Role Name Affiliation National Coordinator Subject Coordinator Prof Sujata Patel Dept. Of Sociology, University of Hyderabad Paper Coordinator Prof. Edward Rodrigues Centre for the Study of Social Systems Jawaharlal Nehru University Content Writer Rabi Prakash Centre for the Study of Social System, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Content Reviewer Prof.Edward Rodrigues Centre for the Study of Social Systems Jawaharlal Nehru University Language Editor Prof.Edward Rodrigues Centre for the Study of Social Systems Jawaharlal Nehru University Technical Conversion Module Structure Hindu Reform Movement This module offers historical-sociological analysis of the intellectual movements of the 19th century India, which, as a set of organized efforts aimed to effectuate social and religious reforms in Hindu society. This module would provide an account of the social reform movements, introduced in the 19th century, and would place the argument that these movements need to be seen as the Hindu elites’ intellectual and social response to colonial discourse and its socio- cultural policy, informed and driven by the ideals and ideologies of the 19th century Europe. Further, it suggests that intellectual encounters between Indian elites and colonial discourse, in socio-cultural, religious and political domain be studied under the complex backdrop of emergent Indian nationalism and its concerns for existing social concerns (Heimsath, C. H., 1964). Description of the Module Items Description of the Module Subject Name Sociology Paper Name Religion and Society Module Name/Title Hindu Reform Movement Module Id Module no. 22 Objectives To teach about the rise and social dynamics of social reform movements in the 19th century. Key words Reforms, Laws, Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prarthna Samaj, Caste, Brahmins, and Women and education Religion and Society Module 22: Hindu Reform Movements Introduction This module offers historical-sociological analysis of the intellectual movements of the 19th century India, which, as a set of organized efforts aimed to effectuate social and religious reforms in Hindu society. This module would provide an account of the social reform movements, introduced in the 19th century, and would place the argument that these movements need to be seen as the Hindu elites’ intellectual and social response to colonial discourse and its socio-cultural policy, informed and driven by the ideals and ideologies of the 19th century Europe. Further, it suggests that intellectual encounters between Indian elites and colonial discourse, in socio-cultural, religious and political domain be studied under the complex backdrop of emergent Indian nationalism and its concerns for existing social concerns (Heimsath, C. H., 1964). The module also engages with the question of what the idea of ‘social reforms’ meant in the 19th century India. Towards that end, it suggests that the attempts of social reforms in India needs to be understood differently from the similar exercises and experiences of other modern societies, particularly the European ones. While, it may be argued that many societies in the 19th century Europe underwent through the process of re-organizing social structure with a view to re-imagine their social and political institutions to accommodate the hitherto socially and politically marginalized in a modern society, for the 19th century India, it meant the infusion of newer ways of life and modes of behavior in the existing social structure by the upper castes Hindus (Jones, K. W., 1989) Such initiatives were introduced gradually and were initiated only by the upper castes Hindu elites and thus, social change in India was, throughout the 19th century, based on the filtration of attitudes and modes of behavior from the upper layers of society to the lower ones (Chandra, B. 2008, Sarkar, S. 2001). The similar pattern of social change was later observed by M.N. Srinivas (1995) through his concept of ‘Sanskritization’ which explains how the lower castes people tend to emulate the practices and ideologies of upper castes as a means of upward social mobility. It was only at the beginning of the 20th century with the growth of organized reform groups among the lower castes that the social basis of Hinduism i.e. caste system, came under question. Various social service institutions and political organizations took up the cause of the less fortunate groups and sought to lift India from the morass of caste tyranny. However, the changes of the 20th century are not part of this module and hence they would not be discussed in details here. 1. The Background of Social Reform Movements of the 19th Century By the late 19th century, western ideas and their effects on social and political institutions in colonial India had made deeper penetrations. Colonial policies, by then, had greatly influenced almost all spheres of Indian life. In course of their unfolding, education, occupations, legal systems and social relations got redefined, and led Indian elites to deal with it intellectually, morally, and socially with the changes that they nurtured. Native society’s educational practices, legal systems, and above all, religious and social practices were put on for re- evaluation in contrast with the western ideas and ideologies. Nobody was better exposed to the western ideas, and changes in effects, than the Hindu elites of the 19th century. Their close encounters with the western ideas and values impelled them to take critical view at social and religious practices in their native society. The practices which offered the picture of contrast, in relation to the values subscribed by the western societies, also represented the markers of backwardness of Indian society (Mcdonald E.E. 1966). The rigid hierarchy of caste order, prevalent untouchability, precarious conditions of widows and women, child marriages, and unpractical and dogmatic restrictions on social and economic choices for the Hindus men were taken as the markers of backwardness of Hindu society as they also stood in contrast with the ideals of the western societies which largely claimed to uphold freedom of individuals to enable them to pursue their social and economic life. The emerging viewpoints on these markers of backwardness among the native Hindu elites are largely seen as the triggers for the Hindu social elites and social reformers to undertake reform activities in Hindu society which subsequently resulted into a series of social reforms movements (Kopf, D. 1969). Raja Rammohan Roy, a member of influential Bengali Bhadrolok class in the early 19th century Bengal, emerged as the pioneer of the Hindu social and religious reform movements. He was not only well versed with the Indian traditions and its current social practices but had acquired sufficient grasp over the western societies; their history, social organizations, theology and religions. He was deeply impressed with their scientific and technological advances and political innovations made by them over the last few centuries (Robertson, B., 1995). He sought to adopt the western knowledge systems for mass education with a view to enable India to usher into a modern and technologically advanced society. At the same time, he was profoundly aware of the problems with the Indian society which, in his view was guided by the irrational and superstitious beliefs which, in turn, controlled the life and thinking capability of his native fellows. For him, the erstwhile Indian society was a result of decline and deterioration largely caused by the ‘illiterate pandits’ and self-seeking and greedy priests in Hindu society (Robertson, B., 1999). He felt that it was due to their undue control over the religious and social life of people that Indians were unable to produce any scientific and rational ideas to usher into a new age of science and rationality. With this view as a backdrop, he sought to unshackle Indian society from the clutches of the well-established priestly class of India. He soon realized this battle would require two things at the same time. One, making Indian classical knowledge, which authority the priests referred to, available to the masses to pose an intellectual challenge to these priestly classes, and the second, a social mobilization of like-minded people (largely newly emergent middle class Hindus in the colonial administration) to practice reformed ideas in their social life. Towards this end, he extensively engaged with traditional pandits to challenge the authority of their source of knowledge, by bringing out the more authentic accounts of Hinduism for public debate and at the same time, mobilized, the English educated and newly constituted middle class to embrace the rational and authentic ideas of Hindu society. With his ideas of reform, he worked pensively with the British administration to bring in the changes in the Indian society through promulgating laws for progressive social change. The pioneering act of Ram Mohan Roy did not only launch the social reform movements of his time, but his method and the contents of reforms served as the standard template for social reforms movements for successive generations of social reformers. Beginning with Rammohan Roy, a series of reform movements set off in Bengal and other parts of India, often led by the Hindu elites. 2. The Precedence of social-religious reforms beyond the 19th Century It would be erroneous to think that India was alien to the idea of reforms in Hindu society prior to the 19th century. Rather, the previous centuries were replete with