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Social and Cultural Renaissance of India Class 9 History Chapter 1 Notes
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In the previous class, we have studied the National Bhakti Movement, in which we learned how the saints and sages protected the Indian civilization and culture by eliminating the evils in the Indian society. In the present chapter, while studying the social and cultural renaissance of India, we shall try to know about the organizations, institutions, movements and great men who played a role in the social and cultural renaissance of India.
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj
- Prarthna Samaj
- Swami Dayanand and Arya Samaj
- Swami Vivekanand and Ramkrishn Mission
- Cultural Nationality and Maharishi Arvind and Dr. Hedgewar
- Movements against casteism and untouchability
In the nineteenth century, India saw the rise and development social, cultural and intellectual movements. These movements originated as a reaction to the expansion of the British empire in India with the spread of colonial culture, ideology and Christianity. In the early nineteenth century, Indian society was struggling with evils like the Sati system, idol worship, plight of widows, rituals, superstitions, illiteracy, inequality, untouchability and casteism. With the support of the British East India Company, Christian missionaries tried to take advantage of it and started promoting Christianity vigorously, in response to which Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Swami Dayanand, Swami Vivekanand, Jyotiba Phule and Mahadev Govind Ranade started social reformation movements like Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Satyashodhak Samaj, Ramkrishn Mission etc. Through these movements, they raised their voice for the reform of Indian society in the nineteenth century. They played a key role in the social and cultural renaissance of India by eliminating the evils prevalent in society and awakening self- confidence. In the twentieth century, this voice was given intensity by Maharishi Arvind and Dr. Hedgewar through cultural nationalism, and Narayan Guru and Dr. Ambedkar through the movements for emancipation of the deprived castes, leading the society on the path of harmony, unity, nationality, and equality. These movements were not only religious, but their tendency was also social and there was humanity in their inspiration. These movements made a major contribution to the social, cultural and intellectual awakening of the ancient culture of India. With the thoughts, actions and reforms of the great men associated with these movements, India renounced slavery and stood up with the pride of self-respect and self-pride. These movements were the nurturers of modernity, nationalism, harmony and mass awakening in India.
1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj
For the propagation of his ideas, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded “Brahmo Samaj” on August 20, 1828 AD. The ideas of Brahmo Samaj created a revolution in modern Indian society and it started spreading outside Bengal as well. Raja Ram Mohan Roy is called the “Pioneer” of modern Indian political and social reform. He worked towards freeing Indian society from superstition and orthodoxy. His ideas were not only progressive but also revolutionary in the context of the contemporary period. The contribution of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and his Brahmo Samaj movement can be described as follows :
a) Abolition of Practice of Sati : The first Indian to oppose the evil practise of Sati spread in society was Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He said, “According to any scripture, it is a murder”. He believed that there was no mention of Sati practise in any scripture. He opposed the practise of Sati so fiercely that Lord William Bentinck issued an order to ban the practise of Sati in 1829 AD.
Practice of Sati : A practise prevalent in some upper-class Indian communities in which the wife kills herself after the death of her husband by burning herself in his pyre.
b) Improvement in the condition of women : Raja Ram Mohan Roy can be considered a ‘forerunner of women’s freedom in modern India’. At that time, both the personal and social conditions of women were pathetic. He opposed the injustice and atrocities committed against women and focused on the freedom, rights and education of women. Raja Ram Mohan Roy wanted child widows to remarry and adult widows should also be educated so that they could live with respect in society. He stressed equality in the rights of men and women.
c) Opposing the caste system : Raja Ram Mohan Roy believed that the caste system not only makes society narrow but also promotes social inequality. For this reason, he opposed the caste system and considered it a stigma for society.
d) Publication of newspapers : Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the first Indian who worked for the establishment, editing and publication of newspapers. He published newsletters in English, Bengali and Urdu. He is also called the “Father of Journalism”. He struggled hard for the freedom of the press. He published newspapers such as ‘Brahmanikal Patrika’, ‘Samvad Kaumudi’, ‘Mirat-ul-Akhabar’, and ‘Bangdut’.
e) The strong supporter of the individual freedom and rights : Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a strong supporter of individual freedom and rights. He believed that the state should protect the weak and helpless and that it was the duty of the state to improve the social, cultural, ethical and political conditions of the public.
f) Stress on English education : Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a supporter of English education for Indians, he urged the establishment of English education and English learning institutions by writing letters repeatedly.
g) Humanity and international brotherhood : Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a humanist. He was a strong supporter of international unity. He was a thinker who believed in the supremacy of humanity. He believed that mutual exchanges between the societies of all countries should be encouraged.
