SOCIAL REFORM
MOVEMENTS
PART 2
By – Dr. Mahipal Singh Rathore
Hindu Reform Movements
Muslim Reform Movements
Parsi Reform Movements
Sikh Reform Movements
Lower caste movements
©DrMahipalRathore
MUSLIM REFORM MOVEMENTS
Wahabi Movement
Aligarh Movement
Deoband School
*Initial response of the Muslim society in 19th century to the western reforms
and influence was to shut themselves away from it.
©DrMahipalRathore
Wahabi Movement
• Shah Waliullah Dehlavi (1702-62)
• ‘Waliullah movement’
• Revivalist nature of the movement
• Against the departure of practices from Purity of Islam
• Preached for harmony among the four schools of Jurisprudence in India
• Emphasised the role of individual conscience in religion – if the Quran and
Hadis have conflicting interpretations ,then individual could make decision
based on his or her judgement and conscience
©DrMahipalRathore
• Shah Abdul Aziz and Syed Ahmed Barelvi preached the teachings of Shah
Waliullah but gave it a political colour
• They demanded a homeland for Muslims.
• They called India ‘Dar-ul-harb’ (land of kafirs) and demanded to make it
‘Dar-ul- Islam’
• Targeted against the Sikhs of Punjab initially and later against British after
annexation of Punjab in 1840s
• Crushed by British in 1870s
©DrMahipalRathore
Aligarh Movement
• 1857 Revolt – British considered Muslims to be main conspirators and
punished them by limiting them from official services etc
• By 1870’s, this stance was challenged and an effort was made to bring the
community closer to the administration
• The movement of Muslim awakening associated with Syed Ahmad Khan
and M.A.O. College came to be known as Aligarh Movement (Reformist)
©DrMahipalRathore
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-98)
• He was born in an eminent noble family of
Delhi.
• He was a judicial officer with the EIC and
remained loyal during the revolt of 1857.
• After retirement in 1875, he became an active
reformer of the society and was also appointed
as a member of Imperial legislative council
• Knighted in 1888
©DrMahipalRathore
• He tried to modernize the outlook of Indian Muslims
• Tried to reconcile the traditional mindset with modern education,
scientific thoughts and rational thinking
• Asked Muslims to take up govt service to better the status of the
community and loyally serve the British empire
• Asked for Urdu to be made the lingua franca of all Indian Muslims
• Opposed the outdated social customs of the society
• Was against the Indian National Congress
• Magazine/journal – Tahzib ul Akhlaq (Education and morals)
• Book – Commentaries on the Quran
©DrMahipalRathore
Contribution to Education
• 1859 – Gulshan School, Moradabad
• 1863- Victoria School, Ghazipur
• 1864 – Scientific Society of Aligarh – Translation of English literature in
vernacular language
• 1866 – Aligarh Institute Gazette - A bi weekly journal of the society ,
publishing news related to science ,maths and agriculture information etc
• 1875 – Mohammedan Anglo Oriental (MAO) school, Aligarh
Upgraded to a college in 1877 and University (AMU) in 1920
©DrMahipalRathore
Deoband School
• The orthodox section among the Muslim Ulema organised the Deoband
Movement.
• It was a revivalist movement whose twin objectives were:
To propagate among the Muslims the pure teachings of the Koran and
the Hadis
To keep alive the spirit of jihad against the foreign rulers.
©DrMahipalRathore
DARUL ULOOM DEOBAND :
Mohd Qasim Wanotavi, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, Muhammad Yaqub
Nanautawi and others founded a school at Deoband in Saharanpur, UP to
train Muslim religious leaders (Ulema) and preachers of the faith
No western or English education at all
• Later, the new Deoband leader Mahmud-ul-Hasan (1851-1920) sought to
impart a political and intellectual content to the religious ideas of the
school.
• Deoband was against the reforms of Aligarh movement and supported
Congress
©DrMahipalRathore
Parsi Reform Movements
• The Western-educated progressive Parsis like
Dadabhai Naoroji, J.B. Kwacha, S.S. Bengali and Naoroji Furdonji
founded the
Rahanumai Mazdayasanan Sabha
(Religious Reform Association) in 1851.
