HISTORY March 23, 2018 SOCIO RELIGIOUS PROBLEMS in INDIA DURING the 19Th CENTURY General Problems – Education, Gender Inequality, Superstition
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HISTORY March 23, 2018 SOCIO RELIGIOUS PROBLEMS IN INDIA DURING THE 19th CENTURY General Problems – Education, Gender inequality, Superstition Specific Problems – Sati, condition of Widow, Tonsure, Child Marriage, Female Infanticide Other problems– purdah , polygamy, Dowry System Reformist movements – Responding to time, scientific temper of the modern era Revivalist movements – revival of old system Wahabi Movement Arya Samaj Causes Modern education Revolutions in other countries (like France) Pessimistic attitude towards activities of British and Christian Missionaries Sanskritisation by Upper caste Impact Wave of reforms Removal of Sati Child infanticide banned Widow remarriage act in 1856. Focus on Education National Orientation Cultural consciousness Woman Empowerment Marriageable age of girls was raised 1860. Negative effects Communal consciousness Caste based identity Community orientation rather than national orientation Insecure feeling by large masses Limitations They concerned only small sections of society. Worked for their respective community. Failed to emphasize that colonial rule was inimical to their interest. Reforms regarding Women The conditions of women at the beginning of 19th century was miserable. They did not get equal treatment. They were denied Education. Female Infanticide, Child Marriages, Dowry System, Sati, Tonsure The movement for reforms regarding women addressed these issues. Q: What was sati and what does it means? The term sati literally means a 'pure and virtuous woman'. It was applied in case of a devoted wife who contemplated perpetual and uninterrupted conjugal union with her husband life after life and as proof thereof burnt herself with the dead body of her husband. Indian reformers led by Ram Mohan Roy launched a frontal attack on the evil of sati. With an eye, to the coming Charter debates in the British Parliament and anxious to get a renewal of its charter for another 20 years by presenting a creditable image of its activities in India, the Court of Directors encouraged Bentinck to enact legislation to suppress sati who banned it in1829. Raja Ram Mohan Roy : Father of the Indian Renaissance Learnt various languages as he thought religion can be studied only through the language its books were written in. Used logical reasoning & rational thinking 1814:Set up Atmiya Sabha in Calcutta Supported David Hare to set up Hindu college 1817 Founded Vedanta College at Calcutta in 1825 where he introduced Mechanics & Voltairs Philosophy Wrote Gift to Monotheists (1809) Opposed Idol Worship Translated to Bengali the Vedas & 5 Upanishads Demanded property inheritance rights for women. Political activist Roy condemned oppressive practices of Bengali zamindars & demanded fixation of maximum rents. He also demanded abolition of taxes on tax free lands. He called for a reduction of export duties on goods abroad & abolition of the Company's trading rights. He demanded judicial equality Roy was an internationalist Was influenced by the French Revolution. He stood for cooperation of thought and activity & brotherhood among nations. He supported the revolutions of Naples & Spanish America & condemned the oppression of Ireland by absentee English landlordism & threatened emigration from the empire if the reform bill was not passed. Brahmo Sabha (1828) Main theme “Nirgunasapna” (formless worship) Purpose was to purify Hinduism Promoted Monotheism – Oneness of God [opposites are polytheism – more than 1 God & Pantheism – Everything is God] The new society was to be based on the twin pillars of reason & the Vedas & Upanishads. Most of all it based itself on human reason which was to be the ultimate criterion for deciding what was worthwhile & what was useless in the past or present religious principles & practices. Followers of Samaj were Keshab Chandra Sen ,Debendra Nath Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Ashwani Kumar Datta, Derozians , Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Chandrashekhar Deb & Tarachand Chakravarty, 1st secretary of the Brahma Sabha. Continued After Roy’s death, Debendranath Tagore headed Brahmo Sabha Tagore repudiated the doctrine that the Vedic scriptures were infallible In 1839 he, founded Tatvabodhini Sabha. The Tatvabodhini Sabha & its organ the Tatvabodhini Patrika promoted a systematic study of India's past in the Bengali language. The Samaj actively supported the movement for widow remarriage, abolition of polygamy, women's education & opposed superstitious practices & rituals Samaj denied the need for a priestly class for interpreting religious writings Brahmo Samaj split, Keshub Chandra Sen , Anand Mohan Bose left & started “All India Brahmo Samaj” Under D Tagore, it was Adi Brahmo Samaj AM Bose & Shiv Narayan Shastri started Saddharno Brahma Samaj 2012 Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Brahmo Samaj? 