Although the influence of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and his Brahmo Samaj was limited to the educated urban high class, it cannot be denied that Brahmo Samaj awakened the country and prevented Indians from converting to Christianity for about 50 years.
2. Prarthna Samaj
The social reform movement in Maharashtra started after 1840 AD. First of all, the Paramhansa congregation was founded, which opposed idol worship and caste practise and supported widow remarriage, In Western India, the first social reformer was Gopal Hari Deshmukh, who is also called ‘Lokhitwadi’. He opposed superstitions and supported social equality. Later, influenced by the Brahmo Samaj in 1867 AD, Atmaram Pandurang established Prarthna Samaj. Soon, the famous Sanskrit scholar R.G. Bhandarkar and Mahadev Govind Ranade also joined the Prarthna Samaj. Its purpose was to improve the conditions of untouchables, the deprived and the downtrodden, and to oppose the caste system and conservatism. Prarthna Samaj supported inter-caste marriage, widow marriage, women’s education etc. Ranade raised a strong voice for widow marriage by establishing a “widow remarriage union” in Maharashtra. The “Deccan Educational Society” was founded by his efforts and his disciple, Gopal Krishn Gokhale, established the “Servants of India Society”. The Prarthna Samaj has an important place in the history of the Indian Renaissance.
3. Swami Dayanand and Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 AD in Mumbai. after being inspired by his Guru Virjanand in Mumbai. He started social reform after receiving education from his Guru. He opposed superstitions and rituals, hoisted “Pakhand Khandini Pataka” in Haridwar and defeated the supporters of rituals. From the year 1863 AD to 1875 AD, he toured across the country. In order to preach the Vedas, he explained the importance of the Vedas to the scholars throughout the country. Arya Samaj was a “Social Reform Movement”. This movement started for the reform of society as a reaction to western influence. Arya Samaj believes in a completely pure Vedic tradition and rejects idol worship, incarnation, sacrifice, rituals, religious and superstitions. Arya Samaj opposed untouchability and caste discrimination and advocated the right for women and Shudras (lower castes) to equality and the wearing of sacred thread on the basis of Vedic principles.
a) Three works in national interest : Swami Dayanand planned three works to establish unity in the country. First, presenting the religious ideas based on the Vedas among the sannyasis in Haridwar Kumbh Mela so that the differences may be eliminated and unity may be established. Secondly, organising scholars by deciding the truth and falsehood by philosophical texts so that the truth can be assimilated and falsehood can be avoided. He believed that the nation would survive only when the scholars were organized. Third, in 1877 AD, during the Delhi Court, he invited social reformers and tried to make a unanimous programme to bring a change in society. But social reformers could not reach unanimity.
Do you know? Arya Samaj was founded in Rewari, Haryana for the first time and Swami Dayanand came here in 1880 AD.
b) Satyarth Prakash : The original book of Arya Samaj ‘Satyarth Prakash’, which is a composition by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Hindi, so that the benefit of his teachings could reach large numbers of Indians. When Swamiji was travelling across the country, his followers requested him to write scriptures and lectures and thus ‘Satyarth Prakash’ was composed. The main objective of this text was to propagate the principles of Arya Samaj. His other important texts were ‘Rigved Bhashya’ and ‘Aryabhinav’.
c) Return to the Vedas : Swami Dayanand played a leading role in bringing social improvement to the country. He opposed idol worship, the practise of priesthood and rituals and uttered the slogan ‘Return to the Vedas’. He claimed that only four Vedas contain the real knowledge and protested against the evil practises that prevailed in society.
d) Purity movement : The activists of the Arya Samaj began the “Shudhi Andolan” (purity movement) stressing the supremacy of Hindu religion. The main aim of this movement was to ‘bring those back to Hindu religion who had converted to another religion’. This movement was successful and the conversion stopped. ‘Shudhi Andolan’ challenged those who converted to other religions.