• The association had for its object “the regeneration of the social condition
of the Parsis and the restoration of the Zoroastrian religion to its pristine
purity”.
• Rast Goftar (Voice of Truth) was its weekly organ.
©DrMahipalRathore
• The Sabha was fortunate in having the full support of the Parsi
community for its reform efforts.
• Education as the driving force of social reform was its prime objective -
the spread of Western education among the Parsis, including girls.
Through its efforts the age of marriage was increased and Parsi women
achieved emancipation.
• To accelerate the reform movement, the Zoroastrian Conference was also
organised to discuss the social, religious, and educational issues before the
community. The first such conference was held in 1890.
• The reforms were successful and Parsis became the most westernised
community in India by 20th century
©DrMahipalRathore
Sikh Reform Movements
• Baba Dayal Das founded the Nirankari Movement
• He insisted the worship of God as nirankar (formless) – emphasis on
teachings of Adi Granth
• The Namdhari Movement was founded by Baba Ram Singh.
• His followers wore white clothes and gave up meat eating.
©DrMahipalRathore
• Singh Sabha started in Amritsar in 1873 as a defence against
the proselytizing activities of Christians and Hindus. Its chief aims were the
revival of the teachings of the Sikh Gurus (spiritual leaders), the
production of religious literature in Punjabi, and a campaign against
illiteracy.
• The Sabha set up many Khalsa schools and Colleges.
• They also encouraged Gurumukhi and Punjabi literature.
©DrMahipalRathore
• In 1920, the Akalis, a part of Singh Sabha, started a non violent movement
to remove the corrupt Mahant (priests) from the Sikh Gurudwaras - Akali
movement
• Later, the Akalis organised themselves into a political party – Akali Dal
• SGPC established
©DrMahipalRathore
Pros and Cons of the Religious Reform Movements
Pros:
• New awakening about ancient culture and religion
• Confidence to educated Indians against the western propaganda of
cultural and racial superiority
• The society discarded many obsolete rites and rituals like Sati, Infanticide,
Child marriage
• Rational and scientific thinking
©DrMahipalRathore
Cons:
• Retrograde thinking of some reformers (especially revivalist)
• Some preached for loyalty to British
• Only upper and middle class of cities and towns were influenced. Large
sections of backward class and rural India untouched
• Religious Chauvinism and narrow outlook – fault lines exploited by British
soon enough
©DrMahipalRathore
Lower Caste Movements
• Medieval age - Reformers attracted followers from lower caste (Kabir,
Guru Nanak)
• 19th century – Most Socio religious reformers from upper caste , their
reforms also affected only upper caste. Although they did condemn caste
system and untouchability
• 20th century – The lower castes themselves took upon the responsibility
of reform and fighting for their rights
• South and western India saw the first movements
©DrMahipalRathore
Factors creating class awareness and awakening among Lower castes:
• Modern education
• Modern political thought
• National consciousness
• Western Ideas of Equality, egalitarianism, social justice seeping through to
Indian society as well
• Railway network
©DrMahipalRathore
Saint Ramalinga
• Saint Ramalinga was one of the foremost saints of Tamil Nadu in the
nineteenth century.
• In 1865 he founded the Samarasa Suddha Sanmargha Sangha for the
promotion of his ideals of establishing a casteless society.
• He composed Tiru Arutpa
• Satya Gnana Sabaiin 1872.
• He introduced the principle that God could be worshipped in the form of
Light
©DrMahipalRathore
Justice Party
• In Southern India (MADRAS Presidency/Tamil nadu) , the lower caste
movement was a direct revolt against the Brahmanical dominance
• 1917- P. Theagaraya Chetty and Dr. T.M. Nair started the South Indian
Liberal Foundation, later it came to be known as Justice party
• Communal division between Brahmins and non-Brahmins began in the
presidency during the late-19th and early-20th century, mainly due
to caste prejudices and disproportionate Brahmanical representation in
government jobs.
