Name: Fighting For Change: Reform Movements Across India
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 5 min 46 s
Description: The 19th century was a time of great social change across India. Various reform movements emerged as leaders fought for more rights.

Question

Most social reformers founded a society or formed an association through which they carried out the reforms. Why did they form associations and societies? Could they have not reformed the society single-handedly?

Accepted Answer

In India, the road towards social reforms has not been easy. The caste and gender divisions of Indian society hindered social progress. In this scenario, in the nineteenth century, the educated people who were aware of the social evils launched reform movements. This period saw the formation of many societies and associations, which worked for the upliftment of the downtrodden in Indian society. Reformers like Rammohun Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Jyotiba Phule and many others worked towards the betterment of society.

The reason why these associations and societies were formed is that social changes or reforms are not done overnight. It is a gradual process and given the orthodox nature of Indian society, the reformers who started this process faced severe opposition. One can take the example of abolition of Sati and widow remarriage to see how it was difficult for only one person to headline the entire process.

These associations and societies were a group of like-minded people, who were ready to fight the social evils. Societies like Brahmo Samaj, Satyashodhak Samaj, All India Anti Untouchability League, Ramkrishna Mission, etc. had a group of such individuals with ideas that facilitated social change in that period.

Most social reformers founded a society or formed an association through which they carried out the reforms. Why did they form associations and societies? Could they have not reformed the society single-handedly?

Important Questions on Reforms in Indian Society

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