Social Reform Movement in 19th Century India PDF

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Social reform is a term that is used a lot in the fields of social science. Mostly, people do it on their own. The 'Suffrage movement' was a group of people who wanted women in Great Britain to be able to vote (Gore 1987). Social reformers in any movement make a plea to the rich and powerful to give...

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Social Reform Movement in 19th Century India Introduction Social reform is a term that is used a lot in the fields of social science. Mostly, people do it on their own. The 'Suffrage movement' was a group of people who wanted women in Great Britain to be able to vote (Gore 1987). Social reformers in any movement make a plea to the rich and powerful to give up an advantage and give it to the less powerful people. Most of the time, a social reform movement happens when there is a right to free speech and free association in the area where the movement is taking place. Indian social changes in the 1800s and 1800s, which led to the rise of middle-class people and more specifically secular or liberal or democratic norms, were the driving force behind social reform movements in the country at that time. You'll learn about the Social Reform Movement (SRM) and how it changed India between the early 1800s and the early 1900s. Here, we look at how to think about the Social Reform Movement as part of a bigger field called Social movement. It also tries to look into the background and area of the Social Reform Movement before the country became a free state. There are many different groups in India who work to improve society and change the way things work. This module also talks about how these groups help make these changes happen. Defining ‘Social Reform Movement’ Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, there were several instances of social change in India. During those times, the centuries-old customary practises that threatened societal harmony and stifled social growth were modified. The social reform movements attempted to construct a new social order by creating favourable conditions and changing beliefs and behaviours in social institutions and social life. The term "reform" is defined as "making changes (in something, especially an institution or practise) in order to improve," according to the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. 'Improvement through eliminating or repairing defects, issues, etc.,' according to Merriam Webster Dictionary. 'Social reform implies modification or replacement in institutions that have become functionally obsolete (totally or partially) to the modern social order, causing loss of quality of life, deprivations, discontent, and suffering to a substantial portion of society,' according to Srivastava (1958). Prof. M. S. Gore (1987), a sociologist, takes a broader view that takes into account cultural and behavioural factors. According to him, social reform entails a concerted attempt to modify people's social attitudes, culturally defined role expectations, and actual patterns of behaviour in a desired direction through persuasion and public education (ibid.). In India, social reform movements include the abolition of Sati, promotion of women's education, advocacy for women's rights, and efforts to improve the social lives of the harijans or scheduled castes. How is ‘Social Reform Movement’ different from other related concepts?

Other similar notions such as'revolt' or'social movement' are not synonymous with'social reform.' Though there are some parallels between these three phrases, such as unhappiness with the current social condition, leaders mobilising others in society to wake up and fight for the cause, and attempts to develop social life, there are significant contrasts between them. The term "revolt" refers to a violent action taken against an established government or ruler in an attempt to fundamentally alter or abolish the current social structure, system, or fundamental ideals that govern them. For example, the Dutch Insurrection, often known as the Dutch Revolt, began in 1568 and can be referenced here, as can Nat Turner's revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831. The word "social movement" is a broad term that encompasses any large-scale endeavour to address long-standing societal issues. Labor movements, cooperative movements, peasant movements, reform movements, and so on are only a few examples. Many academics and notable figures, such as historians, sociologists, political activists, journalists, and others, are involved in the study of social movements. 'Collective undertakings to construct a new order of existence,' as defined by Herbert Blumer (1951), are social movements. "Social movements are socially shared demands for change in some aspect of social order," according to Gusfield (1970). Oommen (1977), citing Wilkinson, defines social movements as "purposive collective mobilisation, informed by an ideology to promote change or stability, using any means – violent or nonviolent – and functioning within at least an elementary organisational frame-work." Social movements are categorised in a number of ways. Few people categorise it as a socio-religious movement, as opposed to a secular movement, a revolutionary movement, or a cooperative movement. Others divide movements into two groups: grassroots and macro. The 'forest,' 'civil rights,' 'anti-untouchability,' 'linguistic,' 'nationalist,' and other similar movements are examples of these movements. Some are based on the participants' backgrounds, such as peasants, tribals, students, women, and dalits. Reformist, redemptive or transformative, and revolutionary social movements are among the others. All of these social movements are characterised by a desire for social change and a confluence of old and new ideals. According to the explanation above, social reform is a subset of a wider social movement. Many individuals are content with their current habits and beliefs and feel that the entire system cannot be toppled, hence social reform movements are often nonviolent. A specific type of social reform movement may aim to eliminate malpractices, illogical beliefs, and ideals that cause people to suffer, and to replace them with rational principles and practises in social institutions and systems, resulting in a more just and healthy society. Despite the fact that a vast number of people support various social movements, most social reform movements are pushed by social reformers who oppose social structures and immoral activities. Reformers also have a say in how new policies are developed and laws are enacted in certain areas of life. Raja Rammohan Roy, for example, campaigned for the prohibition of Sati, which resulted in the 1829 Bengal Sati Regulation Act. The Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act 1856 was also enacted in response to Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar's agitation. The social reform movements in India in the 19th and 20th

