Socio-Religious Movements- Part-3

19.Seva Sadan

• Founded by a Parsi social reformer, Behramji M. Malabari in 1908 along with a friend, Diwan Dayaram Gidumal.

• In 1884, Malabari published a set of Notes on Infant Marriage and Enforced Widowhood, that he sent to 4,000 leading Englishmen and Hindus

• It was his efforts that led to the Age of Consent Act regulating the age of consent for females, Seva Sadan specialised in taking care of those women who were exploited and then discarded by society.

20.Dev Samaj

• Founded in 1887 at Lahore by Shiv Narayan Agnihotri

• Previously he was Brahmo samaj follower, -Dev Sadan is a religious and social reform society.

• The teachings of the Samaj were compiled in book form in Deva Shastra.

• The society emphasised on the eternity of the soul, the supremacy of the guru, and the need for good action. It called for an ideal social behaviour such as not accepting bribes, avoiding intoxicants and non-vegetarian food, and keeping away from violent actions.

• Dayanand Saraswati and Agnihotri clashed persistently. Pandit Agnihotri defended Brahmo ideals in opposition to the new Arya Samaj. Agnihotri also defended Sikhism against attacks made by the Arya Samaj in 1888-89.

• Agnihotri also spoke against child marriage.

21.Dharma Sabha

• FOUNDER- Radhakant Deb in 1830.

• An orthodox society, it stood for the preservation of the status quo in socio-religious matters, opposing even the abolition of sati. However, it favoured the promotion of Western education, even for girls.

22.Bharat Dharma Mahamandal

• An all-India organisation of the orthodox educated Hindus, it stood for a defence of orthodox Hinduism against the teachings of the Arya Samajists, the Theosophists, and the Ramakrishna Mission.

• Other organisations created to defend orthodox Hinduism were the Sanatana Dharma Sabha (1895), the Dharma Maha Parishad in South India, and Dharma Mahamandali in Bengal. These organisations combined in 1902 to form the single organisation of Bharat Dharma Mahamandala, with headquarters at Varanasi.

• This organisation sought to introduce proper management of Hindu religious institutions, open Hindu educational institutions, etc. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was a prominent figure in this movement.

23.Radha Swami Movement

• In the year 1861, Radhaswami Movement was started by Tulsi Ram. He is also known as Shiv Dayal Saheb or Swamiji Maharaj a banker from Agra,

• The Radhaswamis believe in one supreme being, supremacy of the guru, a company of pious people and a simple social life.

• They have no temple and sacred places

• They did not call for renunciation of the worldly life. They consider all religions to be true.

24.Sree Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Movement

• It was started by Sree Narayana Guru Swamy among the Ezhavas of Kerala, who were a backward caste of toddy-tappers and were considered to be untouchables, denied education and entry into temples.

• His family belonged to the Ezhava caste and was considered ‘avarna’ according to the social mores of the time.

• The Ezhavas were the single largest caste group in Kerala

• He gave the famous slogan “One Caste, One Religion, One God for All” 

• Sree Narayana Guru became one of the greatest proponents and re-evaluators of Advaita Vedanta, the principle of non-duality put forward by Adi Shankara

• Narayana Guru, himself from the Ezhava caste, took a stone from the Neyyar river and installed it as a Sivalinga at Aruvippuram on Sivaratri in 1888.

• It was intended to show that consecration of an idol was not the monopoly of the higher castes. With this he began a revolution that soon led to the removal of many discriminations in Kerala's society. The movement (Aruvippuram movement) drew the famous poet Kumaran Asan as a disciple of Narayana Guru.

• In 1889, the Aruvippuram Kshetra Yogam was formed which was decided to expand into big organisation to help the Ezhavas to progress materially as well as spiritually.

• Thus the Aruvippuram Sree Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana Yogam (in short SNDP) was registered in 1903 under the Indian Companies Act, with Narayana Guru as its permanent chairman, and Kumaran Asan as the general

Secretary.

• Narayana Gurudev provided the impetus for Vaikom agitation which was aimed at temple entry in Travancore for the lower castes. It drew nationwide attention and appreciation from Mahatma Gandhi.