Do you know? The right to return to Hinduism has been talked about in the Deval Smriti, which was written during the time when Muslim invaders were forcibly converting Hindus.
e) Protest against Caste Discrimination : He always said that texts do not contain the words “caste discrimination”, they only contain the word “caste system”, according to which all the four castes are arranged only for the smooth running of society, no one is superior or inferior, but all are equal. He put his ideas of equal rights for all castes and opposed caste discrimination. He opposed caste based on birth by citing the example of Satyakam Jabal from the Upanishads.
f) Women’s education and equality : He always considered women equal to men. He supported women’s education by giving evidence of Vedas. He believed that the development of society could be accomplished only through the education of women. He considered women the foundation of society. He said that consultation with women is necessary sphere of social life and for that it is necessary for them to be educated. in every
g) Opposing child marriage : At that time, the practise of child marriage was prevalent everywhere. Everyone was happy to follow the tradition of child marriage, then Swamiji awakened the people against this practise through the scriptures. He clarified that it is mentioned in the scriptures that a person should observe 25 years of celibacy. According to him, child marriage is a bad practice. He said that if child marriage takes place, a man becomes weak and due to weakness, one gets a premature death.
h) Widow remarriage : Before Swami Dayanand, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar had launched a special campaign for widow remarriage, as a result of which “widow remarriage” got legal recognition in 1856 AD. But in spite of this, the condition of widows in society remains very pathetic. The lives of widows were harsh and hellish. Swami Dayanand condemned this a lot and even in that period, taking evidence from the Vedas, he gave his support for respectful remarriage of women and made the society aware of that.
i) Development of education : Swami Dayanand believed that education was the best way to ensure human development and progress. The Arya Samaj worked extensively in this area. Society had assimilated the fact that the roots of education should be deep in the national spirit and tradition. We are the heirs of an ancient and noble tradition. The Arya Samaj played a leading role in the field of education by establishing Gurukul Kangri and D.A.V. (Dayanand Anglo Vedic) institutions. Arya Samaj also made a significant contribution to women’s education. Thus, Swami Dayanand and his Arya Samaj played a major role in the development of nationalism, unity and education among Indians. Swami Dayanand’s statements that “India is for Indians” and “Even the worst indigenous state is better than the best foreign state” gave birth to the spirit of struggle against foreign rule among Indians. Arya Samaj gave many revolutionary and national leaders for the future national movement.
4. Swami Vivekanand and Ramkrishn Mission
Swami Vivekanand established the Ramkrishn Mission in May, 1897 AD to take the teachings of Ramkrishn Paramhans to the general public, First, Swami Vivekanand established the Muth in Baranagar, after that, the mission was established in Belur (Kolkata). The purpose of this mission was to propagate the principles explained by Ramkrishn Paramhans in the interest of human beings. The principles of the mission harmonised ancient Indian spirituality with scientific progress and thought. The Vedant philosophy is the foundation of the principles of the Ramkrishn Mission. According to the mission, God is both corporeal and formless and can be felt in the form of various symbols. All religions are fundamentally one. This mission not only tried to improve the condition of Indians but also spread the message of Vedant of India to the western countries.
a) Chicago Parliament of Religions : Swami Vivekanand went to Chicago (America) in 1893 AD, where he gave a speech at the Parliament of Religions on September 11, 1893 AD. It was this speech that presented India with a strong image in front of the whole world.
Let’s know main points of his speech :
- He started the speech with American brothers and sisters. He thanked them for their warm welcome on behalf of the oldest tradition, the mother of all religions, lakhs of crores of Hindus of all castes and sects.