• The Justice Party's foundation marked the culmination of several efforts to
establish an organisation to represent the non-Brahmins in Madras.
©DrMahipalRathore
• The party also campaigned against the non-cooperation movement in the
Madras presidency.
• It was at odds with M. K. Gandhi and Congress, primarily due to his praise
for Brahmanism
©DrMahipalRathore
Self Respect Movement
• It was founded in 1925 by E. V. Ramasamy Naicker (also called as Periyar,
meaning Great soul, by his devoted followers) in Tamil Nadu, India
against Brahmanism.
• Started with the aim of achieving a society where backward castes have
equal human rights and encouraging backward castes to have self-
respect in the context of a caste-based society that considered them to be
a lower end of the hierarchy
• 1937 – Periyar became the president of the Justice party
• In 1944, Periyar transformed the Justice Party into the social
organisation Dravidar Kazhagam
©DrMahipalRathore
Periyar (1879-1973)
• Crusader for social equality
• He was vehemently anti – Brahmin. Opposed Brahmins in govt
service
• Ridiculed Hindu gods and goddesses
• He was against untouchability, idol worship, Brahmins officiating at
weddings, superstitions in society, use of caste names on hotels and shops
• He was famous for his daring tactics like cutting sacred threads of
Brahmins and beating idols of gods in temples.
• He opposed the imposition of Hindi on Tamil people and made efforts for
spread of Tamil literature
©DrMahipalRathore
• In 1949, E.V. Ramasamy's chief lieutenant, CN Annadurai, established a
separate association called the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), or
Dravidian Advancement Association.
• This was due to differences between the two - while Periyar advocated a
separate independent Tamil state, Annadurai wanted to stay within Indian
union and take part in active politics .
• 1967 – DMK won assembly elections and started the dominance of
Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu politics . CN Annadurai became chief
minister
©DrMahipalRathore
SNDP in Kerala
• Shree Narayan Dharma Peripalam Yogam
• Founder – Narayan Guru (1854-1928)
• He belonged to Ezhava caste (lower caste)
• Objectives:
Removal of caste system
Building ‘all caste temples’
• SNDP simplified social rituals for marriage, funerals etc
• Untouchability – Backward class
©DrMahipalRathore
• Criticised Congress and Gandhi for their lip sympathy towards lower caste
upliftment, abolition of untouchability and belief in Varna system
• Slogan – ‘’1 RELIGION,1 CASTE, 1 GOD’’
©DrMahipalRathore
Jyotirao Phule and Satyashodhak Samaj
• Founder - Jyotiba Phule (1827-90) belonged to a low caste family in
Maharashtra
• He waged a life-long struggle against upper caste domination and
Brahmanical supremacy. His father threw him out of his family home due
to upper caste pressure
• In 1873 he founded the Satyashodak Samaj to fight against the caste
system.
©DrMahipalRathore
• He pioneered widow remarriage movement in Maharashtra and worked
for the education for women.
• Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule established the first girls’
school at Poona in 1851
• Later they went on to establish many other schools and orphanages in
Maharashtra.
• Also established a home for unwed mothers
©DrMahipalRathore
B.R. Ambedkar
• Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891 –1956), popularly known as Baba Saheb,
was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who
inspired the Dalit Movement of 20th century
• He campaigned against social discrimination against Untouchables(Dalits)
and fought for their equal legal rights
• He was Independent India's first law minister and the principal architect
of the Constitution of India
©DrMahipalRathore
• 1924 – Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha : Satyagrah for rights of untouchables
• 1930 – Entered politics and demanded separate electorate for Depressed
classes
• 1932- RTC and Poona pact
• 1936 - founded the Independent Labour Party
• 1942 – Scheduled caste federation
• 1956 – Leaving the fold of Hinduism, he converted to Buddhism
Famous books
• Annihilation of Caste
• Who Were the Shudras?
• Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development
• The Buddha or Karl Marx
©DrMahipalRathore
THANK YOU
©DrMahipalRathore