25.Vokkaliga Sangha

• Anti - Brahmin movement launched in MYSORE in 1905.

• The Vokkaligas comprised the largest community in the erstwhile princely state of Mysore.

26.Justice Movement 

• This movement in Madras Presidency was started by C.N. Mudaliar, T.M. Nair and P. Tyagaraja to secure jobs and representation for the non-brahmins in the legislature. 
• In 1917 Madras Presidency Association was formed which demanded separate representation for the lower castes in the legislature.

27.Self-Respect Movement

• Self-Respect Movement was started by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker in Tamil Nadu in 1925. 

• The movement aimed at rejection of the brahminical religion and culture which Naicker felt was the prime instrument of exploitation of the lower castes.

• It also aimed at revitalization of the Dravidian languages like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.

• Since, the movement was limited to Tamil Nadu, it had very limited influence

28.Temple Entry Movement

One of the famous movement was

Vaikom Movement

• The Vaikom movement started on March 30, 1924.At Vaikom Mahadeva Temple, lower caste people (Avarnas) were denied entry by the board.

• The Satyagrahis made the batches of three people together and entered the temple. They were resisted and arrested by the local police.

Important Leaders

• K P Kesava Menon and T K Madhavan

Support

• Gandhi, Sree Narayana Guru, and Chattampi Swamikal supported the movement.Even Muslim and Christian leaders were in support of the movement.

• E V Ramaswami Naicker travelled from Tamil Nadu to support the movement.

• The satyagraha was reinforced by jathas from Punjab and Madurai

Major Demands

• Throwing open of Hindu temples and roads to the untouchables.

During Civil Disobedience

• In 1931 when the Civil Disobedience Movement was suspended, temple entry movement was organised in Kerala.

• Inspired by K Kelappan, poet Subramaniyam Tirumambu led a group of sixteen volunteers to Guruvayur.

• Leaders like P. Krishna Pillai and A.K. Gopalan were among the satyagrahis.

• Finally, on November 12, 1936, the Maharaja of Travancore issued a proclamation throwing open all government-controlled temples to all Hindus.

29.Indian Social Conference-1887

• Founder-M.G. Ranade and Raghunath Rao,

• First Session in Madras in 1887 at the same time and venue as the Indian National Congress.

• Indian Social Conference could be called as the Social Reform Cell of Indian National Congress(INC).

• It launched the 'Pledge Movement' to inspire people to take a pledge against child marriage.

• The conference advocated inter-caste marriages, opposed polygamy and kulinisms.

30.Wahabi Movement

• Wahabi movement was a Revivalist movement

• In India it was founded by Syed Ahmed Barelvi and it was also popularized by Shah Abdul Aziz

• This movement, centred around Patna 

Background-

• This movement got inspiration from Abdul Wahab of Arabia & Shah Walliullah

• The teachings of Abdul Wahab of Arabia and the preachings of Shah Walliullah inspired this essentially revivalist response to Western influences and the degeneration which had set in among Indian Muslims and called for a return to the true spirit of Islam.

• Shah Abdul Aziz and Syed Ahmed Barelvi who also gave it a political perspective. - -Un-Islamic practices that had crept into Muslim society were sought to be eliminated.

• Syed Ahmed called for a return to the pure Islam and the kind of society that had existed in the Arabia of the Prophet's time. India was considered to be dar-ul-Harb (land of the kafirs) and it needed to be converted to dar-ul-Islam (land of Islam).

• Initially, the movement was directed at the Sikhs in Punjab but after the British annexation of Punjab in 1849 the movement was directed against the British.

1857 Revolt & This Movement

• During 1857 Revolt this movement was directed towards anti british activities & turned into an armed struggle against the British

• It remained active for half a century and fizzled out in the face of British military might in the 1870s.

31.Titu Mir's Movement

• His name wad Mir Nithar Ali and was popularly known as Titu Mir,

• He was a disciple of Sayyid Ahmed Barelvi, the founder of the Wahabi Movement.

• He organised the Muslim peasants of Bengal against the landlords, who were mostly Hindu, and the British indigo planters.

• He was killed in 1831.