- He also thanked those speakers who clearly said that the idea of tolerance in the world has spread from the countries of the East.
- He said, “I belong to that religion which taught the world the lessons of tolerance and universal acceptance and we do not believe only in universal tolerance but also accept all religions as truth”.
- He asserted, “I am from that country which gave refuge to the persecuted people of all religions and all countries”.
- He further stressed, “I belong to a religion that has given refuge to the people Judaism and Zoroastrianism and continues to help them”.
He said that just as rivers originating from different places end up in the sea through different paths, in the same way, human beings choose different paths of their own will, even though these paths seem different in appearance. But all these go up to God alone. In this way, Swami Vivekanand propagated Indian civilization, culture and philosophy all over the world.
b) Unity in all religions : Swami Vivekanand believed that there was an eternal unity in all religions. During his tour across India, he understood the origins of different religions. He explained religion, saying, “Religion always connects man with good thoughts and soul. Dharma is that thought and behaviour which has the ability to transform the animality in man into humanity and humanity into divinity”. He taught the truth about all religions. He considered the service of man to be the service of God.
c) Emphasis on education : According to Swami Vivekanand, education reveals the inner perfection of man. Education develops the powers existing in man by birth and teaches that all kinds of knowledge originate in the soul of man. Swami Vivekanand emphasised the importance of education, which is beneficial to all, universal and character-building. According to Swami Vivekanand, the aim of education should be to reveal the inner perfection of man, to develop physical perfection, to build character, to prepare for life’s struggle, to develop a sense of nationalism, to create self-reliance and self-confidence.
d) Opposing the gender discrimination : Swami Vivekanand said that the distinction between man and woman is not natural because it is only a physical distinction that is not recognised by God. Discrimination between men and women has to be abolished, and women will also have to be given the same respect and place as men. According to Swami Vivekanand, the welfare of the world depends on the welfare of women. Unless the status of women in society is improved, the welfare of the world is not possible.
e) Swami Vivekanand and youth : Swami Vivekanand believed that youth have infinite energy and if that energy is channelized in the right direction, the development of the nation can be ensured. They need to be given goals, because life without goals is meaningless. Addressing the youth, he said, “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is achieved”. Swami Vivekanand gave the youth five principles of character : self-confidence, self-reliance, self- knowledge, self-restraint and self-sacrifice. With the continuous practise of these five elements, youth can rebuild themselves, the country and society. For the one who is determined to achieve the goal, it remains only to take steps towards it. He inspired the youth for the national interest by creating a sense of pride for Indian civilization and culture.
f) Vivekanand and nationalism : “I am an Indian and every Indian is my brother, be it an illiterate Indian, poor and careless Indian, Brahmin or untouchable”. Indian society is the swing of my childhood, the flowerbed of youth and the Kashi of old age. The land of India is my ultimate heaven. The goodness of India is my own goodness”. All these were the utterances of Swami Vivekanand, who has been instrumental in awakening the identity of Indians as a nation. Swami Vivekanand was deeply immersed in nationalism, spirituality and morality. In his short life, he envisioned an advanced nation and a progressive society. Swami Vivekanand had an important contribution to the proper upliftment of nationalism in colonial India. He left his indelible mark on the youngster. Swami Vivekanand and the Ramkrishn Mission made an unforgettable contribution to the national movement by creating a sense of self-confidence and self-respect among Indians.
