Chapter 11: Indian Renaissance – Social and

Religious Reformers in India

Introduction:

This section explains the background and causes

that led to the Indian Renaissance and the rise of
social and religious reform movements.

 Western education proved to be a blessing in

the long run for India.
 With the spread of Western education, a large
number of Indians imbibed a modern, rational,
liberal, and progressive outlook.
 The impact of modern ideas gave birth to a new
awakening in India.
 India, a vast and ancient country, had been
enslaved by a handful of foreigners, which
acted as a wake-up call.
 The country had been stuck in a time warp,
while the rest of the world moved forward.
 The shock of enslavement galvanized the
nation into action.
 Many Indians realized the need for social and
religious reforms to arrest the stagnation of
Indian society.
 Western scholars studied India’s ancient past
and helped Indians rediscover their glorious
heritage.
 This period marked a time to move forward, to
look outward to the modern world, and also
inward at Indian society.
 Indians began to take a critical look at the
weaknesses and strengths of their society.
 The stagnation, corruption, and
degeneration of contemporary Indian society had
to be faced with honesty and determination.
 There was a strong resolve to revive and
revitalize Indian society, leading to the Indian
Renaissance.

Section 2: Raja Ram Mohan Roy (Exam-Ready

Notes | ICSE Class 8)
 The central figure of the Indian awakening was
Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the pioneer of the
Modern Age in India.
  He was described by Rabindranath Tagore
as the ‘Father of Indian Renaissance and
the Prophet of Indian Nationalism’.
 Raja Ram Mohan Roy worked fearlessly and
tirelessly throughout his life to reform and
regenerate Indian society.
Ideas and Religious Views
 Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a great scholar
who mastered Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic,
English, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.
 A comparative study of the Vedas, the
Koran, and the Bible convinced him of the
basic unity in the fundamental truths of
all religions.
 He was a staunch believer in the Vedanta
philosophy (Upanishads), which was based
on rational thinking.
 He admired the philosophies of Christianity
and Islam.
 He realized that religion was central to an
individual’s life and that social reform
required religious reform first.
 He propagated religious ideas based on
rationalism and the philosophy of the
Vedas, including:
o Monotheism – belief in one God, the

creator and preserver of the universe.

 o Brotherhood of man – all men are
children of the one God of all human
beings and are therefore equal.
o Rejection of idol worship, rituals, and

sacrifices; God could be reached through

prayer and devotion.
 He condemned the domination of priests
who misled people and perpetuated ritualism
and socio-religious practices like sati.
 He published Bengali translations of the
Vedas and the Upanishads to show that
ancient texts preached monotheism.
Social Reforms
 Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahma
Sabha (1828), which later became the
Brahmo Samaj.
 The Brahmo Samaj attracted educated young
men influenced by liberal and nationalist
ideas of the West.
 It launched a relentless struggle against:
o Sati

o Caste distinctions and untouchability

o Child marriage

o Polygamy

 It supported:
o Education of women

o Widow remarriage

 Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s struggle against sati

was supported by Lord William Bentinck,
 who banned sati in 1829, marking a great
victory for the Brahmo Samaj.
Educational Reforms
 Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a strong supporter
of modern Western education.
 He believed Western education would spread
progressive ideas and accelerate social
change.
 He held that India’s progress depended on
reason, humanism, and modern science.
 He did not believe in blindly copying the
West or blindly relying on India’s past.
 He advocated a balance between the best
of the East and the West to reconstruct
society.
 He opened an English-medium school
combining traditional Indian learning with
Western knowledge.
 He assisted David Hare in establishing the
Hindu College in Calcutta, which later
became the Presidency College.
 He also founded the Vedanta College, which
offered courses in Indian learning and
Western sciences.