32.Faraizi Movement 

• It was founded by Haji Shariatullah in 1818 in eastern bengal

• It Focuses on duties of muslims i.e fard

Objectives-

• It seeks to purify the religion

• It aimed at the eradication of social innovations or un-Islamic practices current among the Muslims of the region and draw their attention to their duties as Muslims.

• Focus on eradication of Social disparity

33.Dudu Mian

• Under the leadership of Haji's son, Dudu Mian, the movement became revolutionary from 1840 onwards.

• He gave the movement an organisational system from the village to the provincial level with a khalifa or authorised deputy at every level.

• The Fara'idis organised a paramilitary force armed with clubs to fight the zamindars who were mostly Hindu, though there were some Muslim landlords too, besides the indigo planters.

• Dudu Mian asked his followers not to pay rent. The organisation even established its own Law courts.

• Dudu Mian was arrested several times, and his arrest in 1847 finally weakened the movement.

34.Ahmadiya Movement-

• The Ahmadiyya forms a sect of Islam which originated from India

• 1882 - Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claims to be the Mujaddid of the fourteenth Islamic century

• 1889- Mirza Ghulam Ahmad establishes the Ahmadiyya Muslim movement

• It was based on liberal principles. It described itself as the standard-bearer of Mohammedan Renaissance, and based itself, like the Brahmo Samaj, on the principles of universal religion of all humanity, opposing jihad (sacred war against non-Muslims).

• The Ahmadiyya faith claims to represent the latter-day revival of the religion of Islam.

• The movement spread Western liberal education among the Indian Muslims.

• Ahmadiyya emerged in India as a movement within Islam, also in response to the Christian and Arya Samaj missionary activity that was widespread in the 19th century

35.Sir Sayad Ahmad Khan & AThe Ligarh Movement

• Sir syed was born in 1817 at Delhi

• In 1838, Syed Ahmad entered the service of East India Company and went on to become a judge at a Small Causes Court in 1867, retiring from 1876. During the War of Independence of 1857 he remained loyal to the British Raj and was noted for his actions in saving European lives

• He became a member of the Imperial Legislative Council in 1878. His loyalty earned him a knighthood in 1888.

• Tahdhib-ul-Akhlaq -Improvement of Manners- was his magzine which highlighted his social ideas

• He wanted to reconcile Western scientific education with the teachings of the Quran which were to be interpreted in the light of contemporary rationalism and science even though he also held the Quran to be the ultimate authority.

• He advocated a critical approach and freedom of thought and not complete dependence on tradition or custom.

• In 1875, founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, the first Muslim university in Southern Asia

• Syed criticized the Indian National Congress

• He also favoured women reforms like advocating easy divorce, and condemning the system of piri and muridi.

• He opposed political activity by the Muslims because he felt that it would invite hostility of the government towards the Muslim masses

• Although he flavoured education among muslims but he was also used by Britishers in development of communal conflicts

The Aligarh Movement It aimed at spreading 

(i) modern education among Indian Muslims without weakening their allegiance to Islam 

(ii) social reforms among Muslims relating to purdah, polygamy, widow remarriage, women's education, slavery, divorce, etc.

36.Deoband Movement(Darul Uloom)

• FOUNDED by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, and several other figures in 1866 in Saharanpur district

• The Deoband Movement was organised by the orthodox section among the Muslim ulema as a revivalist movement

• In contrast to the Aligarh Movement, which aimed at the welfare of Muslims through Western education and support of the British government, the aim of the Deoband Movement was moral and religious regeneration of the Muslim community. The instruction imparted at Deoband was in original Islamic religion.

• On the political front, the Deoband school welcomed the formation of the Indian National Congress and in 1888 issued a fatwa (religious decree) against Syed Ahmed Khan's organisations, the United Patriotic Association and the Mohammaden Anglo-Oriental Association.

• Founders of the Deobandi school Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi drew inspiration from the religio-political doctrine of the Islamic scholar and mujaddid Shah Waliullah and some of them being influenced by the Wahhabi ideology.

