Question 1 · 50 marks · 243 words written
Opening
Socio religious reform movements, as orthogenetic source of social change, led to cultural reorientation that provided base for nationalism & modernity. [Yogendra Singh]
These had reformative agenda of purifying Indian society from the socio-cultural evils.
Emancipation of women & equal rights to women as agenda :-
Body · points
(1) Emancipation by banning the practices derogatory to women :-
• Banning of sati with efforts of Raja Ram mohan Roy
• Efforts for widow remarriage by Vidyasagar, Ranade, Karve, Vishnu shashtri Pandit
• Against "Purdah" among Hindu women
• Arguing against the practice of Polygamy & Kulinism which put husband on higher pedestal
• Against child marriage: eg efforts by Dayanand Saraswati, Roy, Keshub Chandra sen etc.
(2) Rights of women -
- women education → Vidyasagar as head & promoter of Girl's schools
- Voiced for equality eg Phules were against the practices of female foeticide
The reformers achieved these objectives via :- → quoting from ancient scriptures eg Roy quoted from Vedas to argue that there was no such practice as sati → appealing to rationality & humanism - the modern values eg Akshay Dutt used medical science theories → worked with British to bring legislative backing
Close · a summary
eg Bengal Sati Regulation, Age of Consent, Hindu Widow Remarriage Act etc.
Indian Renaissance, was thus, unique in the sense that these nascent "feminist" efforts were initiated by the male intelligentsia of that time. Nevertheless, it resulted in lessening social injustices of women & improving their dignity.