CHAPTER 2 RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENTS

Rising :tide of nationalism and democracy during the late 19th century.

SOCIAL BASE

Emerging middle class and western-educated intellectuals.

IDEOLOGICAL BASE
Rationalism, religious universalism, humanism, secularism.

SOCIAL REFORM COMPONENTS
Betterment of Position of Women

Degraded position due to Purdah system Early marriage Lack of education

Unequal rights in marriage, divorce, inheritance

Polygamy

Female infanticide

Restrictions on widow remarriage

Sati

Major Contributors to Reforms

Social reform movements,

freedom struggle,

movements led by enlightened women,

free India's Constitution.

Legislative Measures for Women

Bengal Regulation (1829) banning sati

Bengal Regulations (1795, 1804)—declaring infanticide illegal.

Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856.

Age of Consent Act, 1891

Sarda Act, 1930

Special Marriage Act, 1954

Hindu Marriage Act, 1955

Hindu Succession Act, 1956

Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act Maternity Benefits Act, 1961

Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act, 1978

Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act in Women and Girls,
1956 (amended in 1986)


Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (amended in 1986)

STRUGGLE AGAINST CASTE-BASED EXPLOITATION

Factors Undermining Caste Rigidities

Forces unleashed by colonial administration

Social reform movements

National movement

Gandhi's campaign against untouchability

Stirrings among lower castes due to better education and employment

Free India's Constitution

REFORM MOVEMENTS: AMONG HINDUS Bengal Raja Ram-mohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj

Debendranath Tagore and Tattvabodhini Sabha

Keshub Chandra Sen and Brahmo Samaj of India Prarthana Samaj

Derozio and Young Bengal Movement Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Western

India Bal Shastri Jambekar Students' Literary and Scientific Societies
Pararnhansa Mandalis

Jyotiba Phule and Satyashodhak Samaj Gopalhari Deshmukh Lokahitawadi'

Gopal Ganesh Agarkar Servants of India Society Southern India Sri

Narayana Dharma Paripalana Movement Vokkaliga Sangha Justice Movement

Self-respect Movement Temple Entry Movement All India

Ramakrishna Movement and Vivekananda

Dayanand Saraswati and Arya Samaj

Theosophical Movement

• AMONG MUSLIMS
Wahabi/Walliullah Movement Ahmadiya Movement Syed Ahmed Khan and

Aligarh Movement Deoband Movement

AMONG PARSIS

Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha

AMONG SIKHS

Singh Sabha Movement Akali Movement

POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS

Liberation of individual from conformity out of fear psychosis.
Worship made a more personal affair Cultural roots to the middle classes—thus
mitigating the sense of humiliation;
much needed self-respect gained Fostered secular outlook Encouraged social climate for modernisation Ended India's cultural, intellectual isolation from rest of the world

Evolution of national consciousness
NEGATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS

Narrow social base Indirectly encouraged mysticism Overemphasis on
religious, philosophical aspects of culture while underemphasising
secular and moral aspects Hindus confined their praise to ancient Indian
history and Muslims to medieval history—created a notion of two separate
peoples and increased communal consciousness Historical process of
evolution of composite culture arrested to some extent.