Social and Religious Reform Movements of 19th Century India: Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Aligarh and Other Reformers for SSC
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
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The nineteenth century saw a wave of reform movements in India, led by educated Indians who wanted to remove social evils and revive religion. These movements prepared the ground for the national movement. SSC asks the founders, the year and place of founding and the laws. This guide on social and religious reform movements for SSC gives all of them in tables, with the laws against social evils, tricks and practice questions.
Major Reform Organisations
| Organisation | Year | Founder | Place | Key Ideas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atmiya Sabha | 1815 | Raja Ram Mohan Roy | Calcutta | Monotheism; against idolatry |
| Brahmo Samaj | 1828 | Raja Ram Mohan Roy | Calcutta | One God; against sati, child marriage and idolatry |
| Tattvabodhini Sabha | 1839 | Debendranath Tagore | Calcutta | Spread of Brahmo ideas |
| Young Bengal Movement | 1826 | Henry Derozio | Calcutta | Rationalism; Hindu College |
| Paramhans Mandali | 1849 | Durgaram Mehtaji | Maharashtra | Against caste |
| Prarthana Samaj | 1867 | Atmaram Pandurang (M. G. Ranade, R. G. Bhandarkar) | Bombay | Worship of one God; social reform |
| Arya Samaj | 1875 | Swami Dayananda Saraswati | Bombay | Return to the Vedas; against idolatry and caste; Shuddhi |
| Theosophical Society | 1875 (New York); India HQ 1882 at Adyar | Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott | Adyar, Madras | Revival of ancient Indian religions; Annie Besant led it later |
| Satyashodhak Samaj | 1873 | Jyotiba Phule | Pune | Equality of lower castes; against Brahmin dominance |
| Ramakrishna Mission | 1897 | Swami Vivekananda | Belur, Calcutta | Service to humanity as service to God |
| Aligarh Movement (MAO College) | 1875 | Sir Syed Ahmad Khan | Aligarh | Modern education for Muslims; the college became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920 |
| Deoband School | 1866 | Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi | Deoband | Revival of orthodox Islamic teaching |
| Singh Sabha | 1873 | Thakur Singh Sandhawalia and others | Amritsar | Sikh revival |
| SNDP Yogam | 1903 | Sri Narayana Guru | Kerala | One caste, one religion, one God for man |
| Servants of India Society | 1905 | Gopal Krishna Gokhale | Pune | Training of public workers for national service |
| Self-Respect Movement | 1925 | E. V. Ramasamy Periyar | Tamil Nadu | Against Brahmin dominance and caste |
Key Reformers and Their Contributions
| Reformer | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772–1833) | Father of the Indian Renaissance; campaigned against sati (ban in 1829 by Lord William Bentinck); founded the Hindu College with David Hare in 1817; started newspapers Sambad Kaumudi and Mirat-ul-Akhbar; title ‘Raja’ given by the Mughal emperor Akbar II |
| Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar | Campaigned for widow remarriage (Hindu Widow Remarriage Act, 1856) and women’s education |
| Swami Dayananda Saraswati | Wrote Satyarth Prakash; slogan “Go back to the Vedas”; Shuddhi movement; DAV schools started by his followers |
| Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) | Disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa; spoke at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893; founded Ramakrishna Mission in 1897; National Youth Day is on 12 January |
| Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule | Opened the first school for girls in Pune in 1848; Jyotiba wrote Gulamgiri; Satyashodhak Samaj |
| Sir Syed Ahmad Khan | Founded MAO College in 1875; wrote Asar-us-Sanadid; magazine Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq |
| M. G. Ranade | Founded the Widow Remarriage Association and the Deccan Education Society (with Tilak and Agarkar); Indian National Social Conference (1887) |
| Dadabhai Naoroji | Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha for Parsi reform (1851); the Grand Old Man of India |
| Pandita Ramabai | Founded the Arya Mahila Samaj and Sharada Sadan; worked for widows |
| D. K. Karve | Founded the Widows’ Home and the first women’s university (SNDT, 1916) |
| Sri Narayana Guru | Temple entry for lower castes; Vaikom Satyagraha 1924–25 was linked with this movement |
| Annie Besant | Central Hindu College in Benares (1898), which became Banaras Hindu University in 1916 under Madan Mohan Malaviya; Home Rule League 1916 |
Laws Against Social Evils
