SOCIO-RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT

RELEVANCE ALL THE SOCIAL RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT OF THE 19TH AND THE 20 TH CENTURY WORKED TOWARDS THE ERADICATION OF THE CATE SYSTEM AND TO SOME EXTENT HUMAN SACRIFICE.THEY ALSO WORKED FOR THE UPLIFTMENT OF THE WEAKER SECTION OF THE SOCIETY. THE CONTEMPORARAY SYSTEM OF THE RELIGION ADHERED TO BY THE HINDUSIS NOT WELL CALCULATED TO PROMOTE THEIR PLOITICAL INTEREST.THE DISTINCTION OF CASTE INTRODUCING THE INNUMERABLE DIVISIONS AND SUB-DIVISIONS AMONG THEM HAS ENTIRELY DEPRIVED THEM OF PATRIOTIC FEELING, AND THE MULTITUDE OF THE RELIGIOUS RITES AND CEREMONIES AND THE LAWAS OF PURIFICATION HAVE TOTALLY DISQUALIFIED THEM FROM UNDERTAKING ANY DIFFICULT ENTERPRISE. SO IT BECOMES NECESSARY THAT SOME CHANGE SHOULD OCCUR FOR THE SAKE OF POLITICAL ADVANTAGE AND SOCIAL COMFORT AND THAT CHANGE WAS PROVIDED BY THE SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENTS OF THE 19TH CENTURY.

RELIGION WAS THE DOMINENT IDELOGY OF THECONTEMPORARY TIMES AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO UNDERTAKE ANY SOCIAL ACTION WITHOUT COMONG TO GRIP WITH IT. SO THE SOCIO-RELIGIOUS REFORMERS CHALLENGED THE INFALLIBILTY OF THE VEDAS AND THE RELIGIOUS TEXTS IN ISLAM. THE PERSPECTIVE OF REFORM WERE NOT ALWAYS INFLUENCED BY THE RELIGIOUS CONSIDERATIONS.A RATIONAL AND THE SECULAR OUTLOOK WAS VERY MUCH EVIDENT IN POSING AN ALTERNATIVE TO PREVELANT SOCIAL PRACTISES. IN ADVOCATING THE WIDOW REMARRAIGE AND OPPOSING THE POLYGAMY AND CHILD MARRIAGE AKSHAY KUMAR DUTT WAS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS SANCTION OR WHETHER THEIR EFFECTS ON SOCIETY.INSTEAD ON DEPENDING ON THE SCRIPTURES,HE EXECUTED MEDICAL OPINION ABOUT MARRIAGE AND FAMILY.

THE SOCIAL REFORMS WERE UNIVERSALISTIC IN NATURE WHICH GENERATED THE FEELING OF NATIONAL BROTHERHOOD.(WHOSOEVER WORSHIP THE TRUE GOD DAILY MUST LEARN TO ENCOURAGE ALL HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN AS BRETHREN) CASTE WOULD VANISH IN SUCH A SOCIETY . THE REFORMERS BELIEVED IN THE UNITARISM AND MONOTHEINS,IF THEY BELIEVE THAT THEIE GOD IS ONE AND THAT GREETED US ALL THAN HINDUS,MUSLIMSPARSEES,SIKHS ETC MUST BE CONSIDERED AS BRETHREN.

IN THE RELIGIOUS SPHERE THE REFORMS SOUGHT TO ABOLISH IDOLATORY,POLYTHEISM ,RITUALS,PRIESTLY MONOPLY.THEY WERE IMPORTANT NOT FOR PURELY RELIGIOUS REASONS BUT EQUALLY FOR THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS. THEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE LIBERATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL FROM THE CONFORMITY BORN OUT OF FEAR FROM THE PRIESTS AND COLONIAL IDEOLOGY. THE DISSEMINATION OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE THROUGH TRANSLATION OF RELIGIOUS OF RELIGIOUS TEXTS INTO VERNACULAR LANGUAGES, LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRESS,WHICH PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE POPULARIZATION OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT. FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF THE INTRUSION OF THE COLONIAL CULTURE AND IDEOLOGY,AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RE-INVIGORATE TARDITIONAL CULTUREAND INSTITUTIONS IN THE 19TH CENTURY. THE INTRUSIONS IN THE CULTURAL REALM WERE MORE INTENSIVELY FELT AND THE PEOPLE SLOWLY AND STEADLY STARTED KNOWING THAT THE COLONIAL RULE WAS NOT SUPERIOR TO THEM AND THE BRITISHERS WERE NOT BORN TO RULE OVER INDIA.

BY REMOVING THE SOCIAL EVILS LIKE UNTOUCHABILITY, THE REFORM MOVEMENT WANTED THE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT CASTE TO COME ON THE SAME PLATFORM. THEY WANTED TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE FOR NATIONAL MOVEMENT .UNLESS THERE WERE SOCIAL REFORMS ONE CANNOT TAKE ALL THE PEOPLE TOGETHER THAT WAS SO HELPFUL IN A MASS MOVEMENT AS INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT WAS.

DRAWBACKS THE REVIVALISTS MOVEMENT OF THE 19TH CENTURY CREATED AN ATMOSPHERE OF MUTUAL SUSPICION AND SENSE OF INSECURITY AMONGST EACH OTHER AND UNCONSCIOUSLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF AND RISE OF COMMUNALISM. AMONG THE MUSLIMS THE SCHOOL OF WAILIULLAH OD DELHI,THE DEOBAND SCHOOL WERE ACTIVE IN RESTORING PRISTINE PURITY AND RELIGIOUS FERVOUR OF MUSLIM COMMUNITY. AMONG THE HINDUS THE REVIVAL OF SHIVAJI AND THE GANAPATI FESTIVAL,THE DHARMA SABHA SABHA OF RADHA KANT DEB OF CALCUTTA TRIED TO GLORIFY HINDUISM AGAINST THE CHRISTAINITY ,BUT ULTIMATELY DUE TOT THE COMMUNICATION GAPIT SENT A WRING MESSAGE TO MUSLIMS,THIS WAS FURTHER ADDED BY THE SUDDHI MOVEMENT. THE LOVE FOR HINDU IDEALS AND INSTITUTIONS ,THE PRIDE IN HINDU RELIGION AND THE PHILOSOPLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SENSE OF SUPERIORITY.VIVEKANAND SAID THAT VEDANT PHILOSOPHY IS THE SUPREME OF ALL PHILOSOPHY.

BOTH THE PARALLEL MOVEMENT OF THE TWO COMMUNITIES HAD THE COMMON AIM----TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THEIR OWN RELIGION. BUT THEY LACKED COMMUNICATION AND HENCE LOST THEIR ULTIMATE AIM OF EXTERMINATING THE BRITISHERS. THEY FAILED TO COMMUNICATE THEIR MESSAGES TO THE MASSES. THE ECONOMIC BACKWARDNESS OF THE COUNTRY,THE MEDIEVAL OUTLOOK OF THE MASSES AND THE COLOSSAL NEGLECT OF THE EDUCATION FURTHER HELPED IN WIDENING THE COMMUNICATION GAP. THE SOCIO-RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS WAS TO BE MORE SOCIAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL BUT IT BECAME MORE RELIGIOUS.THE REAL IMPACT OF THESE SCHOOLS DIRECTLY LED TO THE SELF-GLORIFICATION AND CREATION OF CONTRA-CULTURE. IT ALSO PROMPTED THE BROTISH TO MISINTERPRET AND USE THE COMMUNICATION GAP FOR THEIR POLICY OF DIVIDE AND RULE.