Socio-Religious Movements in 19th–20th Centuries
Socio-Religious Movements and Organisations
| Year | Place | Organisation | Founder / Key Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1815 | Calcutta | Atmiya Sabha | Raja Rammohan Roy |
| 1828 | Calcutta | Brahmo Samaj | Raja Rammohan Roy |
| 1829 | Calcutta | Dharma Sabha | Radhakant Dev |
| 1839 | Calcutta | Tattwabodhini Sabha | Debendranath Tagore |
| 1840 | Punjab | Nirankaris | Dayal Das, Darbara Singh, Rattan Chand |
| 1844 | Surat | Manav Dharma Sabha | Durgaram Mancharam |
| 1849 | Bombay | Paramhansa Mandli | Dadoba Pandurang |
| 1857 | Punjab | Namdharis (Kuka Movement) | Ram Singh |
| 1861 | Agra | Radha Swami Satsang | Tulsi Ram (Shiv Dayal Singh) |
| 1866 | Calcutta | Brahmo Samaj of India | Keshab Chandra Sen |
| 1866 | Deoband | Dar-ul-Ulum | Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi & Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (Book mentions Maulana Hussain Ahmed) |
| 1867 | Bombay | Prarthana Samaj | Atmaram Pandurang |
| 1875 | Bombay | Arya Samaj | Swami Dayanand Saraswati |
| 1875 | New York (USA) | Theosophical Society | Madam H.P. Blavatsky & Col. H.S. Olcott |
| 1878 | Calcutta | Sadharan Brahmo Samaj | Anand Mohan Bose |
| 1884 | Pune | Deccan Education Society | G.G. Agarkar |
| 1886 | Aligarh | Muhammadan Educational Conference | Sir Syed Ahmad Khan |
| 1887 | Bombay | Indian National Conference | M.G. Ranade |
| 1887 | Lahore | Deva Samaj | Shivnarayan Agnihotri |
| 1894 | Lucknow | Nadwat-ul-Ulama | Maulana Shibli Numani |
| 1897 | Belur | Ramakrishna Mission | Swami Vivekananda |
| 1905 | Bombay | Servants of India Society | Gopal Krishna Gokhale |
| 1909 | Pune | Poona Seva Sadan | Mrs. Ramabai Ranade & G.K. Devadhar |
| 1911 | Bombay | Social Service League | N.M. Joshi |
| 1914 | Allahabad | Seva Samiti | H.N. Kunzru |
Important Socio-Religious Reformers
Swami Sahajanand (1781–1830)
- Original name: Gyanshyam.
- Belonged to Gujarat.
Contribution
- Founded the Swaminarayan Sect.
- Advocated belief in one God.
- Prescribed a moral code of conduct for followers.
Raja Rammohan Roy (1772–1833)
- Established Atmiya Sabha in 1815.
- Founded Brahmo Sabha in 1828, later known as Brahmo Samaj.
Reform Initiatives
- Campaigned against social evils in Hindu society.
- Led the movement for the abolition of Sati.
- Published the journal Sambad Kaumudi (1819) to spread reformist ideas.
Debendranath Tagore (1817–1905)
- Assumed leadership of the Brahmo Samaj after Raja Rammohan Roy.
Contribution
- Founded Tattwabodhini Sabha in 1839.
- Published Tattwabodhini Patrika to promote Brahmo principles.
- In 1859, merged Tattwabodhini Sabha with the Brahmo Samaj.
- Compiled selected Upanishadic teachings into Brahma Dharma.
Keshab Chandra Sen (1838–1884)
- Became the principal leader of the Brahmo Samaj after Debendranath Tagore.
Reform Measures
- Published Bamabodhini Patrika for women’s education and awareness.
- Opposed:
- Caste discrimination
- Idol worship
- Child marriage
- Supported Widow Remarriage.
Organisations
- His faction became known as Adi Brahmo Samaj.
- Established the Brahmo Samaj of India in 1866.
- Founded the Indian Reform Association in 1870.
Legislative Support
- Persuaded the Government to enact the Native Marriage Act (1872) (Civil Marriage Act).
- Helped introduce minimum marriage age and legal recognition of Brahmo marriages.
Atmaram Pandurang (1823–1898)
- Founded the Prarthana Samaj in Bombay in 1867.
- Closely associated with M.G. Ranade.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824–1883)
- Founded the Arya Samaj at Bombay in 1875.
Literary Works
- Satyarth Prakash
- Veda Bhashya Bhumika
Madam H.P. Blavatsky (1831–1891) & Col. H.S. Olcott (1832–1907)
- Established the Theosophical Society in New York in 1875.
- Shifted the headquarters to Adyar (Madras) in 1882.
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902)
- Original name: Narendranath Datta.
- Founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1887.
Objective
- Established it as a social service organisation.
- Registered it as a Trust in 1897.
Lower Caste / Caste Movements and Organisations
| Movement / Organisation | Year | Place | Founder(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satya Shodhak Samaj | 1873 | Maharashtra | Jyotiba Phule |
| Aravippuram Movement | 1888 | Aravippuram, Kerala | Sri Narayana Guru |
| Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (S.N.D.P.) | 1902–03 | Kerala | Sri Narayana Guru, Dr. Palpu & Kumaran Asan |
| The Depressed Class Mission Society | 1906 | Bombay | V.R. Shinde |
| Bahujan Samaj | 1910 | Satara, Maharashtra | Mukundrao Patil |
| Justice (Party) Movement | 1915–16 | Madras (Tamil Nadu) | C.N. Mudaliar, T.M. Nair & P. Tyagaraja Chetti |
| Depressed Class Welfare Institute (Bahiskrit Hitkarini Sabha) | 1924 | Bombay | B.R. Ambedkar |
| Self-Respect Movement | 1925 | Madras (Tamil Nadu) | E.V. Ramaswami Naicker (Periyar) |
| Harijan Sevak Sangh | 1932 | Pune | Mahatma Gandhi |