SOCIO CULTURAL AWAKENING IN INDIA

Social and cultural awakenings in India was a result of Indian renaissance that
was inspired by the Western concept of reason, equality and liberty. Renaissance
meaning revival or rebirth was the great transitional movement of Europe
that swept away medieval unprogressive ideas and substituted it with
individualism, material emancipation, scepticism, nationalism, a more
sound economic system and self-expression.
The most important cause for the social and cultural awakening in India in the
19th century was :
The establishment of British rule and its deep influence on the political,
economic, social and cultural life of the country which, in turn, made
conditions favourable to intellectual growth.
The liberal ideas of the early socio-religious reform movements, being
progressive in nature, passionately criticized and opposed all biased social
and religious privileges and tried to replace them by advocating the
principles of equal rights, individual liberty and free competition. By doing
this these movements tried to rationalize religion and social institutions as

caste hierarchy
untouchability
sex inequality
social taboos and exploitation
degradation and exploitation of women had religious sanctions.

Indian Renaissance and Civil Society

The intelligentsia played a decisive role in the history of modern Indian
nationalism by integrating the Indian people into a modern nation and
organising various progressive socio-religious reform movements, that created
the first Indian Renaissance, in the country. They, in fact, assimilated modern
Western liberal ideas with Indians cultural past and fully understood the
problems of rudimentary India and were the makers of modern India.
1.RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY
Raja Ram Mohan Roy is considered among earliest torch bearers of Indian
Renaissance. He was the greatest exponent for the liberation of women,

opposed polygamy, Sati, child marriage and supported the right of

inheritance of property by daughters. Through his sustained efforts, he made
Governor General, Lord William Bentick pass the famous regulation no. XVII
in December 1829, that declared the practice of Sati illegal.
In December 1821, he started the first Indian newspaper- Sabad Kaumudi,
literally meaning the moon of intelligence- that was edited, published and
managed
by
Indians.
To fight against evil customs he founded Amitya Sabha in 1815.
As Raja Ram Mohan Roy was deeply influenced by, monotheism and antiidolatry of Islam, he invoked mystic ideas of Sufism and ethical teaching of
Christianity. He always remained firm for uncompromising rationalism in his
religious beliefs. It was so he, in 1828, founded the Brahmo Samaj at Calcutta
to propagate the monotheistic doctrine of Hindu scriptures. The Brahmo
Samaj did not propagate any definite rites and rituals.
After Raja Ram Mohan Roys death-on September 27, 1833-It lacked dynamic
leadership. It became the responsibility of Devendra Nath Tagore to infuse new
life.
2. BRAHMO SAMA AFTER ROY

Devendra nath tagore

Established Tattvabodhini sabha(1839) at Calcutta.
Joined brahmo samaj in 1843 and reorganised
Problems emerged btw Kesava Chandra sens and Tagores concepts
about brahmoism
Succession of sens group from parent body-Brahma samaj of India in
1866
Tagore introduced Bhakthi into brahmoism
Formed Indian reform association in 1870 and persuaded british govt to
enact the native marriage act of 1872(civil marriage act) which
legalised brahmo marriages and fixed the marriage ages as 18 and 24
for groom and bride respectively.
Second schism occurred in 1878 when s group of sens followers under
Ananda mohan bose and sivanatha shasthri left him and formed
sadharana brahma samaj.
Cause of the split was due to the violation of native marriage act by sen
himself by giving his daughter married the ruler of cooch behar by not
considering the ages of both.

3. MANAV DHARAM SABHA

Durgaram Manchharam (1809-78) founded the Manav Dharma Sabha
in 1844 at Surat.
He was a vociferous critic of contemporary society. At the time of the
foundation of this Sabha, Dadoba Panderung, Damini Shankar,
Dalpatram Bhagubhai and Damodar Das were also with Durgaram
Manchharam.
They criticized caste without initiating any direct action against this
institution.
Though the Sabha ceased to function in 1852, it made a platform for
later developments in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
4. PARAMAHANSA MANDLI
In 1849, Dadoba Panderung-previously a member of Manav Dharm
Sabha- organished the Paramhansa Mandali, a radical socio-religious
society at Bombay
To propagate the principles which denied polytheism of popular
Hinduism and the caste system.
The society met in secret because it was not willing to openly change
the Hindu orthodoxy.
5. PRARTHANA SAMAJ
Prarthana Samaj was founded by Dr. Atmaram Pandurang in 1867 in
Bombay.
As a reform movement within Hinduism, it advocated for interdining, inter-marriage, remarriage of windows and uplift of
women and depressed classes.
6. ARYA SAMAJ
Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded Arya Samaj at Bombay in
1875. Arya Samaj Movement was an outcome of reaction to
western influences.
Although the founder of the Arya Samaj rejected Western ideas and
sought to revive the ancient Vedic religion, his approach was based
on rationalist aspect.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati was opposed to idolatry, ritual and
priesthood. Arya Samaj, under his guidance, opposed child

marriage, polygamy, purdah, casteism, the Sati Pratha. Some

followers of Swami Dayanand later started a network of schools and
colleges to impart education on western pattern.
Arya Samaj attacked religious superstitions, supremacy of
Brahmins, polytheism and adopted the programme of mass
education.
Arya Samaj also contributated to the Swaraj and Swadeshi
movements by contributing leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak,
Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhle for they were deeply
influenced by the principles and philosophy of Arya Samaj.
After Swami Dayanands death the Arya Samaj movement split in
two:

One section, that was led by Swami Shraddhanand, adopted

the ancient system of Hindu education at Hardwar for boys.
The other section, that supported the spread of English
education, was led by Lala Lajpat Rai and Hans Raj. It
established a number of Dayanand Anglo Vedic schools and
colleges for boys and girls, at Lahore.
His motto go back to the vedas
Accepted doctrine of karma and reected theory of niyati(destiny).
Political slogan India for Indians.