5. Cultural Nationality and Maharishi Arvind and Dr. Hedgewar
India is an ancient cultural nation. The culture of India is its soul, which is keeping the whole of India united and integrated. Maharishi Arvind and Dr. Keshav Hedgewar were two major advocates of cultural nationalism in India. 5.1 Arvind Ghosh : Arvind Ghosh remained in politics for only five years. But during this period of time, he woke up the whole country and prepared it for the freedom struggle. He started the “Non-Cooperation Method” and he also first proclaimed “complete independ- ence”. He attended the Ahmedabad session of Congress in 1902 AD and Mumbai session of 1904 AD. In the Banaras session of 1905 AD, he was influenced by Lala Lajpat Rai’s programme of passive resistance and actively participated in the national movement. In 1905, the incident of Bang-Bhang (Partition of Ben- gal) awakened a strong wave of nationalism in the country. He took an active part in the Kolkata session of 1906 AD and played an important role in getting the Swaraj proposal accepted. In 1906 AD, as a co-editor of “Vande Mataram”, he started a campaign to promote the spirit of Swadeshi and Swaraj. He was arrested in 1908 AD. In 1910 AD, he got away from politics and started living in Pondicherry Ashram. Now he moved ahead on the path of spirituality. Arvind Ghosh died in Pondicherry on December 5, 1950 AD. Arvind believed that individual liberty was essential for national development. He believed that there are three types of freedom : national freedom, i.e.. freedom from foreign control; internal freedom, i.e., freedom from the collective control of any class or classes; and individual liberty, i.e., freedom from unnecessary control of individuals, society and government.
Main Composition
- Divya Jeevan (Divine Life)
- Savitri
- Yog-Samnavay
- Mata (Mother)
- Ved-Rahasya
- The Geeta Prabandh
- Ken and Anyanya Upnishad
- Ishopanishad
- Bhartiya Sanskriti Ke Adhaar (Foundation of Indian Culture)
a) Supporter of passive resistance and advocate of Swaraj : Arvind Ghosh was an ideologue of the nationalist, full of nationalism and a strong supporter of India’s independence. He did not like the loyalty of the moderates to the British. In passive resistance, he included the propagation of Swadeshi and boycott of foreign goods; the spread of national education and establishment of educational institutions; boycott of government courts and non-cooperation of the government by the people, etc. Arvind Ghosh believed that the first goal of Indians should be the attainment of Swaraj. Social reform and moral upliftment are possible only in Swaraj. In order to achieve Swaraj, instead of hatred towards other nations, loyalty and dedication towards our nation is necessary.
Swaraj : Self-government or Independence
b) Support of three types of rights : Arvind Ghosh has supported three types of rights. First, the right of press and expression; that is, every person should have the right to expression because it is necessary to express an idea before it takes shape. Thought also plays an important role in running any institution, administration or government. Second, the right to hold public meetings; and third, the right to form organisations. He believed that these rights were necessary for an independent nation.
c) Cultural Nationalism of Arvind Ghosh : He has linked nationalism with spirituality and humanity. By criticising the moderates, he created enthusiasm across the country through revolutionary nationalism. They believe that no matter how different people are, the love of patriotism binds them together in a thread of unity. They say that “nationality is the divine unity of the nation”. His national thoughts are found in his article “Vande Mataram”. Nationality is respect for the nation, pride in the nation, or pride in the superiority of the nation. Nationality is the foundation of human existence. Nationality itself is the highest value beyond which personal values are no longer important. If we evaluate nationalism in terms of ideology, it is an ideology devoted to the nation.
Maharishi Arvind, the great national thinker and philoso- pher, awakened the Indian spiritual consciousness. He believes that “the Indian freedom struggle is an expression of the Indian soul”. According to Arvind, the Indian inde- pendence movement was political but its origin was rooted in the spirituality inherent in Sanatan Dharma. Arvind Ghosh believed that “Sanatan Dharma and India are one, which are deeply related to each other”. Sanatan Dharma created the force “which made India dynamic”. In his speech, he said, “I now say that national- ism is Sanatan Dharma”. Arvind Ghosh had no doubt about the power of India and the power of Indians. He believed that “this power is dormant, it only needs to be awakened”.
