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    Women, Caste and Reforms Grade VIII, History and Civics Reference Material

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    Tanishq Ladha
    Reforms in 19th century India sought to improve conditions for women and lower castes. Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati and for women's rights. He was supported by British officials who banned sati in 1829. Later reformers like Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and Swami Dayanand Saraswati advocated for widow remarriage. Educating girls also became a priority, with schools established across India. Over time, leaders like Jyotirao Phule, B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker organized movements against caste discrimination and fought for greater social equality and justice.

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    Women, Caste and Reforms Grade VIII, History and Civics Reference Material

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    Tanishq Ladha
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    Reforms in 19th century India sought to improve conditions for women and lower castes. Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati and for women's rights. He was supported by British officials who banned sati in 1829. Later reformers like Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and Swami Dayanand Saraswati advocated for widow remarriage. Educating girls also became a priority, with schools established across India. Over time, leaders like Jyotirao Phule, B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker organized movements against caste discrimination and fought for greater social equality and justice.

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    Reforms in 19th century India sought to improve conditions for women and lower castes. Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati and for women's rights. He was supported by British officials who banned sati in 1829. Later reformers like Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and Swami Dayanand Saraswati advocated for widow remarriage. Educating girls also became a priority, with schools established across India. Over time, leaders like Jyotirao Phule, B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker organized movements against caste discrimination and fought for greater social equality and justice.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    156 views6 pages

    Women, Caste and Reforms Grade VIII, History and Civics Reference Material

    Uploaded by

    Tanishq Ladha
    Reforms in 19th century India sought to improve conditions for women and lower castes. Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati and for women's rights. He was supported by British officials who banned sati in 1829. Later reformers like Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and Swami Dayanand Saraswati advocated for widow remarriage. Educating girls also became a priority, with schools established across India. Over time, leaders like Jyotirao Phule, B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker organized movements against caste discrimination and fought for greater social equality and justice.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Women, Caste and Reforms

    Grade VIII, History and Civics


    Reference Material

    About two hundred years ago things were very difficult in our society. There were so many
    restrictions imposed on women. Widows were praised and called ‘Satis’ meaning ‘virtuous’ if
    they chose to by burning themselves on the funeral pyres of their husbands.
    People were also divided along lines of caste. Brahmins and Kshatriyas considered themselves
    in upper caste, after them traders and moneylenders referred to as Vaishyas and the lower caste
    were Shudras and included peasants, artisans, weavers and potter.

    Working Towards Change


    (i) In early 19th century things changed because of the development of new forms of
    communication.
    (ii) Social reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy founded Brahmo Samaj in Calcutta.
    (iii) He wanted to spread the knowledge of western education and bring about freedom
    and equality for women.

    Changing the Lives of Widows


    (i) Raja Rammohan Roy began a campaign against the practice of sati. Many British
    officials criticized Indian traditions and customs. They supported him and in 1829,
    sati was banned.
    (ii) Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was one of the most famous reformers who suggested
    widow remarriage. In 1856, British officials passed the law permitting widow
    remarriage.
    (iii) Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, and also supported
    widow marriage.

    Girls begin Going to School


    (i) Many reformers felt that to improve the condition of women, educating the girls was
    necessary.
    (ii) Many reformers in Bombay and Vidyasagar in Calcutta set up schools for girls.
    (iii) In aristocratic Muslim families in North India, women learnt to read the Koran in
    Arabic. They were taught by women who came home to teach.

    Women write about Women


    (i) Muslim women like Begums of Bhopal promoted education among women and
    founded a primary school for girls at Aligarh.
    (ii) Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain started schools for Muslim girls in Patna and
    Calcutta.
    (iii) Indian women began to enter universities by 1880s. Some of them trained to be
    doctors and teachers.
    (iv) Pandita Ramabal was a great scholar of Sanskrit, wrote a book about the miserable
    lives of upper-class Hindu women.
    (v) She founded a widows’ home at Poona to provide shelter to widows who had been
    mistreated by their husbands’ relatives.
    (vi) Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose gave their support to demands for
    greater equality and freedom for women.
    (vii) Social reformers criticized caste inequalities. Paramhans Mandali was founded in
    1840 in Bombay to work for the abolition of caste.
    (viii) Christians missionaries began setting up schools for the tribal groups and lower caste
    children.

