825, offered Indian as well as western learning. To initiate public opinion on political questions, he brought out the Sambad Kaumadi (1821), the first Indian newspaper managed and published by Indians, and a Persian weekly, Mirat-ul-Akbar.
Later Developments After Rammohan's death, the Samaj was led by Debendranath Tagore, who had organised a Tattvabodhini Sabha at Jorosanko and founded a monthly journal, Tattvabodhini Patrika, to spread its ideas. Keshab Chandra Sen, who founded in 1861 the fortnightly Indian Mirror-the first Indian daily paper in English-which articulated the Samaj's views, represented a very radical wing in the Samaj. Differences between Tagore and Sen led to a split in the Samaj in 1866. The Tagore group formed the Adi Brahrno Samaj while the Sen group formed the Brahmo Samaj of India. Debendranath compiled the Brahrno Dharma, a religious text, from various Hindu texts. He also explained the Brahrno form of worship or Brahrnopasana. Sen promulgated the Nav Vidhana to emphasise the mystic side of religion and fuse Hindu and Christian ideas.
A later schism came in 1878. It resulted when Keshab Sen violated the Brahrno Marriage Act of 1872 by getting his underage daughter married to the Maharaja of CoochBehar who was also underaged. The secessionists formed the Sadharan Brahrno Samaj which informed the public on social and political issues through journals such as the Tattva-Kaumudi, The Indian Messenger, The Sanjibari, The Navyabharat and Prabasi.
It emphasised monotheism. It believed that God was the source of all things that exist. Stressing on love for mankind and service to men, it was against belief in incarnation, meditation, sacrifices and existence of priests as mediators. It opposed idolatry, ritual, superstition, sati and the caste system. A champion of women's rights, Raja Rammohan wrote the tract 'Modem Encroachments on the Ancient Rights of Females according to the Hindu Law of Inheritance'. He advocated widow remarriage and education for women. It was largely due to his efforts that sati was declared a punishable offence when William Bentinck passed an Act (Regulation No. 17) against the same in December 1829. Rammohan established the Hindu college in Calcutta in 1817. In his letter to Lord Amherst in 1823, he pleaded for an English-medium education system in India teaching western sciences and philosophies. The Vedanta College formed in 1825, offered Indian as well as western learning. To initiate public opinion on political questions, he brought out the Sambad Kaumadi (1821), the first Indian newspaper managed and published by Indians, and a Persian weekly, Mirat-ul-Akbar.
Later Developments After Rammohan's death, the Samaj was led by Debendranath Tagore, who had organised a Tattvabodhini Sabha at Jorosanko and founded a monthly journal, Tattvabodhini Patrika, to spread its ideas. Keshab Chandra Sen, who founded in 1861 the fortnightly Indian Mirror-the first Indian daily paper in English-which articulated the Samaj's views, represented a very radical wing in the Samaj. Differences between Tagore and Sen led to a split in the Samaj in 1866. The Tagore group formed the Adi Brahrno Samaj while the Sen group formed the Brahmo Samaj of India. Debendranath compiled the Brahrno Dharma, a religious text, from various Hindu texts. He also explained the Brahrno form of worship or Brahrnopasana. Sen promulgated the Nav Vidhana to emphasise the mystic side of religion and fuse Hindu and Christian ideas.
A later schism came in 1878. It resulted when Keshab Sen violated the Brahrno Marriage Act of 1872 by getting his underage daughter married to the Maharaja of CoochBehar who was also underaged. The secessionists formed the Sadharan Brahrno Samaj which informed the public on social and political issues through journals such as the Tattva-Kaumudi, The Indian Messenger, The Sanjibari, The Navyabharat and Prabasi.
NATURE
The reform movements were influenced by two important intellectual criteria-rationalism and religious universalism. A rational secular outlook replaced blind faith in tradition and custom. The universalist perspective was not a purely philosophic concern; it influenced political and social outlook till religious particularism gained ground in the second half of the 19th century. Liberal ideas, national unity and progress were the main objectives and these were to be achieved through a struggle against backward elements of traditional culture as well as the repressive aspects of the colonial culture and ideology. Thus rejection of casteism and idolatry went hand-in-hand with emphasis on vernacular languages and an indigenous education system with the revival of ancient art and medicine and reconstruction of traditional Indian knowledge. The socio-religious movements were an integral part of the growing nationalist consciousness. They succeeded in breaking the colonial cultural hegemonisation process and made Indians proud of their heritage.
