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The Hindu social reform Movement in the Nineteenth Century:

By the end of 18th century the Indian sub continent had to go through a crisis
of unprecedented magnitude. Since the collapse of the Mughal central authority the
economic and social structure which was sustained began to crumble. This set of
breakdown had serious effects on ideas and thoughts of both Hindu and Muslim
communities. However, in a phase of political turmoil and conflict of ideologies there
appeared a marked new and great rethinkip among the intellectual circles to re-examine
and re-evaluating and questioning the age old religious beliefs and its ideologies in
social practices.

We have seen during the Mughal period social leadership was provided by a
feudal military aristocracy. After that during the British period and the colonial rule, this
leadership no longer existed. This was replaced by a new kind of middle class which
had emerged through the cooperation with European mercantile interest and groups
together with the patronage of the British colonial rulers. This was strong and effective
by the newly created ‘Zamindar’ class in the Bengal society created by the permanent
settlement of 1793. They were the new leaders under the British colonial rule. By this
time the centre was in the city of Calcutta, the metropolis of the rulers provided the ideal
cosmopolitan setting for all kinds of class, conflict, convergence and confluence of ideas
of all kinds.

With the introduction of English education in Calcutta and in India, a section of

the newly educated and emerging “English educated Indian Middle class” fully
intoxicated by the liberal ideas which English education has conveyed to their minds
and they became harbinger of the movement for social and religious reforms in their
own existing societies.

Hindu religious movements: This was first started by Rammohan Roy (1774-
1833) was the first one to call for the religious and social reform movement in the
nineteenth century. He was born in a very orthodox Hindu family of west Bengal, India.
He received the traditional education which was in vogue in the 18th century India. He
was a brilliant Youngman and was well-versed in Sanskrit, the sacred language of the
Hindus, but also gained proficiency in Arabic and Persian, the languages were
patronized by the Muslim rulers. Even the new English rulers patronized the Persian
language. Rammohan in fact, had come in contact with Muslim scholar’s thinkers and
philosophers in the formative period of his life. He had understood the rational thoughts
and philosophy in Islamic social context without accepting the orthodoxy of Islamic
religious dogmas. He did some comparative study of Islamic and Hindu religious
scriptures and works of Sufis mystics, poets of Persian and also learnt Aristotelian logic
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in Arabic which helped him to understand at an early age and to develop a somewhat
revolutionary as well as reforming approach to traditional religious. He even works a
tract named “Tuhfat-ul-Muwahidin” (A gift to Deists) which was published in
Murshidabad where he was probably living. The important contribution of him through
this book was that, “that he denounced traditional Hindu worship of idols, but made the
very bold attack “falsehood is common to all religious without distinctions”. He also
declared that the realization of the existence of “one supreme being” could be attained
by individual without interaction or guidance from any one”. Rammohan’s attitude was
quite different. He never wanted to break away from Hinduism, “but to reform it from
within”. He was convinced that “Hindu religion was essentially monotheism but had
been corrupted by the introduction of idolatry during subsequent ages”. His mission had
been to call upon his country men” to discard idolatry and worship-One True God”.

It was not easy by all means to change any religious based social reforms.
So he had to sought various ways to achieve his well thought of plan for Hindu
community? How did he manage this task?? First of all, (i) he propagated his views
through private talks and seminars, among his friends and in various informed
discussions and so formed “a group “in 1815 known as “Atmiya Sabha”. (ii)He wrote
many pamphlets and tracts on specified social and religious issues (iii) He also had to
publish journals and newspapers and finally (iv) He eventually established a “religious
Association” called “The Brahmo samaj” or “Sabah” in 1828. In fact, Rammohan
remained a Hindu all along. He was indeed a practical reformer and his “Brahmo samaj”
remained a sect of Hinduism.” It is quite significant that the influence of Islam and
Christianity had influenced him a great deal. After his death in England in 1833 the
movement for religious reform had a set back. But his work was started by
Debandranath Tagore (1817-1905) son of Rammohan Roy’s close Friends and
associate Dwarkanath Tagore (1794-1846). So under Debendranath’s leadership and
guidance the Brahmo samaj took a new lease of life and new dimension. He also set up
a new society called “Tatta bodhini Sabha” in 1839, which focused at wide propagation
of this new creed. Debendranath also started publishing news paper called “Tatta
bodhini Patrika” which started propagating this new faith, also advocated the cause of
social reform and denounced social injustices in any form.

