Social Reformers of India

The 19th century witnessed the emergence of many socio religious reformers in India. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Sayyid Ahmed Khan, Savitribai Phule sought to reform the society and remove evils like casteism, discrimination against women, oppose British rule and seek equality for all. Their work contributed immensely towards the betterment of Indian society.

British Colonial rule exposed Indians to education, ideas of governance and equality. This led to social reformers who wanted to reform prevalent cultural practices. Indian society was witnessing a lot of social evils in the name of religion, custom, language, culture, etc. Indians were also being treated inferior to the west and were downgraded in services by Britishers. Britishers had referred to Indian people as backward savages and called it the ‘white man’s burden’ to civilise the Indian people. Such attitudes were denounced by Indian social reformers who worked to uplift Indian society.

The history of social reform in India is marked by consistent efforts of reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Sayyid Ahmed Khan, Savitribai Phule etc. Socio-Religious reform movements are different from social movements which are radicalised in nature like revolutions. These are slow changes in the attitudes to social issues in the society.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy is popularly known as the Father of Indian Renaissance.

• Religious Reform: He setup the Atmiya Sabha (sabha of friends) in 1814. The main purpose of this Sabha was to campaign against idolatry, caste rigidities etc. He setup the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 with the aim purify Hinduism and to preach monotheism based on twin pillar of Vedas and Upanishads. He was against idolatry and emphasised monotheism. He wrote the ‘Precepts of Jesus’ in 1820 and earned the wrath of missionaries, since he wanted to incorporate the message of Christ into Hinduism not the conversion into Christianity.
• Reform In Education & Administration: He was the co-founder of Hindu college in 1817, and established Anglo-Vedic school in 1822 and the Vedanta college in 1826. He was a defender of free speech and played a key role in establishing newspapers “Mirat-ul-Akhbar” in Persian and Sambad Kaumudi in Bengali. He demanded Indianisation of superior services and separation of executive from the judiciary.
• His progressive ideas met strong opposition from orthodox elements like Raja Radhakant Deb who organised the Dharma sabha to counter Brahmo samaj propaganda.

Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a great educator, humanist and social reformer.

• A great Sanskrit scholar, Vidyasagar became the principal of the Sanskrit College in 1851.
• Women’s Education: He firmly believed that reform in Indian society could only come about through education. He opened up 35 schools for girls in Bengal, also supported in the establishment of the first girls school in India, the Bethune School.
• Widow Remarriage: The Hindu Widows Remarriage Act in 1856 was passed due to his efforts which legalised widow remarriage and provided relief to widows. Through his endeavour nearly 25 widow marriages were solemnized between 1855 and 1860.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was a prominent Indian Muslim reformer, philosopher, and educationist in 19th-century British India widely regarded as the "father of Muslim education" in the Indian subcontinent.

• Education: He founded the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College (MAO College) in Aligarh in 1875, which later became Aligarh Muslim University. The college aimed to provide Muslims with a modern education that combined Islamic and Western learning.
• Religious Reform: He said that religion should be adaptable with time or else it would become fossilised, and that religious tenets were not immutable. He advocated a critical approach and freedom of thought and not complete dependence on tradition or custom.
• Khan's legacy is complex and controversial. He is admired by many Muslims for his educational reforms and his efforts to modernize the Muslim community. However, some critics argue that he was too accommodating to British rule and that his ideas contributed to the rise of Muslim separatism in India

Swami Dayanand Saraswati is regarded as one of the makers of modern India.

• He founded Arya Samaj in 1875 a Hindu reform movement based on the Vedas which he believed were the ultimate source of truth. Under which he conducted the Shuddhi movement to reconvert people to Hinduism. He gave the slogan “Back to the Vedas”. His vision of India included a classless and casteless society with one Aryan monothestic religion.
• In order to encourage women’s education, Swami Dayananda Saraswati initially opened Kanya Pathshalas (schools for women) in 1870. He later established the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) schools, which provided education based on both Vedic and Western principles.
• He adhered to the Vedic concept of the chaturvarna system, where individuals were categorized as brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, or shudra not solely based on their birth but rather on their occupation and merit.
• Arya Samaj was able to give self-respect and self- confidence to the Hindus which helped to undermine the myth of superiority of whites and the Western culture.

Savitribai Phule was a well known social reformer, educator and champion of women’s rights.:

• Education for Women & Dalits: She was instrumental in opening India’s first girls’ school in Pune with Jyotirao, her husband. She also started schools for children from Mang and Mahar castes, considered untouchables.
• Women’s Rights: She was also known for starting Mahila Seva Mandal in 1852, with the aim to raise awareness among women about their rights. Founder of Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha, a shelter home for pregnant widows. Founded “Satyashodhak Samaj” for women and dalit upliftment.
• Some of the important literary works of Savitribai Phule were Kavya Phule or the poetry’s Blossoms (her first collection of poems) and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar or the Ocean Of Pure Gems.

Dr. Annie Besant was a socialist, educationist, campaigner for Indian freedom and a champion of women’ right.

• Education: Setup the Central Hindu Benaras college where both religious and western scientific education was given. She also worked for women’s education.
• Indian Freedom: Led the Home Rule League in 1915 which demanded self-government for India. She also wrote in her newspapers New India and Commonweal. She was also president of the Indian National Congress in 1917.
• Theosophical Society: She became a part of the this religious revivalist society which glorified Indian religion and philosophical traditions.

The 19th century in India witnessed a remarkable wave of social reform, driven by courageous individuals who dared to challenge deeply ingrained injustices. From Raja Ram Mohan Roy's fight against Sati and caste discrimination to Savitribai Phule's pioneering efforts in women's education, these reformers left an indelible mark on the nation's history. The efforts of these reformers bore tangible fruit. Laws were enacted to curb harmful practices, educational opportunities expanded, and awareness about social injustices grew. While challenges remain, their legacies continue to inspire future generations to strive for a more just and equitable India.