• The Deobandi Movement in India is controlled by the Darul Uloom Deoband and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

37.Parsi Reforms Movements

• The Parsi Religious Reform Associationwas founded at Bombay by Furdunji Naoroji and S.S. Bengalee, in 1851, with funds provided by K.N. Kama.

• Furdunji Naoroji became its President and S.S. Bengali its secretary.

• The Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha of 1851 was their initiative towards socio religious reform among parsis

• The message of reform was spread by the newspaper Rast Goftar (Truth-Teller)

Sikh reforms Movement-

• The Singh Sabha Movement was founded at Amritsar in 1873

• The Singh Sabha Movement was in reaction to the proselytising activities of.

• Christians, Hindu reform movements like Brahmo Samajis, Arya Samaj and

• Muslims reform and revivalist movements like Aligarh movement and Ahmadiyah

• It also focused to make available modern western education to the Sikhs,and a network of Khalsa schools was established by the Sabha throughout Punjab.

• The Akali movement (also known as Gurudwara Reform Movement) was an offshoot of the Singh Sabha Movement.

• It aimed at liberating the Sikh gurudwaras from the control of corrupt Udasi mahants because this the having became hereditary -These mahants were a loyalist and reactionary lot, enjoying government patronage,

• The Akalis Started NON violent and non cooperation satyagraha in 1921 and forced the government to bring Reforms

• Due to this movement Sikh Gurudwaras Act of 1922 was passed which was later amended in 1925

• This act gave the control of gurudwaras to the Sikh masses to be administered through Shiromani GurudwaraPrabandhak Committee (SGPC) as the apex body

• The Akali Movement was a regional movement but not a communal one.

The Theosophical Movement

• A group of westerners led by Madame HP. Blavatsky (1831 1891) and Colonel MS. Olcott, who were inspired Indian thought and culture, founded the Theosophical Society in New York City, United States in 1875. 

• In 1882, they shifted their headquarters to Adyar, on the outskirts of Madras (at that time) in India. 

• The society believed that a special relationship could be established between a person's soul and God by contemplation, prayer, revelation, etc. 
• It accepted the Hindu beliefs in reincarnation and karma, and drew inspiration from the philosophy of the Upanishads and samkhya, yoga and Vedanta schools of thought. 
• It aimed to work for universal brotherhood of humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour.
• The society also sought to investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in man. 
• The Theosophical Movement came to be allied with the Hindu renaissance. 
• It opposed child marriage and advocated the abolition of caste discrimination, uplift of outcastes, improvement in the condition of widows.

• In India, the movement became somewhat popular with the election of Annie Besant (1847-1933) as its president after the death of Olcott in 1907. 
• Annie Besant had come to India in 1893. She laid the foundation of the Central Hindu College in Benaras in 1898 where both Hindu religion and Western scientific subjects were taught. 
• The college became the nucleus for the formation of Benaras Hindu University in 1916. Annic Besant also did much for the cause of the education of women.

• The Theosophical Society provided a common denomi nator for the various sects and fulfilled the arge of educated Hindus. 
• However, to an average Indian the Theosophist philosophy seemed to be vague and lacking a positive programme; to that extent its impact was limited to a small segment of the westernised class. 
• As religious revivalists, the Theosophists did not attain much success, but as a movement of westerners glorifying Indian religious and philosophical traditions, it gave much needed self-respect to the Indians fighting British colonial ruic. 
• Viewed from another angle, the Theosophists also had the effect of giving a false sense of pride to the Indians in their outdated and sometimes backward looking traditions and philosophy.

Significance of Reform Movements

Positive Aspects

1.the creation of the feelings of sacrifice, service and rationalism

2.the creation of national awakening among the masses;

3. The translation of religious texts into vernacular languages, emphasis on an individual's right to interpret the scriptures

and simplification of rituals made worship a more personal experience.

4.It helped in weeding out corrupt elements, religious beliefs and practices,

5. Development of rationality and scientific knowledge led to promotion of modern society

Negative Aspects

1.Narrow social base of religious movement

2.some movements encouraged mysticism in new garbs and fostered pseudo-scientific thinking while exercising a check on the full acceptance of the need for a modern, scientific outlook.

3. Rising communal differences due to 2 different movements led by some of these institutions