Question

Arrange the following social reform organizations chronologically on the basis of their foundation.
1) Arya Samaj
2) Prarthana Samaj
3) Veda Samaj
4) Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam
A) 1, 4, 3, 2
B) 1, 2, 3, 4
C) 4, 3, 2, 1
D) 3, 2, 1, 4

Answer 1

Hint: The beginning of the nineteenth century heralded the beginning of a new dawn in India. In the latter half of the century, the movement which was known as the “Indian Renaissance” or “Indian Awakening” grew enormously. This period was the phase of great socio-religious reform movements in India. A few notable movements are Prarthana Samaj, Arya Samaj, Aligarh movement, Ramakrishna mission, etc.

Complete Answer:
- Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the reform association called Arya Samaj in 1875 at Bombay. Arya Samajis opposed child marriages and encouraged the remarriage of widows.
- The Prarthana Samaj believed in the spiritual equality of all castes adhering to the tradition of Bhakti. The Prarthana Samaj established in 1867 at Bombay sought to end the ban on widow remarriage, remove caste restrictions, encourage the education of women, and abolish child marriage. Its religious meetings drew upon Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist texts.
- The Veda Samaj established in 1864 at Madras, Chennai was inspired by the Brahmo Samaj. It was founded by Dadoba Pandurang. It worked to promote widow remarriage and women’s education and abolish caste distinctions. Its members believed in monotheism (one God). They condemned the rituals and superstitions of orthodox Hinduism.
- Sree Narayana Guru, who was from the Ezhava caste, proclaimed the ideals of unity for his people. He argued that treating people unequally on the basis of caste differences is wrong. All humankind belonged to the same caste according to him. In 1886, Sree Narayana Guru founded a spiritual organization called ‘Aruvippuram Vavouto Yogam’ which was later renamed as Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam by Dr. Padmanabhan Palpu in 1903 and registered it under the Indian Company Act.

Thus, option (D) is correct.

Note:
Some legal measures were introduced to raise the status of Religious Reforms Movements in Modern India including women. Sati and infanticide were declared illegal and laws were passed to promote widow remarriage and inter-caste marriage. The Sharda Act was also passed to prevent child marriage in 1929.