Around 1847 the Brahmo leaders after a through scrutiny, they attempted to
reconstruct the “Brahmo religions creed” based on selected passages of the
“Upanishads” which contained “monotheistic ideas”. The revised doctrines of the
Brahmo Samaj were published in 1850 in the form of a book called “Brahmo Dharma”
or religion of the worshippers of “one true God”. This movement became more dynamic
and quite broad based under the dynamic leadership of Keshab Chandra Sen (1858-

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1884). He joined the ‘Samaj’ in 1857 and within a year became the right hand man of
Devendranath. But then, differences arose between them two chiefly on “Caste rules”
and “social reforms”. The differences were on issue of

(a) Devendra’s approach was conservative and Keshab Chandra Sen advocated
“complete abolition of caste distinction”, and went ahead “with the cause of social
reforms”. Particularly the movement for female education and female
emancipation.
(b) In 1868 Keshab Chandra Sen founded a new organization called “The Brahmo
Samaj of India”, the organization formed by Rammohan Roy’s son Devendranath
and Keshab Chandra Sen toured to Bombay, Madras and other parts of India
and spread the message of “Brahmo Samaj”. Keshab Chandra Sen strongly
condemned the caste system and advocated its abolition. He also upheld the
cause of female education and their emancipation. It was due to his great
initiative that the “Civil Marriage Act” was passed in 1872. It provided for
performance of secular marriage without religious rites. The Act also made
monogamy obligatory and fixed the minimum age of bride and bridegroom at 14
and 18 years respectively.

Keshab Chandra Sen added certain new elements from Hinduism, Buddhism,
Christianity and Islam and produced a grand synthesis into the ‘Brahmo-Samaj’. He
sincerely believed that “all religions are true “. He reintroduced the popular Hindu
concept of “Bhakti” or devotional fervor in his religious practice and pointed out the
doctrine of Gods in conscience.

The Hindu revivalist movement was influenced by the western ideas and
reformists were introducing various new ones. One of such movement was the Arya-
Samaj in 1875, founded by Swami Dayananda Soraswati (1824-1883). This
Aryasamaj denounced idolatry worship and advocated the worship of “One Supreme
Being”. However, at the last worship of the nineteenth century a new religions
movement called “Ram Krishna Mission” gave a great importance to the cause of Hindu
revivalism”. This mission was established by Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) whose
former name was Narendra Nath Datta. He was Kayastha in a middle class family and
had a good English education. He preached far and wide in Calcutta. In India social
reform movements were closely linked with religious movement for religious reform and
development of education. This was particularly of Hindu society. Educated men like
Rammohan, Debendra, Keshab Chandra were not only the religious reformers but they
were educationists and were very much aware of the social abuses and injustices, that
is why they equally believed that both religious reforms and educational development
and improvement should improve and social abuses should be removed and reformed.
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There were many social evils in the 19th century Hindu society. In fact, the work and
efforts of the liberal minded Hindu reforms were greatly encouraged by the efforts of the
Christian Missionaries specially by the Baptist missionaries of Serampur.

These missionaries carried their utmost efforts with the agitation both in
England and in India against such evils like the awful practice of ‘Sati’ and female
infanticide and urged the government to suppress or abolish these evils through
legislation. There was the most important third force to help and that was the utilitarian
Philosophers on the government of ‘East India Company’. In fact, it is noted that the
Evangelicals i.e., Christian Missionaries as well as utilitarian influences was on Lisd
William Bentinct’s reforms both social and educational were formulated. It must be
clearly understood that no legislation or reforms would work or bring any good result
unless and until the people or community themselves realize the short comings and
evils of the society that needed to change or reformed for the benefit of the Hindu
society at large. The most dreadful social evil was the ‘Sati’ by which the widowed wife
of the deceased husband had to burn herself on the funeral pyre was supposed to show
her love, affection, devotion to the dead husband and the ‘Sati’ wife will remain immortal
forever in history. Rammohan and others like him quoted many religions saying and
information that all recommended for a widow to follow a life of piety and abstinence
rather than destroy herself physically. Another dreadful evil was the female infanticide
that is to kill or murder a girl infant after her birth. This was worship that the ‘Sati’. There
is no such religious sanction behind this inhuman act. This sort of cruel practice existed
in Northern and central India as well. Even a woman would take a vow of sacrificing her
child to please the God, by throwing the child in the river. Such practices were stopped
/abolished in British India by a legislation passed by Lord Wellesley in 1802 A.D. Again,
in July 1856, the government of Lord Dalhousie passed the Hindu widow Re-Marriage
Act (Act XV of 1856). Hindu Marriage law also prohibited divorce. But in practice, Hindu
women took less opportunity or benefit of this act for fear of having a social stigma on
her character by her relations or friends. Similarly, legislation was being in acted in the
parliament, namely the Age of Consent Bill of 1891, which particularly prohibited early
marriage i.e., not before the age of puberty. This was strongly opposed by the
Maharastrian leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1857-1920), as “These foreigners have no
right to interfere in Indian social and religious matters of the Hindus”. So we see that
“the traditional structure of Hindu society therefore remained the same as before”.

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