| Law | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Abolition of Sati (Regulation XVII) | 1829 | Lord William Bentinck; made sati illegal |
| Hindu Widow Remarriage Act | 1856 | Lord Dalhousie; due to Vidyasagar |
| Female Infanticide Prevention Act | 1870 | Banned the killing of girl children |
| Native Marriage Act (Civil Marriage Act) | 1872 | Legalised inter-caste and inter-religious marriage with a declaration |
| Age of Consent Act | 1891 | Raised the age of consent to 12 years; Behramji Malabari campaigned for it |
| Sarda Act (Child Marriage Restraint Act) | 1929 | Minimum age of marriage 14 for girls and 18 for boys |
| Hindu Marriage Act and other Hindu code bills | 1955–56 | After independence |
Newspapers of the Reformers
| Newspaper | Founder |
|---|---|
| Sambad Kaumudi, Mirat-ul-Akhbar | Raja Ram Mohan Roy |
| Indian Mirror | Debendranath Tagore and Keshab Chandra Sen |
| Kesari (Marathi), Mahratta (English) | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq | Sir Syed Ahmad Khan |
| Deenbandhu | Jyotiba Phule’s followers |
| Hindu Patriot | Girish Chandra Ghosh (edited by Harish Chandra Mukherjee) |
Tricks to Remember
- Brahmo Samaj: 1828; Arya Samaj: 1875; Ramakrishna Mission: 1897; Prarthana Samaj: 1867; Satyashodhak Samaj: 1873.
- Roy → sati; Vidyasagar → widow remarriage; Phule → lower castes; Syed Ahmad → Muslim education.
- Satyarth Prakash: Dayananda; Gulamgiri: Phule.
- Chicago 1893: Vivekananda.
- Sati ban: 1829; Widow remarriage: 1856; Age of Consent: 1891; Sarda Act: 1929.
Quick Tips
- Learn the year and founder of each society together.
- Match each reformer with one law or book.
- Remember the laws in chronological order.
- Learn the newspapers of the reformers.
Quick Revision Points
- Brahmo Samaj (1828): Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
- Arya Samaj (1875): Dayananda Saraswati.
- Ramakrishna Mission (1897): Vivekananda.
- Sati was banned in 1829; widow remarriage was legalised in 1856.
- Aligarh Movement: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
Practice Questions With Answers
- Who founded the Brahmo Samaj?
Answer: Raja Ram Mohan Roy - Who wrote Satyarth Prakash?
Answer: Swami Dayananda Saraswati - Which Act of 1856 was due to Vidyasagar?
Answer: Hindu Widow Remarriage Act - Who started the Satyashodhak Samaj?
Answer: Jyotiba Phule - In which year was Sati abolished?
Answer: 1829 - Who founded the Ramakrishna Mission?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda - Who founded the MAO College at Aligarh?
Answer: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan - Who gave the slogan Go back to the Vedas?
Answer: Swami Dayananda Saraswati - Who opened the first girls’ school in Pune in 1848?
Answer: Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule - Who founded the Self-Respect Movement?
Answer: E. V. Ramasamy Periyar
How to Practise This Chapter
Practise 10 questions every day and write the steps on paper. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the Indian History notes page, read the previous topic Vijayanagara, Bahmani, Maratha and Sikh Powers and the next topic Freedom Struggle 1905 to 1947.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded the Brahmo Samaj?
Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1828 at Calcutta.
Who founded the Arya Samaj?
Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875 at Bombay.
Who founded the Ramakrishna Mission?
Swami Vivekananda in 1897.
Which law banned sati?
Regulation XVII of 1829 by Lord William Bentinck.
Who campaigned for widow remarriage?
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
What was the Aligarh Movement?
A movement led by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan for the modern education of Muslims.
What was the Satyashodhak Samaj?
A society founded by Jyotiba Phule in 1873 for the equality of lower castes.
Who founded the Theosophical Society?
Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott in 1875.
What was the Age of Consent Act, 1891?
A law raising the age of consent for girls to 12 years.
What was the Sarda Act?
The 1929 law fixing the minimum marriage age at 14 for girls and 18 for boys.
Is this topic asked in SSC?
Yes. Reform movements are asked every year.
Who is the Father of the Indian Renaissance?
Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
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Vijayanagara, Bahmani, Maratha and Sikh Powers: Medieval Regional Kingdoms of India with Rulers and Facts for SSC
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Indian Freedom Struggle 1905 to 1947: Swadeshi, Home Rule, Non-Cooperation, Quit India, Cabinet Mission and Partition for SSC
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.