5.2 Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar : Dr. Keshav Hedgewar was a patriot who was full of national and revolutionary ideas since childhood. Once, when he was still studying in the school, he welcomed the British Inspector with ‘Vande Mataram’, on which the British Inspector became angry and on his orders, Keshav was expelled from the school. He completed his medical studies from Kolkata. In Kolkata, Keshav lived in the house of Shyamsundar Chakraborty, a friend of his elder brother Mahadev, and at the same time he interacted with the revolutionaries of Bengal and was associated with revolutionary organisations like ‘Anushilan’ and ‘Yugantar’. In view of his extraordinary ability, he was first made an ordinary member of ‘Anushilan Samiti’. After that, when he met the test of efficiency, he was also made an “intimate member” of the committee. In this way, while studying medicine, he learned about all the activities of the revolutionaries and the organisation system and returned to Nagpur from Kolkata.
The First World War had started. One thing that came to his notice was that the path of armed revolution has its limits and it is not easy to overthrow the foreign rule from a vast country like India. Keshav had full faith in the ideas of Lokmanya Tilak. He joined the Congress movement by becoming his follower.
a) Nagpur Congress session : While living in Nagpur from 1915 AD to 1920 AD, Keshav remained very active in the national movement. He was busy with programmes like travelling. assembly, meetings, etc., and paid special attention to motivating the youth. He had qualities like working selflessly, getting associates and dedicating himself to the task at hand. His qualities were experienced by everyone in the Nagpur Congress session of 1920 AD, and despite the differences, his other exemplary quality of following the discipline of the institution was also seen by all. A ‘Swayamsevak Dal’ was formed under the leadership of Dr. Paranjpe and Dr. Keshav Hedgewar to handle the facilities and other arrangements for the 14,000 delegates who came to the convention. He performed all these responsibilities so well that he became worthy of everyone’s praise. Dr. Keshav was in favour of complete independence and used to keep this point with great urgency. Therefore, during the convention, he tried to get a resolution related to complete independence passed by the reception committee and sent it to the subject committee, stating that the goal of the Congress should be to free the country from the clutches of foreign rule by establishing democracy in India, but this resolution was not passed.
b) Non-Cooperation Movement : Dr. Keshav continued to work in Congress and Hindu Mahasabha even after the death of Lokmanya Tilak. He was not happy with the Congress supporting the ‘Khilafat Movement’, but he followed his principle. Despite differences being associated with the Congress, when the Congress announced the ‘Non-cooperation Movement’, he jumped into the movement and was sentenced to one year’s rigorous imprisonment, which he happily underwent.
c) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh : In 1922 AD, riots started in many places in India. In such a situation, prominent Hindu Mahasabha leaders like Dr. Balkrishna Shivram Munje, Dr. Keshav Hedgewar, etc., went to these places to help the Hindus. Distracted by such incidents, Dr. Munje called a meeting of some well-known Hindu leaders in Nagpur, including Dr. Hedgewar and Dr. Paranjpe. At this meeting, he decided to form a Hindu organisation that was aimed at making India a strong nation. Dr. Munje gave the responsibility of setting up this organisation to Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.
Dr. Hedgewar was such a person who developed new ways to unleash the potential of individuals. However, keeping in mind the unsuccessful revolution of the first Indian freedom struggle and the circumstances of the time, he laid the foundation of a Hindu organisation. Thus, on September 28, 1925 AD, to raise the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on the day of Vijayadashami, Shakhas of one hour each in the morning and evening were started. In these Shakhas, it was decided to provide exercise, physical labour, education Hindu nationality as well as military education to senior volunteers. There were also seminars of volunteers, in which biographies of Maharana Pratap, Veer Shivaji, Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Bairagi, Veer Savarkar, Mangal Pandey, and Tatya Tope were also read.
d) Civil Disobedience Movement : Even after the beginning of the Sangh, his attitude towards the Congress and the revolutionaries remained positive. In December 1930 AD, when the “movement against salt law” was launched by Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Keshav entrusted the responsibility of the chief of the Sangh to Dr. Paranjpe and personally took part in the Yavatmal Van Satyagraha along with a dozen of his associates, for which he was given the imprisonment of 9 months. Similarly, in 1929 AD, when the resolution of Purna Swaraj was passed in the Congress session held in Lahore and to hoist the tricolour across the country on January 26, 1930 AD, the resolution was passed by hoisting the tricolour at all the shakhas of the Sangh on January 26, 1930 AD on the instruction of Dr. Keshav Hedgewar. Till 1935-1936 AD, the Sangh’s branches were limited to Maharashtra only and the number of its volunteers was only a few thousand. According to the expansion plan of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a large number of youths carrying two pairs of dhoti and kurta were sent from their Nagpur office to different cities like Delhi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Madras and Guwahati, etc. to establish Shakhas.
