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Summary
Modern Indian History Class 22

A Brief Overview of the Previous Class:(05:29:00 PM)

Social Religious Reform:(05:32:00 PM)

  • Introduction:
  • Till 1813 orientalist ideology operated therefore non-interference by the British in the socio-religious domain.
  • This was also beacuse of the desire to prevent the negative reaction from Indians.
  • However 1813+Orientalism gave way to liberalism, evangelicalism, and utilitarianism, therefore the push for the westernization of India.
  • Therefore western education and social reforms were introduced by the British mainly after 1813.
  • Regarding education, the debate on western education vs Indian education from 1813-33,- Settled in 1835, in favor of western education, in the English language via Macaulay's Minute on education in 1835.

Reasons for Push for Western Education:(05:41:00 PM)

  • 1. Decrease the cost of administration by having Indians in lower bureaucracy.
  • 2. Create a loyal class in form of the educated middle class(Brown Sahebs) argued Macaulay- That is Indian from outside British from Inside as western education glorified the British, therefore increasing the stability of the British Rule.
  • 3. To create a market for British goods and therefore increase British exports.
  • 4. Middle-class Indians supported western education due to their personal interests in jobs created by British rule(bureaucracy, lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers, etc.) + they believed that only western education and western sciences can modernize India and lead to industrialization.
  • For educated Indians social reforms were also a response to the British civilizational critique of India that increased in the 19th century and now the British argued that the greatness of Indian civilization was a myth.
  • Therefore cultural nationalism was a reason for social reforms as reformers wanted to prove that:
  • a. Indian scriptures do not support social ills.
  • b. To prove that in practice India can achieve the greatness of the past and therefore Indian civilization was not inferior.

Two groups of early social reformers(1st half of 19th century:(06:01:00 PM)

  • 1. Those who relied purely on logic/reasons/rationality to argue for social reforms.
  • 2. Those who use scriptures to argue for social reforms and therefore tried to find support for logic/reasons/rationality in Indian scriptures.
  • Therefore they argued that true Indian religion supports social reforms and is in line with the Doctrine of Reason and Humanism.
  • Humanism= focus on the happiness of Man in all spheres of life.
  • This was also to have greater acceptability of suggested reforms.
  • However, for both kinds of reformers logic/reasons/rationality was infallible(non-negotiable) therefore even when they(2nd kind) argued that Vedas are superior, in case of a clash between reason and scriptures, they would support the reason, and would argue for re-interpretation or even change in scriptures.

Print Culture:(06:13:00 PM)

  • There was a push to promote print culture by British men like John Malcolm(Governor of Bombay), Charles Metcalfe(GGI 1835-36), etc.
  • Western-educated middle class also took to print culture and therefore there was the development of press and journalism in India.
  • Social reformers used the press as the main tool for discussing and debating the western sciences, scriptures, and social reforms.
  • Social Issues:
  • Idol worship, Priestcraft, child marriage, no widow marriage, infanticide, casteism, polygamy, and polytheism.
  • Wellesley Banned Child Sacrifices in Sagar Island, Bay of Bengal.
  • Henry Vivivan Derazio and his Young Bengal Movement(1830s)- 
  • Derozio was a Eurasian teacher at Hindu College, Calcutta, and he and his students= are Young Bengal.
  • Their primary focus was on using reason/rationality, questioning everything, western sciences, and on atheism.
  • Therefore they argued for the reforms only based on the Doctrine of reason and negated religion.
  • Derozio instigated free thinking among his students, they intellectually challenged orthodoxy in Hinduism.
  • Like RRR(Raja Ram Mohan Roy), The Young Bengal also demanded trial by jury, separation of powers, Indianization of Civil Services, and freedom of the press- Demands outside social reforms.
  • They set up the Society for the acquisition of general Knowledge(1838) where they debated/discussed western sciences and social reforms.
  • Result= failed because they could not develop any mass movement for social reforms due to their total faith in logic reason, rationality, and no regard for religion while the target population was deeply religious.
  • Therefore they got alienated from the masses.
  • However, they became famous due to their radical ideas(they Became notorious for eating non-veg and drinking wine).

Raja Ram Mohan Roy & his Brahmo Samaj(1828)(06:57:00 PM)