1. It opposed idolatry. 2. It denied the need for a priestly class for interpreting the religious texts. 3. It popularized the doctrine that the Vedas are infallible. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer: B 2016 Consider the following : 1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee 2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation 3. Indian Reform Association Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer b Henry Vivian Derozio (1809-1831) Teacher in Hindu college Calcutta 1826-31 Started the Young Bengal movement Inspired by French revolution Had radical thoughts of liberty & freedom Derozio was perhaps the 1st nationalist poet of modern India. Due to his early demise the movement came to an end SN Banerjee described the Derozians as "the pioneers of the modern civilization of Bengal, the conscript fathers of our race whose virtues will excite veneration & whose failings will be treated with gentlest consideration." Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-91) Worked for the cause of emancipation of women. Promoted education among girls & set up institutions for them . As a Government Inspector of Schools, he organised 35 girls' schools, many of which he ran at his own expense. As Secretary to the Bethune School, he was one of the pioneers of higher education for women. All his life he campaigned against polygamy. Due to his efforts widow remarriage act was passed in 1856. In 1850, he protested against child-marriage. Principal of the Sanskrit College. He opened the gates of the Sanskrit college to non-Brahmin students To free Sanskrit studies from the harmful effects of self-imposed isolation, he introduced the study of Western thought in the Sanskrit College. He also helped found a college which is now named after him. He also devised a new Bengali primer & evolved a new prose style. Theosophical Society Started by Helena Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge in New York in 1875 After a few years Olcott & Blavatsky moved to India & established the International Headquarters at Adyar. Theosophists advocated the revival & strengthening of the ancient religions of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, & Buddhism. They recognized the doctrine of the transmigration of the Soul. They also preached the universal brotherhood of man. As religious revivalists the Theosophists were not very successful. Movement led by westerners who glorified Indian religions & philosophical tradition. This helped Indians recover their self-confidence, even though it tended to give them a sense of false pride m their past greatness. Annie Besant (1847-1933) and Theosophical society Annie Besant also joined the movement( came to India in 1893). Election of Annie Besant as its president after the death of Olcott in 1907. Worked for revival of Hinduism -its philosophy& modes of worship. Founded the Central Hindu college at Banaras which was later developed by Madan Mohan Malaviya into the Banaras Hindu University. Organized Home Rule Movement 2013 Annie Besant was 1. responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement 2. the founder of the Theosophical Society 3. Once the President of the Indian National Congress Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below. a) 1 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 1 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans C Annie Besant joined the team much later, in 1889. Mahatma Jyoti Govindrao Phule Started the Dalit Movement Was against upper class Brahminical domination Satya Shodhak Samaj is a religion established by him in 1873. This was started as a group whose main aim was to liberate the Shudra & Untouchable castes from exploitation and oppression. Phule used the symbol of Rajah Bali as opposed to the, Brahmin's symbol of Rama. He openly condemned the inequality in the religious books, orthodox nature of religion, exploitation of masses by the means of it, blind & misleading rituals, & hypocrisy in the prevalent religion. Advocated the ideals of human well being in broader aspects, human happiness, unity, equality, & easy religious principles & rituals. Continued In 1851,Phule & his wife started a girls' school at Poona & soon many other schools came up. Active promoters of these schools were Jagannath Shankar Seth & Bhau Daji. Through his writings & activities Phule always condemned caste hierarchy & the privileged status of priests in it. Wrote Gulamgiri & Sarvajanic Satyadharma Phule was also a pioneer of the widow remarriage movement Vishnu Shastri Pundit founded the Widow Remarriage Association in the 1850's. Another prominent worker in this field was Karsondas Mulji who started the