centuries were mostly against inequality in education, caste, and gender, but a social movement is a collection of collective reactions to a wide range of societal issues. Socio-political roots and context of ‘Social Reform Movement’ We all know that after 1498, when many European countries such as the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and French arrived in India in quest of trade and commerce, India became a hotbed of strife in the middle of the eighteenth century. By 1750, the British had emerged as a single entity capable of establishing political dominance in India, and they had adopted the French policy of interfering in the internal affairs or politics of Indian states. The British intended to acquire more and more economic benefit from India during the following hundred years, therefore they used various methods such as war, diplomacy, and administrative measures. Two important acts passed by the British Parliament during that time had a significant impact: the Charter Act of 1813, which abolished the British East India Company and allowed every British citizen to trade in India; and the Charter Act of 1833, which allowed British citizens to own property in India. Many British individuals established industries as a result of the enactments, and landowners invested money in tea and coffee plantations, indigo and cotton production, and so on. The end consequence was the 'Drain of Wealth,' and the practise was known as colonialism. Several nationalists, like Ramesh Chandra Dutta, Dadabhai Naoroji, Ranade, and Malaviya, demonstrated that India had become exceedingly impoverished at the time, and that the influence of colonial policies was the source of impoverishment of farmers and craftsmen. The British were well aware that their actions were immoral and unethical. They employed a variety of ideological premises to explain their acts, including mercantilism, orientalism, evangelicalism, and utilitarianism. Exports contribute to a country's wealth, whereas imports detract from it, according to mercantile theory. Though it was a dominant philosophy for European nations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Adam Smith rejected it. It was essentially an economic strategy and a system of state-controlled commerce exploitation. Orientalism is a point of view that focuses on the study of oriental culture and civilisation. Orientalists, according to Romila Thapar (2002), are researchers who are interested in Asia since it was formerly thought that this area of the globe was unique, and its grandeur lay in its spiritualism and otherworldliness. Orientalists, also known as Indologists, are those who are interested in learning about India via its scriptures, which are mostly religious. In Calcutta, Orientalism encouraged the founding of the Asiatic Society in 1784 and Fort William College in 1800. This programme aided the British in taking the initiative to educate every British officer on local language, customs, laws, and traditions in order to improve their performance in their assigned location. Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement that originated in England in the eighteenth century. It aimed to begin reform, contrary to the Orthodox Church's values. Evangelists opposed "Indian barbarism" and tried to "civilise" the country. They advocated for "improvement" and "Indian assimilation with the British mission." Many British people liked the concept since it allowed them to buy additional homes in India. Macaulay advocated for western education to civilise Indians, notwithstanding his opposition to orientalists. Finally, Raja

