Chapter 29 : Socio-Religious Reform Movement (SRRM) - SAMUNDRAGYAAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Chapter 29 : Socio-Religious Reform Movement (SRRM)

Introduction

Social and religious reform movements occurred throughout all Indian communities. They fought against intolerance, superstition, and the power of the clergy elite. They campaigned for the removal of castes and untouchability, as well as the purdah system, sati, child marriage, socioeconomic disparities, and illiteracy. Some of these reformers were directly or indirectly sponsored by British authorities, and some of the reformers also supported reformative measures and laws formulated by the British Government.

Socio-Religious Reform Movements

In the first part of the nineteenth century, Indian society was caste-ridden, decadent, and strict.
It followed some activities that were contrary to humanitarian emotions or beliefs but were nonetheless carried out in the name of religion.
Some enlightened Indians, such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, Dayanand Saraswati, and others, began to implement reforms in society in order for it to confront the challenges of the West.
Reform movements may be roughly divided into two types:
- Reformist movements
- Revivalist movements
Examples of reformist movements are Brahmo Samaj, the Prarthana Samaj, and the Aligarh Movement.
Arya Samaj and the Deoband movement are examples of revivalist movements.
To differing degrees, both the reformist and revivalist movements relied on an appeal to the lost purity of the religion they wanted to improve.
The only distinction between reform movements was the extent to which they relied on tradition vs reason and conscience.

Factors Influencing the Rise of Socio-Religious Reform Movements

The presence of a colonial government on Indian territory; when the British arrived in India, they brought with them the English language as well as some contemporary ideals.
These concepts, which included liberty, social and economic equality, fraternity, democracy, and justice, had a significant effect on Indian society.
In the nineteenth century, Indian society was entangled in a terrible web of religious beliefs and social obscurantism.
Women’s Depressing Situation: The position of women was the most disturbing.
Female newborns were often killed upon birth.
In society, child marriage was common.
Polygamy was common in various sections of the country.
Widow remarriage was not permitted and sati pratha was often practiced.
Education and Global Awareness: Beginning in the late nineteenth century, a number of European and Indian researchers began studying ancient India’s history, philosophy, science, religions, and literature.
The Indian people gained pride in their civilization as they gained a better understanding of India’s former splendor.
It also aided religious and social reformers in their fight against all kinds of cruel practices, superstitions, and so forth.
International / global Thinking: The increasing tide of nationalism and democracy found expression in initiatives to reform and democratize the Indian people’s social structures and religious viewpoints throughout the later decades of the nineteenth century.
Factors such as the rise of nationalist feelings, the creation of new economic forces, the expansion of education, the influence of contemporary Western ideas and culture, and enhanced global awareness intensified the drive to reform.