e) Opposing caste system and untouchability : Dr. Hedgewar considered the caste system, untouchability and fragmented mentality prevailing in Hindu society as the root cause of social and national decline. He was a man of holistic approach. There was no discrimination of any kind among Brahmins, non-Brahmins and untouchables in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh camps. They used to play, eat and salute the flag together. In 1934 AD, Mahatma Gandhi visited Wardha and in 1938 AD, Dr. Ambedkar was surprised to see the sense of equality among the volunteers after seeing the Sangh camp of Poona. Both praised the Sangh for this work.
Dr. Hedgewar was elected as the “National Deputy President” of the All India Hindu Mahasabha in 1937 AD and 1939 AD. In this way, as a result of the efficient guidance of Dr. Hedgewar, the cooperation of Hindu Mahasabha and the tireless efforts and penance of the preachers sent from Nagpur, the Sangh kept expanding. He started handing over his responsibilities to Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar, who later became the “Sarsanghchalak” of the Sangh.
Dr. Hedgewar introduced work culture in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, such as devotion to the saffron flag, priority to the ideas over individuals, full-time dedicated volunteers and organization of Shakhas daily. His vision and ability can also be gauged from the fact that today, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is considered to be the world’s largest social voluntary organisation (running without any government aid)’.
6. Movements against Casteism and Untouchability (Elevation of disadvantaged castes)
Caste system has been a bad practise in Indian society. This practise gave rise to many defects in society. This caused the spread of discrimination and animosity. A majority of Indian society remained poor, uneducated, deprived and backward, which meant backwardness of the entire nation and the weakness of the entire nation. In the nineteenth century, many reformers raised their voice against the caste system and social discrimination.
6.1 Satya Shodhak Samaj and Shree Narayan Dharma Paripalan Yogam : Jyotiba Phule was the first major social reformer who attacked the caste system by establishing Satyashodhak Samaj. He called upon the Indians to build a healthy, beautiful and strong society by making the country, society, and culture free from social evils and illiteracy. There is no greater service to mankind than social service. He did not consider reading and writing the prerogative of the nobility. He found the distinction among humans intolerable. He, along with his wife Savitri Bai Phule, made many efforts for women’s education. Mahatma Phule worked for social reform throughout his life. Similarly, Narayan Guru opposed caste-based discrimination and untouchability in south India. He challenged the caste system by establishing the Paripalan Yogam in Keral. He had called for “one religion, one caste and one God for mankind”. He made many efforts for the emancipation of the deprived and the untouchables and he called upon all people to get a good education so that all could have opportunities. He instilled confidence and self-reliance among the underprivileged sections of Indian society.
6.2 Role of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar : Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was a great man of versatility. He was a great social reformer, jurist, politician, skilled orator and scholar of high order.
Major Composition
- Who were the Shudras?
- Salvation of the untouchables
- Consideration of linguistic provinces
- Provinces and Minorities
- Rise and Fall of Hindu Women
- The Rupee Problem : Origin and Solution
- Gandhi and Gandhism
- Caste in India
- Parliamentary Democracy
- Buddh and his doctrine
- Pakistan and Partition
- Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah
His entire life was spent fighting injustice, discrimination and exploitation. In view of his efforts towards the downtrodden, he is called “Messiah of Dalits”. Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar launched many movements in the 20th century against the caste system and untouchability.
a) Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha : Dr. Ambedkar formed the Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha in Mumbai on July 20, 1924 AD to remove the problems of untouchables and Dalits and to awaken social and political consciousness in them. Through this organisation, he wanted to organise Dalits against exploitation. He called upon them to “be educated, stay organised and struggle”. The main objectives of the Sabha were :
- To spread education among untouchables and downtrodden
- Cultural upliftment of Dalits
- To represent the problems of untouchables and Dalits
- To improve the economic condition of Dalits.