Rammohan Roy's many debates, discussions, and interventions aided in the introduction of western education. Utilitarianism is a philosophical or ethical framework for determining whether a certain behaviour is right or wrong. Utilitarians believe in pragmatism, rationalism, and reason. The utilitarians Sir William Jones, Charles Grant, and James Mill were well-known in British India. They believed that legislation might help transform India's barbaric reputation, therefore a succession of laws, including criminal codes, were written to civilise and enhance the country. Thus, under the guise of 'development,' 'improvement,' or 'civilising India,' the foregoing ideological foundations contributed to the establishment of the 'British Raj' in India. As one of several endeavours to civilise India, the introduction of western education had a huge influence. Despite the heated argument between "Orientalists" and "Anglicists," the continual pressure from Christian missionaries, liberals, and utilitarians forced the British colonial authority to implement western education after 1813. Several provisions were made in this regard, including a low budget allocation for oriental learning, the availability of inexpensive English books, the replacement of Persian as the court language, the opening of English colleges in Dacca, Patna, Varanasi, Allahabad, Agra, Delhi, and Barielly, and so on. The Wood's Despatch of 1854 aided India's educational progress, and in 1857, Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras Universities were founded. The sense of nationalism, self–rule, and self–reliance, as well as trust in rationality, knowledge of colonial exploitation, new ideas on justice, and sympathy for the impoverished, were all brought about by western education. It was discovered that during British control, a new socioeconomic stratum emerged in India: the salaried class, which included managers, clerks, teachers, physicians, attorneys, and other professionals who were hired to operate the British government. They were referred to as "middle class." The middle class and their consciousness were enriched by the introduction of western education. The number of English-educated persons grew, and many of them adopted a western mindset and became intellectuals. They intended to raise public awareness of societal problems, such as provincial casteism, British exploitation, and injustices. To increase awareness, they employed a large number of newspapers as weapons. By 1875, India had 475 newspapers, with many of the most influential being operated by brave nationalists. Important figures such as Raja Rammohan Roy, Vidyasagar, Bankim Chandra, and M. G. Ranade sought to create the spirit of nationalism and social reform via significant writing. India was the birthplace of the Renaissance. Many non-profit or religious groups arose to fight for the social cause and bring about transformation. Areas of ‘Social Reform Movement’ in India To encourage education, social reform began as a movement centred on education and the establishment of new schools or universities. Education was restricted to the upper caste communities like Brahmins, Khastriyas, and Vaishyas due to their social status and engagement in certain occupations such as village record keeping, village court, and so on. Western educated people realised and identified superstitions and social evil practises among traditional Indian

communities with regard to the spread of education, i.e. education was restricted to the upper caste communities like Brahmins, Khastriyas, and Vaishyas due to their social The shudras of the lower caste were not allowed to attend the educational system. The British educational push was essential in bringing together a diverse range of occupational and social groupings. Many communities were helped to come forward to get modern education by British vested interests and social reform groups.Another issue was ensuring that women had access to education. In the early nineteenth century, social reformers recognised the need of formal education for women. Efforts to disseminate education began in metropolises, with the Christian Missionaries taking the lead in the early nineteenth century, when they built a number of schools and institutions, particularly for women. Raja Rammohan Roy of Calcutta and Jotiba Phooley of Pune were two reformers who fought for women's education. Phooley founded a separate school for women in order to educate not just metropolitan women but also rural women who were unreachable. Ranade and Phooley, for example, educated their wives first. Women's education was also championed by Dhondo Keshav Karve in Maharastra and P.S. Sivaswamy Iyer in Madras. The movement for women's education took a different path, focusing on women's betterment and amelioration. A lot of social reformers noticed and thought that discrimination, traditions, beliefs, or harmful behaviours against women needed to be abolished. Sati system among higher caste Hindus was one of these bad practises. Women represented a helpless situation and had extremely low status, since they lacked educational, property, and remarriage rights. Child marriage was common, and women's general position was always poor and dependent. Raising the marital age and widow remarriage were among the social reformers' demands. These new principles were instilled and established through a variety of means, including newspaper articles, public forums, lectures, debates, plays, and so on. Despite the fact that the message was extensively promoted, progress in women's standing was gradual. Another area where reform was needed was in the domain of caste. In Indian society, caste-based discrimination was particularly common whether it came to work assignments or the purity notion. Landowners, moneylenders, and Brahmins wielded great authority in rural regions, and they used it all the time. For the first time, British control established a centralised government, yet these people gained the upper hand and operated as gatekeepers. Though the British and Christian missionaries desired a casteless society, Brahmins in the north, east, west, and south of India saw it as a religious rite. Some upper caste liberals who advocated for the abolition of the caste system in public settings did so at home as well. Casteism was less prominent in the train compartment, government offices, and metropolitan regions. Through the social reform movement, our constitution builders and religious reformers declared the end of untouchability. Contribution of Socio-Religious Organisations: Arya Samaj