  • RRR is called the father of modern India.
  • A student and scholar of Vedas, Christianity, Persian, and Sanskrit literature.
  • He came to believe that Vedas are the superior and supported doctrine of reason.
  • RRR believed that social reforms are not possible without religious reforms as many social practices were rooted in religion and the high importance of religion in Indian social life.
  •  RRR was against other worldliness+ against the doctrine of Karma(Acts of Past life determining the present life)+ against the doctrine of the incarnation(God's human births).
  • However, Brahmo Samaj(BS)(1828) took no definitive stand regarding Karma and the transmigration of the Soul(Rebirth) and left the belief to individual Brahmo Samajists.
  • (Positives, for example, good deeds in the present life for a better next life + removal of fear of death due to next birth,+ These two are among the core belief of Hinduism, therefore preventing alienation from the masses).
  • His response to the British criticism was to go back to the pure past of Vedas(Ideal social life), therefore agreeing that there is degeneration in the present time.
  • But also argued in favor of the glorious ancient past.
  • However, for him, rationality was infallible and not the Vedas.
  • Wanted Western education and western sciences instead of Indian education as for him only western education could modernize India(*Indian polity, economy, and society).
  • Example, opposed the setting up of Sanskrit College in Calcutta in 1824 by the government. (wanted tax payer's money to be spent on western education).
  • His ideas and efforts influenced the decision in favor of western education in the English language by Macaulay's Minute(1835), which became the main policy document on education in India.
  • For achieving social reforms he set up BS(1828).
  • BS worked against idolatry, priestcrafts, Sati, and Polytheism.
  • RRR argued that caste divides which is why modern nationalism and a sense of unity lacking among the Indians.
  • RRR used Upanishads and translated them to Banga- to prove that Hinduism favors Monotheism(that there is only one God within Hinduism )and universalism(Hindu god= Christian God= Islamic God= God is one.)
  • RRR took the help of the British authority (legislative, executive, and judiciary authority of British) and of British personalities for his social reforms.
  • For example, worked with William Bentic, for the abolition of Sati.
  • Sati:
  • Reasons:
  • Greed of relatives was the primary reason as they did not want to share the property with the widow.
  • Stereotype of an ideal wife.
  • Sati was not a widespread phenomenon and existed mainly in Bengal among the upper castes.
  • Earlier in Viajaynagar Empire+ Rajputana as Jauhar, but for diffrent reasons(Chastity/dignity.)
  • In the 1800s, it was started even in lower castes due to desire for the social mobility(better status for one's caste in the caste hierarchy).
  • Missionaries opposed Sati but failed, therefore the main role of Roy in the Sati abolition in 1829.
  • Scriptures-based debates took place between reformists BS and orthodox sections led by Dharma Sabha of Radha Kanta Deb.
  • William Bentic made it a precondition for the abolition of  Sati by law, that it be proven that Sati is not in line with the scriptures. (Notice the orientalism of Betic)
  • Roy proved that "Sati is the murder as per every Shastra". Sati abolition Act 1892 was passed.

Brahmo Samaj(BS)1828:(07:46:00 PM)

  • Debendra Nath Tagore(DBT):
  • He took over leadership after the death of Roy(1833).
  • Brahmoism/BS was a major religious movement based on monotheism among the educated middle-class upper castes Bengalis(Not among the masses).
  • DBT gave organizational strength to BS.
  • Keshab Chandra Sen(KCS) was a radical reformer while DBT was a gradualist(wanted gradual reforms)(*Mild goals Mild methods).
  • KCS was radical as he argued strongly in favor of women-related reforms. For example, against child marriage and pro-widow remarriage(WR)+ attacked casteism and questioned high caste leadership of BS, and supported inter-caste marriages.
  • Issues of caste and women were considered sensitive by gradualists like DBT in the early 19th century. Therefore DBT feared the alienation of Hindus from BS.
  • KSC tried to make BS a mass movement by spreading it among the common man, outside Calcutta, and even outside Bengal.
  • KCS started missionary activities(wanted Brahmoism as an alternate religion to Hinduism) while DBT did not want this. (Strong methods)
  • Radicalism of KCS and differences with DBT caused a split, therefore KCS set up BSOI(Brahmo Samaj of India,1866) and DBT set up Adi Brahmo Samaj, 1866(Adi=Origianl).
  • Efforts of KCS led to the Brahmo Marriages Act, of 1872, under which WR and intercaste marriages were legally valid(Lord Mayo). It failed because it required the Bride and groom to leave Hinduism and convert to Brahmoism.
  • Fruthe split in BSOI when KCS married off his married his minor daughter, therefore now the formation of the Sadharan BS(1878)
  • Therefore BS failed due to personality differences in goals and methods and due to multiple splits.

Maharashtra:(08:10:00 PM)

  • 1. Paramhansa Mandali(1849):
  • It worked like Young Bengal, therefore failed like them.
  • 2. Prathan Samaj(PS 1867):
  • Set up by Atmaram Pandurang+ efforts of KCS.
  • Main personalities: MG Ranade, RG Bhandarkar, and KT Telang.
  • Strong Goals but mild methods.
  • Focussed on social reforms including issues of women and caste, therefore had goals like KCS, but followed the method of gradualism as did not want a break from Hinduism, therefore methods like DBT.
  • PS opened branches outside Maharashtra. For example, Gujarat, Karachi, and Madras. 
  • (Slow progress of social reforms in madras due to high casteism + slow progress of western education.)

Topics for the next class: Child Mariage, and other social reforms.