Social reformers of India

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Indian history has seen some extraordinary reformers who not only established the very foundation of modern India but also made an impact on the world with their philosophy and great work for the society.

for main article go to Mahatma Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi: ! "ctober #$%& ' () *anuary #&+$, Father of the -ation, .ashtrapita, , was the pre/eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. 0e was the pioneer of satyagraha1resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total nonviolence1which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. 2andhi led nationwide campaigns to ease poverty, expand women3s rights, build religious and ethnic amity, end untouchability, and increase economic self/reliance. 4bove all, he aimed to achieve Swara5 or the independence of India from foreign domination.

for main article go to Swami Vivekanand Swami Vivekanand: *anuary #!, #$%('*uly +, #&)!, 0e was the founder of .amakrishna 6ission. 7ivekananda is considered to be a ma5or force in the revival of 0induism in modern India. 0e is considered a key figure in the introduction of 7edanta and 8oga in 9urope and 4merica. 0e introduced 0induism at the :arliament of the World3s .eligions at ;hicago in #$&(.

for main article go to Swami Dayanand Saraswati Swami Dayanand Saraswati: February #!, #$!+ ' "ctober (#, #$$(, was an important 0indu religious scholar and the founder of the 4rya Sama5, <Society of -obles<, a 0indu reform movement, founded in #$=>.0e was the first man who gave the call for Swara5ay in #$=% which was later furthered by ?okmanya @ilak.

for main article go to Raja Ram Mohan Roy Raja Ram Mohan Roy: 4ugust #+, #==+ ' September !=, #$((, was a founder of the Arahma Sabha in #$!$ which engendered the Arahmo Sama5, an influential Indian socio/religious reform movement. 0e is best known for his efforts to abolish the practice of sati, the 0indu funeral

practice in which the widow was compelled to sacrifice herself on her husbandBs funeral pyre. It was he who first introduced the word <0induism< into the 9nglish language in #$#%. For his diverse contributions to society, .a5a .am 6ohan .oy is regarded as one of the most important figures in the Indian .enaissance. .am 6ohun .oy3s impact on modern Indian history was a revival of the pure and ethical principles of the 7edanta school of philosophy as found in the Cpanishads.

for main article go to Jamnalal Bajaj Jamnalal Bajaj: + -ovember #$$+ ' ## February #&+!, was an industrialist, a philanthropist, and Indian independence fighter. 2andhi is known to have adopted him as his son. 0e is known for this efforts of promoting Dhadi and village Industries in India. With the intent of eradicating untouchability, he fought the non admission of 0ari5ans into 0indu temples. 0e began a campaign by eating a meal with 0ari5ans and opening public wells to them. 0e opened several wells in his fields and gardens. *amanalal dedicated much of his wealth to the poor. 0e felt this inherited wealth was a sacred trust to be used for the benefit of the people. In honour of his social initiatives a well known national and international award called *amnalal Aa5a5 4ward has been instituted by the Aa5a5 Foundation.

for main article go to Vinoba Bhave Vinoba Bhave: September ##, #$&> / -ovember #> #&$!, was an Indian advocate of -onviolence and human rights. 0e is considered as the spiritual successor of 6ahatma 2andhi. 7inoba Ahave was a scholar, thinker, writer who produced numerous books, translator who made Sanskrit texts accessible to common man, orator, linguist who had excellent command of several languages 6arathi, 0indi, Crdu, 9nglish, Sanskrit,, and a social reformer. 0e wrote brief introductions to, and criticisms of, several religious and philosophical works like the Ahagavad 2ita,works of 4di Shankaracharya, the Aible and Euran. 0is criticism of Fnyaneshwar3s poetry as also the output by other 6arathi saints is Guite brilliant and a testimony to the breadth of his intellect. 4 university named after him 7inoba Ahave Cniversity is still there in the state of *harkhand spreading knowledge even after his death.

for main article go to Baba Amte Baba Amte: Fecember !%, #&#+ ' February &, !))$, was an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people

suffering from leprosy. 0e spent some time at Sevagram ashram of 6ahatma 2andhi, and became a follower of 2andhism for the rest of his life. 0e believed in 2andhi3s concept of a self/ sufficient village industry that empowers seemingly helpless people, and successfully brought his ideas into practice at 4nandwan. 0e practiced various aspects of 2andhism, including yarn spinning using a charkha and wearing khadi. 4mte founded three ashrams for treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, disabled people, and people from marginaliHed sections of the society in 6aharashtra, India.

for main article go to Shriram Sharma Acharya Shriram Sharma Acharya: September !), #&## ' *une !, #&&), was an Indian seer, sage, Indian social worker, a philanthropist, a visionary of the -ew 2olden 9ra and the Founder of the 4ll World 2ayatri :ariwar. 0e devoted his life to the welfare of people and the refinement of the moral and cultural environment. 0e pioneered the revival of spirituality, creative integration of the modern and ancient sciences and religion relevant in the challenging circumstances of the present times. @o help people, his aim was to diagnose the root cause of the ailing state of the world today and enable the upliftment of society. 4charya5i recogniHed the crisis of faith, peopleBs ignorance of the powers of the inner self, and the lack of righteous attitude and conduct. Furing #&$+/#&$%, he carried out the uniGue spiritual experiment of sukshmikaraIa, meaning sublimation of vital force and physical, mental and spiritual energies.

