SPI History · Modern India
Social Reform and the Fight Against Caste
The reform societies of the 19th century, each with its founder, city and year, and the leaders who fought caste and untouchability into the 1930s.
Why this matters
Eight questions in the bank, six of them MODERATE. Most give a year and a city and ask for the society, so the four that sound alike (Brahmo Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Veda Samaj, Arya Samaj) are the trap. The rest ask who founded the Depressed Classes Association, what Periyar started, and who the Sanatanis were.
Concept 1 of 2: Reform societies: founder, city and year
In the 19th century Indian reformers set up societies to change customs they thought unjust: sati, child marriage, the ban on widow remarriage and caste. The bank asks each society by its year and city, so learn them as a timeline from 1828 to 1897.
Definition
- Raja Rammohun Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha (later the Brahmo Samaj) in Calcutta in 1828 and campaigned against sati, which was banned in 1829.
- Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar worked for widow remarriage; the law allowing it was passed in 1856.
- The Paramhans Mandali (Bombay, 1840) worked for the abolition of caste.
- The Veda Samaj (Madras, 1864) was inspired by the Brahmo Samaj and worked against caste and for widow remarriage and girls' education.
- The Prarthana Samaj (Bombay, 1867) followed the Bhakti tradition, which held that all castes are spiritually equal.
- The Singh Sabhas, the Sikh reform bodies, began at Amritsar in 1873 and at Lahore in 1879.
| Society | Founded | Founder or idea |
|---|---|---|
| Brahmo Sabha (Brahmo Samaj) | Calcutta, 1828 | Raja Rammohun Roy; drew on the Upanishads |
| Paramhans Mandali | Bombay, 1840 | Worked for the abolition of caste |
| Veda Samaj | Madras, 1864 | Inspired by the Brahmo Samaj; against caste, for widow remarriage |
| Prarthana Samaj | Bombay, 1867 | Followed the Bhakti tradition of spiritual equality of castes |
| Singh Sabha | Amritsar, 1873 | Sikh reform; a second Sabha at Lahore in 1879 |
| Satyashodhak Samaj | 1873 | Jyotirao Phule, for caste equality |
| Arya Samaj | 1875 | Swami Dayanand Saraswati; drew on the Vedas |
| Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College | Aligarh, 1875 | Sayyid Ahmed Khan, modern education for Muslims |
| Ramakrishna Mission | 1897 | Swami Vivekananda, named after his guru Ramakrishna |
Practice this conceptself-check · 6 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionModerate
Example 1 · Modern India · Social Reform and the Fight Against Caste
Which one among the following was founded in 1840 to work for the abolition of caste?
Prarthana Samaj and Paramhans Mandali are both from Bombay
Both were founded in Bombay. The Paramhans Mandali came first, in 1840, to abolish caste; the Prarthana Samaj came in 1867 and followed the Bhakti saints.
Veda Samaj, not Arya Samaj
The Veda Samaj of Madras (1864) took its lead from the Brahmo Samaj. The Arya Samaj (1875) was Dayanand Saraswati's and looked back to the Vedas. The similar names hide two different societies.
Concept 2 of 2: Leaders against caste and untouchability
Reform from above was not enough for the people at the bottom of the caste order. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries leaders from these communities organised for themselves and demanded equal rights.
Definition
- Jyotirao Phule wrote Gulamgiri (slavery) in 1873 and founded the Satyashodhak Samaj.
- Sree Narayana Guru of Kerala taught "one caste, one religion, one god for humankind".
- Dr B.R. Ambedkar started a temple entry movement in 1927 and organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930.
- E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar) started the Self Respect Movement in 1925.
- Gandhiji called the untouchables Harijans, children of God.
- The Sanatanis were orthodox high-caste Hindus who opposed these efforts to end untouchability.
| Leader or group | Known for |
|---|---|
| Jyotirao Phule | Book Gulamgiri (1873); Satyashodhak Samaj |
| Sree Narayana Guru | Kerala; "one caste, one religion, one god for humankind" |
| Periyar (E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker) | Self Respect Movement, 1925 |
| Dr B.R. Ambedkar | Temple entry movement (1927); Depressed Classes Association (1930) |
| Gandhiji | Called the untouchables Harijans, children of God |
| Sanatanis | Orthodox high-caste Hindus |
Practice this conceptself-check · 5 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionModerate
Example 2 · Modern India · Social Reform and the Fight Against Caste
Who founded the ‘Depressed Classes Association’ in 1930 ?
Sanatanis were the high castes
The Sanatanis were orthodox high-caste Hindus who opposed the work against untouchability. The Dalits were the people that work was meant to help.
Ambedkar's association, not Gandhi's
The Depressed Classes Association of 1930 was founded by Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Gandhiji worked among Dalits too, but through his own campaigns, not this association.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (2)
Reform societies: founder, city and year9 rows
| Society | Founded | Founder or idea |
|---|---|---|
| Brahmo Sabha (Brahmo Samaj) | Calcutta, 1828 | Raja Rammohun Roy; drew on the Upanishads |
| Paramhans Mandali | Bombay, 1840 | Worked for the abolition of caste |
| Veda Samaj | Madras, 1864 | Inspired by the Brahmo Samaj; against caste, for widow remarriage |
| Prarthana Samaj | Bombay, 1867 | Followed the Bhakti tradition of spiritual equality of castes |
| Singh Sabha | Amritsar, 1873 | Sikh reform; a second Sabha at Lahore in 1879 |
| Satyashodhak Samaj | 1873 | Jyotirao Phule, for caste equality |
| Arya Samaj | 1875 | Swami Dayanand Saraswati; drew on the Vedas |
| Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College | Aligarh, 1875 | Sayyid Ahmed Khan, modern education for Muslims |
| Ramakrishna Mission | 1897 | Swami Vivekananda, named after his guru Ramakrishna |
Leaders against caste and untouchability6 rows
| Leader or group | Known for |
|---|---|
| Jyotirao Phule | Book Gulamgiri (1873); Satyashodhak Samaj |
| Sree Narayana Guru | Kerala; "one caste, one religion, one god for humankind" |
| Periyar (E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker) | Self Respect Movement, 1925 |
| Dr B.R. Ambedkar | Temple entry movement (1927); Depressed Classes Association (1930) |
| Gandhiji | Called the untouchables Harijans, children of God |
| Sanatanis | Orthodox high-caste Hindus |
Watch out for (4)
- Prarthana Samaj and Paramhans Mandali are both from Bombay→ Reform societies: founder, city and year
- Veda Samaj, not Arya Samaj→ Reform societies: founder, city and year
- Sanatanis were the high castes→ Leaders against caste and untouchability
- Ambedkar's association, not Gandhi's→ Leaders against caste and untouchability
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