    Demands for Equality and Justice


    (i) By the second half of the 19th century people from within the ‘lower’ castes began
    organizing movements against caste discrimination and demanded social equality
    and justice.
    (ii) The Satnami movement in Central India was founded by Ghasidas who came from
    a low caste.
    (iii) In eastern Bengal, Haridas Thakur’s Matua sect worked among low caste Chandala
    cultivators. Haridas questioned Brahmanical texts that supported the caste system.

    Gulamgiri
    (i) Jyotirao Phule born in 1827 was known as one of the ‘low-caste’ leaders.
    (ii) He attacked the Brahmans claim that they were superior to other, since they are
    Aryans.
    (iii) According to Phule, the ‘upper’ caste had no right to their land and power, the land
    belonged to indigenous people who were called as low castes’.
    (iv) Phule proposed that Shudras and Ati Shudras should unite to challenge caste
    discrimination.
    (v) The Satyashodhak Samaj was founded by Phule to propagate caste equality.
    (vi) In 20th century, the movement for caste reform was continued by Dr. B.R.
    Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker.

    Who Could enter Temples


    (i) Ambedkar was born into a Mahar family. As a child he experienced what caste
    prejudice meant in everyday life.
    (ii) In 1927, Ambedkar started a temple entry movement. His aim was to make everyone
    see the power of caste prejudices within the society.

    The Non-Brahman Movement


    (i) The Non-Brahman Movement in the early 20th century was initiated by non-
    Brahman castes that had acquired access to education wealth and influence. They
    challenged Brahmanical claims to power.
    (ii) E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, known as Periyar was from middle-class family.
    (iii) Periyar founded the Self Respect Movement.
    (iv) He inspired the untouchables and asked them to free themselves from all religions in
    order to achieve social equality.
    (v) Periyar was an outspoken critic of Hindu scriptures.
    (vi) The forceful speeches, writings and movements of lower caste leaders led to rethink
    and self-criticism among upper caste nationalist leaders.

    I.QUESTION & ANSWERS


    Q1: Write a note on Brahmo Samaj and Raja Rammohan Roy.
    Ans: a) Raja Rammohan Roy (1772 – 1833) founded a reform association known as the
    Brahmo Sabha (later known as the Brahmo Samaj) in Calcutta.
    b) The Brahmo Samaj, formed in 1830 prohibited all forms of idolatry and sacrifice, believed
    in the Upanishads and forbade its members from criticizing other religious practices.
    c) Raja Rammohan Roy was keen to spread the knowledge of Western Education in the
    country of Western Education in the country and bring about greater freedom and equality for
    women. He was particularly moved by the problems widows faced in their lives. He began a
    campaign against the practice of ‘sati’.
    d) Rammohan Roy was well versed in Sanskrit, Persian and several other and Indian and
    European languages. He tried to show through writings that the practice of widow burning had
    no sanction in ancient texts.
    e) Many British officials had also begun to criticize Indian traditions and custom. They were
    therefore more than willing to listen to Rammohan Roy who was reputed by a learned man. In
    1829, practice of ‘sati’ was banned.

    Q2: What was the contribution of Arya Samaj and Swami Dayanand Saraswati?
    Ans: a) Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 at Bombay. This was
    an important movement which tried to reform the Hindu Society.
    b) Arya Samaj strongly opposed the caste system and propagated its view against ill practice
    of untouchability.
    c) Arya Samaj strongly condemned the practice of ‘sati’ and Child marriage. This organization
    also prevented the conversion of Hindus to other religions.
    d) Arya Samaj is against the idol- worship and useless religious rituals. According to the Arya
    Samaj, the ‘Vedas’ are immortal and Hinduism should be purified by returning back to
    ‘Vedas’.
    e) Swami Dayanand Saraswati worked actively for the upliftment of women and spread of
    education among them. Arya Samaj started the network of schools and colleges known as
    DAV (Dayanand Anglo Vedic), which are still spreading education in the society.

    Q3: Write a note on Swami Vivekananda and activities of ‘Rama Krishna Mission’.
    Ans: a) Swami Vivekananda was a disciple of Rama Krishna Paramhans. He founded Rama
    Krishna Mission in 1896 to propagate the teachings and ideals of his Guru.
    b) The Rama Krishna Mission and Swami Vivekananda stressed on the ideals of salvation
    through social justice and self-action. Mission condemned the class and caste system, religious
    rituals and superstitions in the Hindu Society.
    c) Swami Vivekananda strongly criticized the practice of untouchability and laid emphasis on
    social welfare. Rama Krishna Mission opened many schools, colleges, libraries, hospitals,
    dispensaries and orphanages. This organization preached humanism and teachings of all
    religions.
    d) Swami Vivekananda believed in renewing the best traditions of Hinduism. He was in favor
    of equality, liberty and nationalism. He is a source of inspiration for the younger generation of
    our country. His birthday is also celebrated as ‘National Youth Day’ every year on 12th
    January.