Important Hindu Socio-Religious Reform Movements

Socio-Religious Reform Movement	Leaders	Significance
Brahmo Samaj	Raja Rammohan Roy, Keshub Chandra Sen, led by Debendranath Tagore.	Its primary goal was to worship the eternal God. It was opposed to the priesthood, ceremonies, and sacrifices. It centered on prayers, meditation, and scripture reading. It was a firm believer in the oneness of all religions. It was contemporary India’s first intellectual reform movement. It resulted in the rise of rationality and enlightenment in India, which aided the nationalist cause indirectly. It was the progenitor of all contemporary India’s social, religious, and political movements. In 1866, it separated into two organizations: the Brahmo Samaj of India, led by Keshub Chandra Sen, and the Adi Brahmo Samaj, led by Debendranath Tagore.
Atmiya Sabha	Raja Rammohan Roy	To promote Vedanta’s monotheistic ideas and to fight idolatry, caste rigidities, useless rituals, and other societal problems. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who was heavily inspired by rationalist beliefs, said that Vedanta is founded on reason and that, if reason demanded it, even deviation from the scriptures is allowed.
Tattvabodhini Sabha	Debendranath Tagore	Tattvabodhini Sabha was founded in 1839 by Debendranath Tagore, the father of Rabindranath Tagore. When he joined the Brahmo Samaj in 1842, he gave it fresh vitality. He committed himself to a methodical and reasonable study of India’s past. He spread Roy’s views.
Prarthana Samaj	Atmaram Pandurang, Keshab Chandra Sen	Keshab Chandra Sen assisted Atmaram Pandurang in establishing the Prarthana Samaj in Bombay in 1867. The Paramahansa Sabha, a kind of secret club that promoted liberal ideals and encouraged the dissolution of caste and communal boundaries, was a forerunner of the Prarthana Samaj. The samaj’s strategy was based on teaching and persuasion rather than conflict with Hindu orthodoxy. Along with Ranade, Dhondo Keshav Karve and Vishnu Shastri were social reformers.
Young Bengal Movement	Henry Vivian Derozio	The Hindu College of Calcutta intellectuals were at the forefront of the new Bengal movement. These philosophers were also referred to as Derozians. Derozio supported radical views through his teaching and by forming a debate and discussion group on literature, philosophy, history, and science. They revered the ideas of the French Revolution (1789 A.D.) and British liberalism. The Derozians were also advocates for women’s rights and education.
Arya Samaj	Swami Dayanand Saraswati	The Arya Samaj focused on the mission of modernizing Hinduism in western and northern India. Swami Dayanand thought that greedy and stupid priests had distorted Hinduism with the help of the Puranas, which he said contained erroneous doctrines. Swami Dayanand sought inspiration from the Vedas, which he believed infallible as the divine word of God and the font of all knowledge. Some of Swami Dayanand’s disciples eventually established a network of schools and universities around the country to provide western-style education. Lala Hansraj was a driving force behind this endeavor.
Ramakrishna Mission	Swami Vivekananda	Ramakrishna’s religious lessons were popularised through Vivekananda. He attempted to adapt it to the demands of current Indian society. Simultaneously, he was convinced of the superiority of the Indian philosophical tradition’s approach. Vivekananda chastised Indians for becoming static and mummified after losing contact with the rest of the world. Vivekananda was an outspoken opponent of the caste system and the Hindu emphasis on rituals and superstitions.

Important Muslim Socio-Religious Reform Movements

Socio-Religious Reform Movements	Leaders	Significance
Wahabi Movement	Syed Ahmed	Syed Ahmed criticized Western influences on Islam and argued for the restoration of genuine Islam and Arabian culture as it was during the Prophet’s time. Syed Ahmed was hailed as the ideal leader (Imam). A nationwide organization was established, with an extensive secret code for operating under spiritual vice-regents (Khalifas). The Wahabis played a significant role in instilling anti-British attitudes. A series of British military assaults on the Wahabi base at Sithana in the 1860s, as well as many court proceedings of sedition against the Wahabis, weakened the Wahabi resistance, while intermittent interactions with the government lasted until the 1880s and 1890s.
Ahmadiyya Movement	Mirza Ghulam Ahmad	The Ahmadiyya are a Muslim group that emerged in India. It referred to itself as the standard-bearer of the Mohammedan Renaissance. Like the Brahmo Samaj, it was founded on the ideas of universal religion for all humanity, rejecting jihad (holy war against non-Muslims). The initiative provided Indian Muslims with Western liberal education. The Ahmadiyya community is the only Islamic group that believes the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, came to end religious strife and bloodshed and to restore morality, peace, and justice.
Aligarh Movement	Syed Ahmad Khan	Syed Ahmad Khan was a fervent believer in religion’s essential underlying oneness, often known as ‘practical morality.’ He also spoke on the inherent similarities between Hindu and Muslim objectives. In 1862, he founded the Scientific Society to translate English literature on science and other subjects into Urdu. He also founded an English-Urdu periodical through which he propagated ideas for social transformation. His endeavor led in the founding of the Mohammedan Oriental College, which expanded into the Aligarh Muslim University.
Deoband Movement	Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi	Deobandis saw Islam as having two primary points: Shariat (law based on texts and religious knowledge) and tariqah (religious knowledge) As a result, they embraced Sufism and its different kinds of discipline, as well as the function of the ulama in interpreting Islamic law’s four schools. While they accepted Sufism, the Deobandis rejected certain rites as well as the authority of pirs who claimed holiness via lineage rather than learning.
Barelvi Movement	Syed Ahmad Rai Barelvi	Syed Ahmad Rai Barelvi was India’s leading Wahhabi exponent, a firm proponent of puritanical extremism and physical jihadism. Sufi organizations and silsilas such as Naqsyabandiyah, Chishtiya, and Qadriyah first influenced him. For Indian Muslims, Syed Ahmad’s Mujahidin movement is now gone, but his religious exhortations for jihad as “an act of devotion greater than spiritual prayer in merit and rewards” continue to impact millions. As a result, some extreme jihadist organizations have declared the resurrection of Rai Barelvi’s Mujahidin movement in the subcontinent.