Section 3: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (Exam-

Ready Notes | ICSE Class 8)
  Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was another
outstanding social and religious reformer of
the Indian Renaissance.
 He was a great humanist and a champion of
the poor and downtrodden.
 He worked fearlessly and tirelessly to free
Indian society from blind faith and
orthodoxy.
Social Reforms
 Vidyasagar denounced caste
discrimination.
 As the Principal of the Sanskrit College»,
he admitted non-Brahmana students.
 He was strongly opposed to the monopoly of
the Brahmanas over the study of Sanskrit
and ancient Vedic texts.
 He was receptive to Western philosophy and
culture, and his ideas represented a happy
blend of the best of the East and the
West.
 He introduced the study of Western
philosophy in the Sanskrit College.
Reforms for the Upliftment of Women
 Vidyasagar’s most outstanding
contribution was his effort to improve the
status of women in society.
 He was a staunch supporter of women’s
education.
  He helped Drinkwater Bethune to establish
the first Indian school for girls in Calcutta
in 1849.
 As Inspector of Schools, he opened 35
schools for girls.
 Orthodox Hindus opposed women’s education,
claiming that Hindu religion did not permit
it.
 There was widespread prejudice against
women’s education; some believed that an
educated girl would become a widow.
 Vidyasagar’s struggle against such deep-
rooted prejudices was a Herculean task,
but he remained fearless and determined
and continued his efforts.
Other Social Evils
 Vidyasagar campaigned against polygamy
and child marriage.
 He was deeply pained by the misery and
suffering of Hindu widows in Bengal.
 He started a bold movement advocating
widow remarriage, which faced strong
opposition from orthodox Hindus.
 His life was threatened, and he was even
physically attacked, but he was not deterred
from his mission.
 His efforts succeeded when Lord Dalhousie
passed the Widow Remarriage Act in 1856.
  The first legal Hindu widow remarriage
was celebrated in Calcutta in December
1857, with the support of Vidyasagar.
 This was a great victory for the champions
of women’s emancipation.
Significance
 The first steps towards the modern age
through social and religious reforms were
taken in the first half of the 19th century.
 The process of social regeneration
gathered momentum in the second half of
the 19th century.
 These reforms prepared the ground for the
rise of nationalism and the growth of the
national movement.

Section 4: Dayanand Saraswati (Exam-Ready

Notes | ICSE Class 8)
 Dayanand Saraswati was one of the
greatest reformers of Hindu society in the
19th century.
 He believed that the Vedas were the
fountainhead of all knowledge and
contained the essence of Hinduism.
 He launched a vigorous campaign against
irrational and evil practices that had crept
into Hindu society.
  His aim was to restore Hinduism to its
original purity.
Religious Ideas
 Like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand
propagated ideas based on rationalism and
Vedic philosophy, including:
o Belief in one God.

o Equality of all men.

o Rejection of idol worship and

meaningless rituals.
o Condemnation of Brahmana priests for

misleading people and supporting

irrational practices.
Social Reforms
 Swami Dayanand founded the Arya Samaj in
1875.
 The Arya Samaj launched an attack on:
o Caste system and untouchability

o Child marriage

 It supported and encouraged:

o Education for women

o Widow remarriage

Educational Contribution
 After his death, several Dayanand Anglo-
Vedic Schools were established.
  The curriculum of these schools was based on
a harmonious blend of traditional Indian
learning and Western scientific studies.
 These institutions played a major role in
instilling the spirit of self-reliance and
self-respect among Indians.
Section 5: Ramakrishna Paramahansa (Exam-
Ready Notes | ICSE Class 8)
 Ramakrishna Paramahansa was a priest in
a temple of Goddess Kali at Dakshineshwar
near Calcutta.
 He did not receive any formal education,
yet had a clear understanding of Vedantic
philosophy.
 His teachings were simple, but they had a
deep impact on the people.
 He believed that all religions are different
paths leading to the one true God.
 According to him, service to humanity was
service to God.
 His simple teachings attracted many
followers.
 The greatest and most ardent follower of
Ramakrishna Paramahansa was
Narendranath Datta, later known as Swami
Vivekananda.
Section 6: Swami Vivekananda (Exam-Ready
Notes | ICSE Class 8)
  Swami Vivekananda proclaimed the
essential unity of all religions.
 He emphasized the importance of religious
tolerance, brotherhood, peace, and
harmony among Indians.
 Vivekananda believed that Indians
themselves were responsible for the
decadence and degradation of Indian
society.
 He held that the regeneration of society was
the social responsibility of every Indian.
 He condemned:
o The caste system

o Social and economic inequalities

o Superstitions and ritualism

 He urged Indians to act responsibly to reform

society.
 He established the Ramakrishna Mission.
 The Ramakrishna Mission aimed to transform
Indian society through:
o Selfless social service