The early reform movements laid emphasis on both social and religious transformation of society. The reason is not hard to seek. Social customs and traditions of India are generally closely linked to religious injunctions, arising from religious beliefs and traditions in many cases. Indian reformers understood this close interaction between the social and religious spheres of thoughts and activity. It is also worth mentioning that the early social reform movements mainly aimed at general social welfare, and not, at improving the conditions addressing the concerns of a particular community or caste.
The 18th and 19th century reform movements display some major trends. Some of the reformers were of the view that reforms should be initiated from within the society. Among them were Rammohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Some others believed in legislative intervention-that is, only state-supported reform movements could prove effective. With this concern in mind, the activities were undertaken by men like Keshab Chandra Sen, M.G. Ranade and others. The Young Bengal movement represented reform initiated through symbols of transformation. It represented a radical trend in reform activity, without relying upon the cultural traditions of India for reform. Reform through social work was undertaken by many men including Dayanand Saraswati and Swami Vivekananda.
The early reform movements laid emphasis on both social and religious transformation of society. The reason is not hard to seek. Social customs and traditions of India are generally closely linked to religious injunctions, arising from religious beliefs and traditions in many cases. Indian reformers understood this close interaction between the social and religious spheres of thoughts and activity. It is also worth mentioning that the early social reform movements mainly aimed at general social welfare, and not, at improving the conditions addressing the concerns of a particular community or caste.
The 18th and 19th century reform movements display some major trends. Some of the reformers were of the view that reforms should be initiated from within the society. Among them were Rammohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Some others believed in legislative intervention-that is, only state-supported reform movements could prove effective. With this concern in mind, the activities were undertaken by men like Keshab Chandra Sen, M.G. Ranade and others. The Young Bengal movement represented reform initiated through symbols of transformation. It represented a radical trend in reform activity, without relying upon the cultural traditions of India for reform. Reform through social work was undertaken by many men including Dayanand Saraswati and Swami Vivekananda.
CAUSES OF SOCIO-CULTURAL AWAKENING IN THE 19TH CENTURY
CAUSES OF SOCIO-CULTURAL AWAKENING IN THE 19TH CENTURY
(i) Conditions favouring intellectual growth and awakening grew from the political, economic, social and cultural impact of British domination and repression.
(ii) Researches into India's past by Europeans as well as Indian scholars like Max Muller, Sir William Jones, Raja Rammohan Roy, Radhakanta Deva, Bhagwan Lal Indraji, RG. Bhandarkar, and M.G. Ranade led to its reinterpretation. What ensued was a cultural and spiritual rediscovery of India.
(iii) Creative literature by scholars and writers such as Bankim Chandra, Keshav Chandra Sen, Madhusudan Dutt who combined the literary traditions of the past and the modern cultural developments awakened minds.
(iv) The Christian missionaries often denounced the customs and beliefs of Hinduism. Indian intellectuals thus realised the need for socio-religious reform to purge the
Indian society of its ills.
(i) Conditions favouring intellectual growth and awakening grew from the political, economic, social and cultural impact of British domination and repression.
(ii) Researches into India's past by Europeans as well as Indian scholars like Max Muller, Sir William Jones, Raja Rammohan Roy, Radhakanta Deva, Bhagwan Lal Indraji, RG. Bhandarkar, and M.G. Ranade led to its reinterpretation. What ensued was a cultural and spiritual rediscovery of India.
(iii) Creative literature by scholars and writers such as Bankim Chandra, Keshav Chandra Sen, Madhusudan Dutt who combined the literary traditions of the past and the modern cultural developments awakened minds.
(iv) The Christian missionaries often denounced the customs and beliefs of Hinduism. Indian intellectuals thus realised the need for socio-religious reform to purge the
Indian society of its ills.
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