Important Sikh Socio-Religious Reform Movements

Sikh Socio-Religious Reform Movement	Leader	Significance
Akali Movement	The Akali Movement (also known as the Gurdwara Reform Movement) sprang out of the Singh Sabha Movement. Its goal was to free the Sikh gurudwaras from the grip of corrupt Udasi mahants (the position had become hereditary). These mahants were a faithful and conservative bunch who benefited from official favor. It passed the Sikh Gurdwaras Act in 1922 (amended in 1925), which gave the Sikh masses control of gurudwaras to be administered through the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) as the apex body.
Nirankari Movement	Baba Dayal Das	The Nirankaris emphasized appropriate religious practice, producing hukamnamas to clarify what was acceptable and establishing a network of worship centers staffed by their own priests. They did not clash or fight the British but grew as a result of British control in Punjab, which liberated them from the restraints of the Sikh government. As a result, the Nirankaris became a permanent subgroup of the Sikh faith, assisting in the clarification of the lines that separate Sikhs from Hindus.
Namdhari Movement	Baba Ram Singh	Initially, the movement followed a series of ceremonies fashioned by Guru Gobind Singh’s foundation of Khalsa. With the exception of the Kripan, the Namdharis were compelled to wear the five Sikhism insignia (sword). They were, however, forced to carry a Lathi (bamboo stave). The Namdharis repudiated the worship of gods, goddesses, idols, cemeteries, tombs, trees, and snakes, as well as popular saints and ceremonies performed by Brahman priests. The Namdharis also opposed the authority of the hereditary caretakers of Sikh Gurdwaras (places of worship).
Singh Sabha	Thakur Singh Sandhawalia and Giani Gian Singh	The Sabha’s goals were to restore Sikhism to its original purity, to print historical religious literature and magazines, spread information, to sing Punjabi, to return Sikh apostles to their religion, and enlist Englishmen in the Sikh educational program. Later, the Amritsar Singh Sabha was imitated by a newer, more democratic institution, the Lahore Singh Sabha. After a time, the Singh Sabhas were swamped by other organizations like Khalsa Diwani and, in 1920, a fight for control over Sikh places of worship.

Socio Religious Reform Movements in South India

Socio Religious Reform movement	Leaders	Significance
SNDP (Sree Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana Movement)	Sree Narayana Guru, Dr. Padmanabhan Palpu	Sree Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana Movement (SNDP) was a Kerala-based regional movement founded by Shree Narayan Guru Swami. This movement was fueled by antagonism between the lower and upper castes. He maintained mirrors instead of idols in one of the temples he dedicated at Kalavancode. This represented his message that the divine existed inside every one of us. In Kalady, he also established an Advaita Ashram.
Vokkaligara Sangha	In Mysore, the Vokkaligara Sangha started an anti-Brahmin movement in 1905. It is an Indian caste from the state of Karnataka. As a warrior and farmer community, they have traditionally wielded tremendous demographic, political, and economic dominance in Old Mysore.
Justice Movement	C.N. Mudaliar, T.M.Nair, P. Tyagaraja	It started in the Madras Presidency to secure jobs and participation in the parliament for non-brahmins In 1917, the Madras Presidency Association was created to urge that the lower classes be given distinct representation in the legislature.
Self Respect Movement	E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker	It was an egalitarian movement that advocated for the abolition of Brahminical rule, equal rights for backward groups and women in society, and the resuscitation of Dravidian languages such as Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. The Self-Respect Movement’s aims have been articulated and stated in two booklets, “Namathu Kurikkol” and “Tiravitakkalaka Lateiyam.’ The movement seeks to eliminate societal structures in which one class of people claims to be superior to another and some males claim to be of higher birth than others.