o Spread of education

o Removal of ignorance and social

inequalities
Section 7: Jyotiba Phule (Exam-Ready Notes |
ICSE Class 8)
 Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, popularly known
as Mahatma Phule, and his wife Savitribai
 Phule, were dedicated social reformers in
Maharashtra.
 Jyotiba Phule challenged the superiority of
the Brahmanas and the authority of the
scriptures.
 He took up the cause of the low-caste
members of society and the oppressed
sections.
 He organized the Satyashodhak Samaj in
1873.
 The Satyashodhak Samaj aimed to mobilize
the low-caste and oppressed sections in a
movement for equality.
 Jyotiba Phule strongly pressed for the
education of girls.
Role of Savitribai Phule
 Savitribai Phule was the first woman
teacher in modern Maharashtra.
 She married Jyotiba Phule when she was nine
years old and studied with his support.
 Jyotiba and Savitribai opened several
schools in Pune.
 They also opened a special school for girls
from the lower castes.
 They established orphanages for widows.
 They opposed idolatry.
 They championed the cause of peasants
and workers.
Section 8: Annie Besant (Exam-Ready Notes |
ICSE Class 8)
 Annie Besant was a British social
reformer, philanthropist, writer, and
activist.
 She was actively involved in social work
and political activism in India.
 She was a supporter of the Irish Home Rule
League and started the Home Rule
Movement in India.
Theosophical Society
 The Theosophical Society was founded in
1882 at Madras by Madam Blavatsky and
Colonel Olcott.
 Annie Besant later joined the Theosophical
Society.
 The aim of the Society was to:
o Revive Hinduism

o Encourage the study of Indian religions

and philosophy in depth

 The Society played a significant role in
fostering pride and interest in national
culture.
Educational Contribution
  Annie Besant’s main contribution was in
the field of education.
 Many schools were set up by the
Theosophical Society.
 She founded the Central Hindu School at
Benaras.
 The Central Hindu School later became the
Banaras Hindu University.
Role in National Movement
 Annie Besant also played a key role in the
Indian freedom struggle.
Section 9: The Prarthana Samaj (Exam-Ready
Notes | ICSE Class 8)
 The Prarthana Samaj was founded in
Bombay.
 It was established under the supervision of R.
G. Bhandarkar and Mahadev Govind
Ranade.
 The Prarthana Samaj worked on the same
lines as the Brahmo Samaj.
 It advocated social reforms aimed at the
modernization of Indian society.
 The Samaj worked for the abolition of the
caste system.
Reforms Emphasised by the Prarthana Samaj
 Inter-caste marriage
  Raising the marriageable age
 Abolition of polygamy
 Widow remarriage
 Women’s education
 Welfare of the so-called ‘outcaste’
Section 10: Reform Movement in South India
(Exam-Ready Notes | ICSE Class 8)
 Kandukuri Veeresalingam was a prominent
social reformer in South India.
 He was deeply disturbed by the deplorable
condition of women.
 He strongly opposed the social taboo against
widow remarriage.
 He also opposed the denial of education to
women.
 Due to his efforts for social reform, he was
known as the ‘Vidyasagar of South India’.
 Sri Narayana Guru carried on a lifelong
struggle against the caste system.
 His reform movement was based on the
principle of ‘one caste, one religion, one
God for mankind’.
Section 11: Reforms among the Parsees
(Exam-Ready Notes | ICSE Class 8)
 The reform movement among the Parsees
was pioneered by Dadabhai Naoroji and
other like-minded reformers.
  A body called the Religious Reform
Association was set up.
 The Association started a movement against
religious orthodoxy.
 Modern ideas and changes were introduced
to improve the position of Parsee women.
Major Concerns of the Reformers
 Education of women
 Raising the marriageable age of girls
 Widow remarriage
Impact of Reforms
 The Parsee community enthusiastically
imbibed Western education and culture.
 Over time, the Parsees became one of the
most progressive and westernized
communities in India.
Section 12: Reform Movement among the
Muslims (Exam-Ready Notes | ICSE Class 8)
 Like the Hindus, the Muslims were also
affected by religious orthodoxy,
superstition, and socio-economic
backwardness.
 Some educated Muslims realized the need
for social, religious, and educational
reforms for the progress of the Muslim
community.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and the Aligarh
Movement
 The most outstanding Muslim reformer of the
period was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
 He started a reform movement known as the
Aligarh Movement.
 Like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, he believed that
Western education and the knowledge of
English were essential for the progress of
the Muslim community.
 He believed that Western education would help
develop a scientific temper.
 His greatest achievement was the
foundation of the Mohammedan Anglo-
Oriental College at Aligarh in 1875.
 The college became a centre of modern
learning.
 It later developed into the Aligarh Muslim
University.
Social and Religious Reforms
 Sir Syed Ahmed Khan reinterpreted Islam
and emphasized its simplicity and purity to
suit the needs of modern society.
 To introduce social reforms, he focused on the
backward condition of women.
 He advocated:
o Removal of purdah

o Education for women

  He opposed polygamy.
 He played a significant role in awakening
Muslims to the need to change with the
times.
Other Muslim Reformers
 Badruddin Tyabji was another nationalist
Muslim reformer.
 He dedicated his life to social and political
causes.