for main article go to shwar !handra Vidyasagar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasa ar: #$!)/#$&#, 7idyasagar was a philosopher, academic, educator, writer, translator, printer, publisher, entrepreneur, reformer, and philanthropist. 0is efforts to simplify and moderniHe Aangla prose were significant. 0e was a Aengali polymath and a key figure of the Aengal .enaissance. 7idyasagar championed the uplift of the status of women in India, particularly in his native Aengal. Cnlike some other reformers who sought to set up alternative societies or systems, he sought, however, to transform orthodox 0indu society from within. 7idyasagar introduced the practice of widow remarriages to mainstream 0indu society. In earlier times, remarriages of widows would occur sporadically only among progressive members of the Arahmo SamJ5.

for main article go to Dhondo "eshav "arve

Dhondo !eshav !arve: 4pril #$, #$>$ / -ovember &, #&%!, was a preeminent social reformer of his time in India in the field of women3s welfare. Darve was one of the pioneers of promoting women3s education and the right for widows to remarry in India. @he 2overnment of India recogniHed his reform work by awarding him its highest civilian award, AhJrat .atna, in #&>$ Incidentally his centennial year,. @he appellation 6aharshi, which the Indian public often assigned to Darve, means Ka great sageK. @hose who knew Darve affectionately called him as 4nnJ Darve. In 6arJthi/speaking community, to which Darve belonged, the appellation 4nnJ is often used to address either one3s father or an elder brother.,

for main article go to Balshastri Jambhekar Aalshastri *ambhekar: *anuary %, #$#!' 6ay #$, #$+%, is known as Father of 6arathi 5ournalism for his efforts in starting 5ournalism in 6arathi language with the first newspaper in the language named 3Farpan3 in the early days of Aritish .ule in India. 0e founded Farpan as the first 6arathi newspaper. 0e was editor of this newspaper during the Aritish rule in India. @his turned out to be the beginning of 6arathi 5ournalism. 0e had mastery in many languages including 6arathi, Sanskrit, 9nglish and 0indi. 4part from that he also had a good grasp of 2reek, ?atin, French, 2u5arati and Aengali.

for main article go to Dr# Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar B" R" Ambedkar: #+ 4pril #$&# 1 % Fecember #&>%, was an Indian 5urist, political leader, Auddhist activist, philosopher, thinker, anthropologist, historian, orator, prolific writer, economist, scholar, editor, revolutionary and the revivalist of Auddhism in India. 0e was also the chief architect of the Indian ;onstitution. 4mbedkar spent his whole life fighting against social discrimination, the system of ;haturvarna 1 the 0indu categoriHation of human society into four varnas 1 and the 0indu caste system. 0e is also credited with having sparked the bloodless revolution with his most remarkable and innovative Auddhist movement. 4mbedkar has been honoured with the Aharat .atna, India3s highest civilian award.

for main article go to Annie Besant Annie Besant: "ctober # , #$+= ' September !), #&((, was a prominent @heosophist, women3s rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule. In #&)$ 4nnie Aesant became :resident of the @heosophical Society and began to steer the society away from Auddhism and towards 0induism. She also became involved in politics in India, 5oining the Indian

-ational ;ongress. When war broke out in 9urope in #&#+ she helped launch the 0ome .ule ?eague to campaign for democracy in India and dominion status within the 9mpire which culminated in her election as president of the India -ational ;ongress in late #&#=. 4fter the war she continued to campaign for Indian independence until her death in #&((.

for main article go to Vitthal Ramji Shinde Vitthal Ramji Shinde: 4pril !(, #$=( ' *anuary !, #&++, 0e was a prominent campaigner on behalf of the Falit movement in 6aharashtra and established the Fepressed ;lasses 6ission to provide education to the Falits in 6aharashtra.

for main article go to Go$al %ari Deshm&kh Go#al $ari Deshm%kh: #$!(/#$&!, was a social reformer in 6aharashtra. Feshmukh started writing articles aimed at social reform in 6aharashtra in the weekly :rabhakarunder the pen name ?okhitwadi. In the first two years, he penned #)$ articles on social reform. @hat group of articles has come to be known in 6arathi literature as ?okhitwadinchi Shatapatre.

for main article go to 'and&rang Shastri Athavale &and%ran Shastri Athavale: "ctober #&, #&!)'"ctober !>, !))(, was a Indian philosopher, spiritual leader, social reformer L!M and 0induism reformist, who founded the Swadhyay 6ovement and the Swadhyay :arivar organiHation Swadhyay Family, in #&>+ L(M, a self/ knowledge movement based on the Ahagavad 2ita, which has spread across nearly #)),))) villages in India L+ML>M, with over > million members L%M. 0e was also noted for his discourses or <pravachans< on Srimad Ahagawad 2ita and Cpanishads.