    Q4: Write a note on Sir Sayyid Ahmed khan and his Aligarh movement.
    Ans: a) Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan started reform movement in the Muslim Society. He was in
    British Judicial Services and served as a judge during the revolt of 1857.
    b) Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan founded the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College in 1875 in
    Aligarh. This college later became Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). This is also known as
    Aligarh Movement.
    c) The Aligarh Movement had an enormous impact in the area of educational reforms. The
    institution provided the modern education including western sciences and knowledge to the
    Muslim.
    d) He strongly condemned the social evils of polygamy and divorce which were very common
    in Muslim Society. He was against the ‘Pardah- System’ and was in favor of education among
    the Muslim women.
    e) He regarded Hindus and Muslims as one ‘Quam’. As an officer he opened various schools
    in several villages to encourage modern education and western scientific knowledge among
    the Muslims.

    II.TRUE AND FALSE QUESTIONS’


    a) When the British captured Bengal, they framed many new laws to regulate the rules
    regarding marriage, adoption, inheritance of property, etc.
    b) Social reformers had to discard the ancient texts in order to argue for reform in social
    practices.
    c) Reformers got full support from all sections of the people of the country.
    d) The Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed in 1829.
    e) Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Arya Samaj in 1875.
    f) Pandita Ramabai was a great scholar of Sanskrit and she founded a widow’s home at
    Poona to provide shelter to widows.
    g) The Begums of Bhopal started schools for Muslim girls in Patna.
    h) Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar strongly criticized widow remarriage.
    i) The Arya Samaj was an association that attempted to reform Hinduism.
    j) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker continued the movement for caste
    reform in the 20th century.
    k) Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar is popularly known as Periyar.

    Answers’: (a) True (b) False (c) False (d) False (e) False (f) True (g) False (h) False (i) True
    (j) True (k) False

    III. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS’


    (i) The Brahmo Samaj was founded by?
    (a) Dayanand Saraswati (b) Raja Rammohan Roy
    (c)Vivekananda (d) Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar

    (ii) The practice of sati was banned in the year?


    (a) 1800 (b) 1821
    (c) 1827 (d) 1829

    (iii) A widow home was established at Poona by?


    (a)Tarabai Shinde (b) Pandita Ramabai
    (c)Mumtaz Ali (d) Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

    (iv) Peasants and artisans were referred to as


    (a) Vaishyas (b) Shudras
    (c) Untouchables (d) Kshatriyas

    (v) E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker also known as Periyar founded which movement?
    (a) Self Respect Movement (b) Temple Entry Movement.
    (c)Paramhans Mandali (d) Dalit Movement

    (vi) The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College was opened by?


    (a)Khizr Khan (b) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
    (c)Sayyid Ahmed Khan (d) Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan

    Answers’: (i) (b), (ii) (d), (iii) (b), (iv) (b), (v) (a), (vi) (c).

    IV. FILL IN THE BLANKS


    (i) According to the Child Marriage Restraint of ________________________ and woman
    below the age of ______________________ could marry.
    (ii) _____________________ were an important Act no man below the age untouchable caste
    of present-day Andhra Pradesh.
    (iii) Tarabai Shinde Published a book named _____________________________________.
    (iv) Raja Rammohan Roy was well versed in ________________, _______________ and
    several other Indian and European languages.
    (v) The Satnami movement was founded by ___________ who belonged to a low caste family.
    (vi) In 1873, Jyotirao Phule wrote a Book Gulamgiri meaning ________________________.
    (vii) The Begums of.............. played a vital role in promoting education among women.

    Answers’: (i) 18, 16 (ii) Madigas (iii) Stripurushtulna (iv) Sanskrit, Persian (v) Ghasidas
    (vi) Slavery (vii) Bhopal.

    V. MATCH THE COLUMN

    Answers’: (i) (c), (ii) (a), (iii) (e), (iv) (b), (v) (d).

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