Significance of the Socio-Religious Reform Movements

Positive Aspect

The orthodox parts of society were unable to accept the socio-religious rebels’ scientific ideological attack.
- As a result, the reactionaries subjected the reformers to insults, persecution, fatwas, and even assassination attempts.
- Despite the opposition, these groups were able to contribute to the emancipation of the individual from fear-based obedience and unquestioning surrender to exploitation by priests and other classes.
Worship became a more personal experience with the translation of religious writings into common languages, the focus on each individual’s right to interpret the scriptures, and the simplicity of rituals.
The movements emphasized the ability of the human intellect to think and reason.
The reformers allowed their adherents to confront the official criticism that their faiths and culture were decadent and inferior by clearing out corrupt aspects, religious beliefs, and behaviors.
The reform movements provided the burgeoning middle classes with much-needed cultural roots to adhere to, as well as a means of alleviating the sense of humiliation caused by a foreign power’s annexation.
A fundamental contribution of these reform movements was recognizing the unique demands of modern times, particularly in terms of scientific knowledge, and so encouraging a modern, this-worldly, secular, and rational attitude.
Socially, this attitude was mirrored in a fundamental shift in the concepts of ‘pollution and purity.’
Although traditional beliefs and practices were a primary focus of reformers’ attacks, the reformers sought modernization rather than outright westernization based on mindless imitation of alien Western cultural ideals.
Indeed, reform movements tried to foster a favorable social atmosphere for modernization.

Negative Aspects

One of the primary disadvantages of religious reform movements was that they had a small social basis, notably the educated and urban middle classes, while the great majority of peasants and urban poor were disregarded.
The reformers’ proclivity to appeal to the glories of the past and to depend on biblical authority encouraged mysticism in new guises and fostered pseudo-scientific thinking while putting a brake on full recognition of the necessity for a contemporary scientific approach.
Above all, these inclinations contributed, to some extent, to the compartmentalization of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Parsis, as well as the alienation of high-caste Hindus from low-caste Hindus.
The emergence of a composite culture, which had been seen throughout Indian history, appeared to be stalled with the growth of another type of awareness, community consciousness, alongside national consciousness among the middle classes.
Many other causes were likely responsible for the rebirth of communalism in contemporary times, but the character of religious reform organizations also played a role.
Overall, regardless of the net outcome of these reform movements, it was through this battle that a new society emerged in India.

Impact of the Socio-Religious Reform Movements

The British intended to satisfy the top crust of society. As a result, just two significant pieces of legislation were enacted.
Some legal measures were enacted to improve women’s standing. Sati, for example, was banned (1829). Infanticide has been made illegal.
Legislation approved in 1856 allowed widow remarriage. A law passed in 1860 elevated the marriageable age of females to 10.
Inter-caste and inter-communal marriages were legalized in 1872 by legislation.
The other regulation, enacted in 1891, was intended to discourage underage marriage.
The Sharda Act was enacted in 1929 to discourage child marriage. It said that a girl under the age of 14 and a boy under the age of 18 could not marry.
The Indian national movement became the primary propagator of social reform in the twentieth century, particularly after 1919.
To reach the masses, the reformers increasingly relied on propaganda in the Indian language.
They also employed books, plays, short tales, poetry, the press, and, in the 1930s, a film to promote their message.
Numerous people, reform societies, and religious organizations worked hard to expand education among women, prevent young children from marrying, bring women out of the purdah, enforce monogamy, and enable middle-class women to enter professions or public service.
As a result of all of these efforts, Indian women played an active and essential part in the country’s war for independence.
As a consequence, many superstitions vanished, and many more were on their way out. Traveling to other nations was no longer a sin.

Conclusion

In the 1800s and 1900s, more and more individuals appreciated the benefits of Indian culture, but they were also loud in rejecting its negative aspects. Many leaders arose in order to change Indian society. They mostly wished to instill contemporary principles in Indian society. These concepts, which included liberty, social and economic equality, fraternity, democracy, and justice, had a significant effect on Indian society. Fortunately for our nation, there were some enlightened Indians like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayanand Saraswati, and many more who were willing to struggle and bring about social changes in order for our country to confront the challenges of the West.