Arya Samaj spearheaded the social reform movement in North India. Swami Dayananda Saraswati started it on April 10th, 1875 in Bombay. Swami Dayananada Saraswati, one of the founding fathers of modern India, saw the necessity of new social, religious, and economic norms and advocated for their transformation. He discussed the relevance of Hindutva despite not being a follower of western education or culture. Swami Dayananda Saraswati was inspired by Vedic principles, knowledge, and truth while also wanting to alter the Hindu religion's bad practises. He founded Arya Samaj based on Vedic ideas as the ultimate source of knowledge. Arya Samaj's numerous areas of endeavour included opposition to dowry, caste system, idol worship, opposition to child marriage, polygamy, and belief in female education. Lower caste individuals have no access to Veda, Swami Dayananda Saraswati discovered. The Arya Samaj argued that the caste system should be abolished and that Veda should be available to all. The Arya Samaj felt that Hindu civilization was rich in heritage and Vedic principles, and that by changing the harmful habits, it might reclaim its grandeur. It raised the social standing of Hinduism and discouraged many Hindus from joining other faiths. Arya Samaj was also a proponent of women's rights and a critic of the Sati and Purdah systems. It is said that throughout the Vedic period, women had equal status with males, but that their standing in society deteriorated subsequently. The Arya Samaj advocated for a more liberal society in which women might enjoy their independence, dignity, and value. Swami Dayananda Saraswati created Kanya Pathshalas (women's schools) in 1870 to promote women's education, and Arya Samaj eventually developed a variety of similar educational institutions for both males and females, including Gurukuls, Kanya Gurukuls, Schools, and Colleges. The Arya Samaj rose to prominence at the end of the nineteenth century and grew into a strong organisation dedicated to spreading education and bringing social changes, particularly in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, based on the Vedic religion and the best way to resurrect India's lost values. Brahma Samaj Raja Rammohan Roy was a liberal who refused to accept that the Vedas were the sole genuine religion. He campaigned for humanism, monotheism, and social regeneration, and favoured the finest ideas of all religions. In 1828, he founded the Brahma Samaj in Calcutta. He was one of the first social reformers, motivated by western ideals and advocating for the abolition of harmful customs and superstitions in Indian culture. Atemiya Sabha was founded in 1814 by Rammohan Roy, a linguist and western-educated scholar, to combat idolatry and harmful practises or superstitions in Hindu culture. He also used print media to reach out to the public, writing Bengali pieces in newspapers. He founded the Brahma Samaj, which was vital in Bengal's revival. The Brahma Samaj Movement laid the foundations for contemporary thought. Raja Rammohan Roy promoted the concepts of ultimate being and fraternity and asked others to join him. In 1828, he and Dwarkanath Tagore founded the Brahma Sabha (Association of Brahmins). This organization's major goal was to preach the word of real faith. Debendranath Tagore developed the Brahmo religion in Calcutta in 1849 with the publishing of "Brahmo

Dharma," in which the basic doctrine was that there is only one God who is omnipresent and omniscient. Brahmoism was created as a distinct religion from all others as a result of this achievement. Pandit Navin Chandra Roy later created the Brahmo Samaj in Lahor...