He also founded “All India Dalit Sangh” for untouchable emancipation.
b) Satyagrah of Mahad : Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar led a Satyagrah on March 20, 1927 AD, at Mahad in Raigad district of Maharashtra state to give Dalits the right to drink and use water from the public pond. Thousands of Dalits had participated in this Satyagrah, all of them reached the pond of Mahad. It was the afternoon time. The reflection of the sun’s rays started falling in the water of the pond. First of all, Dr. Ambedkar came down from the steps of the pond. He bent down and touched the water with one of his fingers. After that he drank the water of that pond with both hands, then thousands of Satyagrahis followed him. This was Ambedkar’s first Satyagrah. It was this historical moment which paved the way for the revolution among the untouchables. It was a symbolic action by which it was proved that the untouchables were human beings and they too have the same human rights as other human beings.
c) Opposition of inequality and discrimination : Dr. Ambedkar was a supporter of a society based on equality in which there was no discrimination against anyone based on caste, language, class, colour, sex, race and place of birth etc. Ambedkar strongly opposed the caste system, untouchability, discrimination prevalent in India in ancient times based on gender and caste.
d) Role in the framing of constitution : Dr. Ambedkar has the credit of being “the architect of the Indian Constitution”. After the hard work of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days, the draft of the Constitution of India was prepared on November 26, 1949 AD. Dr. Ambedkar played a leading role in its preparation. This constitution was implemented on January 26, 1950 AD. He made many such arrangements in the new Constitution so that the interests of the lower classes, women and backward classes could be protected. By banning untouchability under Article 17 of the Constitution, Ambedkar put an end to the evil practise prevalent in Indian society for centuries. This was a historical and revolutionary step, especially for Hindu society. After independence, Ambedkar prepared the “Hindu Code Bill” while being the Law Minister. The main points of this bill were as follows :
- Permission of inter-caste marriage
- Full rights of property to Hindu women
- Equal right of daughter on father’s property Laws of divorce
- Dr. Ambedkar struggled for the liberation of the downtrodden throughout his life. In view of the invaluable contribution of this great jurist, economist and social reformer, he was given the highest honour, like “Bharat Ratna”.
The Constitution prepared on November 26, 1949 AD was implemented on January 26, 1950 AD i.e., after two months. Why was it so? Try to know.
The social reformers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries instilled a sense of self- confidence in Indians by creating awareness against social evils from various organizations, institutions and movements. By glorifying the ancient Indian civilization and culture, the feeling of selflessness was removed. Each of these movements, institutions, ideas and actions has an impact on national life, such as :
- Education was developed and spread
- Women education improved
- The evils of society were eliminated
- The condition of women improved
- Decrease in rituals and superstitions
- The caste system was discouraged
- Eradication of Untouchability
- Self-confidence and self-respect were enhanced
- Practice of conversions decreased
- Political consciousness spread
- National unity and integrity was strengthened
- Freedom struggle got impetus
Thus, it is clear that the social reform movements of the 19th and 20th centuries inspired the national freedom struggle by social and cultural awakening of India. These social reform movements have an important place in modern Indian history. The great men associated with them and their struggle still inspire the Indian public.
Chronology :
- Establishment of Brahmo Samaj – 1828 AD.
- Ban on the practice of Sati – 1829 AD.
- Legal recognition of widow remarriage – 1856 AD.
- Establishment of Prarthana Samaj – 1867 AD.
- Establishment of Arya Samaj – 1875 AD.
- Arrival of Swami Dayanand to Rewari – 1880 AD.
- Chicago Parliament of Religions held – 1893 AD.
- Establishment of Ramakrishna Mission – 1897 AD.
- Establishment of Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha – 1924 AD.
- Establishment of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh – 1925 AD.
- Mahad Satyagrah – 1927 AD.