Social Reform Movements of India

What is Social Reform Movement?

• A Social Reform means changed for the better or any attempt that seeks to correct any injustices in a society.
• Social Reform is a kind of social movement that aims to make gradual change, or change in certain aspects of society, rather than rapid or fundamental change.

Categories of Reforms Movements

• The reforms movements fall in two broad categories
  • • Reformist movements like that Brahmo Samaj, the prarthana Samaj and the Aligarh movements
    • Revivalists movements like the Arya Samaj, the Ramakrishna Mission

Social Reformer

• Social reformer is a person who is concerned about the humanity and mankind above anything else; a person who wants to change the existing state of things for the better.
• India is fortunate to have, in its long history, many extraordinary human beings who devoted all their lives for the improvement of the society and for the upliftment of the oppressed.

Social Reformers in India

• Raja Rammohan Ray, Swami Dayanand Sarasweti, Keshab chandra Sen ,Devendranath Tagore, Atmaram Pandurang, Joytiba Phule are some Social Reformers in India.
• They worked for abolition of castes and Untouchability, Purdah system, sati, child marriage, social inequalities and illiteracy.
• They stood for the democratization of the society, removal of superstitions and decadent customs, spread of enlightenment and development of a rational and modern outlook.

Characteristics of the Social Reform Movements of India

• An analysis of the reform movements of the 19th century brings out several common features –
  • • All the reformers propagated the idea of one God and the basic unity of all religions. Thus, they tried to bridge the gulf between different religious beliefs.
    • All the reformers attacked priesthood, rituals, idolatry and polytheism. The humanitarian aspect of these reform movements was expressed in their attack on the caste system and the custom of child marriage.
    • The reformers attempted to improve the status of girls and women in society. They all emphasised the need for female education.
    • By attacking the caste system and untouchability, the reformers helped to unify the people of India into one nation.
    • The reform movements fostered feelings of self-respect, self-reliance and patriotism among the Indians.

List of famous Social Reforms Movements in India and their Founder

• Following is the list of Famous and Important Socio-Religious Reform Movements and Reformers in India.

These were some of the Social Reform Movements of India. Let us know about which personality do you admire in the comment section below.

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