Women Caste and Reform Class 8 Notes: CBSE History (Our Pasts - III) Chapter 7

• Women empowerment is one of the most used terms these days. Today women are leading in all fields- whether it is the army or the medical sector or in the field of scientific research. 

• But the situation was not same 200 years ago. Women faced so much of humiliation in the past. Women had to go through a lot of adversities. Child marriages, polygamy, and the humiliation of widows were quite common during that time. One of the practices of that time was the ‘Sati Daha Pratha’ or in other words ‘Sati’ in which a woman had to die after the death of her husband in the same pyre.

CBSE Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 7 talks about such social evils and how society was freed from them.

Area of Concern:

• The major area of concern was the gender discrimination in India at that time. Women were just treated the same as commodities.

• Young girls were forced to marry with elderly men even before attaining 10 years of age. However many times, the groom used to be a dying old man. After the death of the men, the widowed women were made to sit and die on the same pyre as that of their husbands’. This horrifying practice of burning innocent women to death was referred to as ‘Sati Daha Pratha’.

• People were also divided in terms of caste. The upper castes of the society were Brahmins and Kshatriyas. The traders and moneylenders were referred as Vaishyas and were placed under the upper castes.

• The bottom-most caste were referred as the Shudras and artisans and peasants like weavers, potters came under this caste.

• The lower castes were treated as ‘untouchables’ by the upper castes. It was a discriminative practice within the religion.

• The reform again was initiated in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the situation had started to change.

• However, the reform was not so easy. It was achieved later through several movements against the supporters of these practices.
  
  

Beginning of the Era of Change

• During the early nineteenth century, several debates and arguments were made regarding social customs and practices.

• New types of communications were published which included books, newspapers, magazines, leaflets and pamphlets.

• The new means of communication were quite easily accessible.

• Common people were now able to express their views.

• A new and reformed thought led towards the change.

• Some People like Raja Rammohun Roy came forward and led the movement towards change.

• Raja Rammohun Roy also played a very important role in expanding women education in India. He was the proposer of the expansion of western education and favoring women education in India.

• The movement against ‘Sati’ system was initiated by Raja Rammohun Roy which was later banned by William Lord Bentinck. This was the most famous movements in the history of India.

• Another reformer during this period was Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar who was the main architect of the Widow Remarriage Act. He gave several ancient Sanskrit texts in support of widow remarriage.

• In the southern part, the movement against widow remarriage was carried out by Veersalingam Pantulu in India.

• Widow remarriage was supported by Swami Dayanand Saraswati also, who was one of the renowned social reformers and establisher of Arya Samaj.
  
  

Women's Education in India:

• Reformers by now had realized the significance of women's education.

• Several schools for girls were opened by Vidyasagar in Calcutta and by some other reformers in Bombay.

• The main idea for girls in attaining schools was the way of thinking of their family members. Most of the family members thought that the schools would take away their girls from them.

• However, the practice of going outside was still not supported by the family members of the girls. Due to this reason, girls were taught by either thier father or husband throughout the mid-nineteenth century.

• Arya Samaj in Punjab and Jyotirao Phule in Maharashtra by now had opened several schools for girls.

• At that time teaching of women by women became popular.

• Begums of Bhopal helped in promoting education in India in the Muslim community.

• Several schools for girls were opened in Patna and Calcutta by Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. 

• Women's education had gained an escalation after 1880. Since then, women have started to enter universities, and some of them even became doctors.

• At the beginning of 1900, women were presented with opportunities and were able to carry on with their education.

• The orthodox mentality of the family members of the women was the main problem of women's education in India.

Caste and Social Reforms

• The caste system is still persistent in several parts of India.

• Initially, the caste system was reformed by Raja Rammohun Roy and Prarthana Samaj.

• Schools were established by the Christian Missionaries for the tribal groups and lower caste children.

• Demand for labor was increased as the cities expanded. Most of the laborers were from the lower castes. Few of these people went abroad to get rid of the oppression of the upper castes.

• There were movements in order to drive away from the inequality and caste-based society in India. The Satnami movement, initiated by Ghasidas, was one of the good example to this.

• Haridas Thakur’s Matua Movement was another movement made to upgrade the social status of the Chandala cultivators.

• Each and every movement was led by non- Brahmin people. Their main agenda was to form a sense of self-esteem among the lower caste people.

• One of the most famous movements of lower castes was brought by Jyotirao Phule. His notable work in the movement was the book written by him named ‘Gulamgiri’ which was based on slavery. His moral idea was to connect with the people of lower castes in India and the black slaves in America.

• Another renowned activist of the anti-caste movement was B.R. Ambedkar. He was a part of several movements between 1927 to 1935 for entering in the temples by the lower castes.

Demands for Equality and Justice

Over the second half of the nineteenth century, people of lower castes started organising movements against caste discrimination and demanded social justice and equality. Ghasidas founded the Satnami Campaign served as the leather workers and organised a movement to enhance their social status. Shri Narayana Guru declared the paragons of unity for his people. He contended against mistreating people based on caste differences.

Gulamgiri:

• Jyotirao Phule was a significant leader from the "low-caste" community, born in 1827.

• He studied in schools run by Christian missionaries.

• As he grew up, he challenged the Brahmins' claim of superiority based on their Aryan heritage.

• Phule argued that Aryans were outsiders who conquered and oppressed the original people of India.

• He believed that the so-called "upper" castes had no right to the land and power—it belonged to the indigenous people.

• Phule imagined a better time before Aryan rule, where the land was managed fairly by warrior-peasants.

• He called on Shudras (working castes) and Ati Shudras (untouchables) to unite against caste discrimination.

• He founded the Satyashodhak Samaj to promote caste equality.

The Non-Brahman Movement:

• In the early 1900s, the non-Brahman movement began with the help of castes who had gained education, wealth, and influence.

• They argued that Brahmans were descendants of Aryan invaders who had conquered the original Dravidian inhabitants of southern India.

• The movement challenged the Brahmanical claims to power and dominance.

• E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, also known as Periyar, came from a middle-class background. He had initially studied Sanskrit scriptures and was a former ascetic.

• He joined the Congress Party but left when he saw that even at nationalist events, lower castes were segregated from upper castes.

• Periyar founded the Self Respect Movement to fight for the dignity of untouchables and argued that they preserved a true Tamil and Dravidian culture oppressed by Brahmans.

• He criticised Hindu scriptures, including the Codes of Manu, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramayana, claiming they were used to justify Brahman dominance and male authority.

• His critiques led to some reconsideration and self-reflection among upper-caste nationalist leaders.

5 Important Topics of Class 8 History Chapter 7 Women, Caste and Reform

Importance of Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 7 Women, Caste and Reform Revision Notes 

• These revision notes help students grasp the historical background of social reforms in India, focusing on issues related to women and caste discrimination.

• The notes highlight important reformers like Jyotirao Phule, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar), detailing their contributions and struggles. This aids in recognising their impact on societal changes.

• By summarising the various social evils, such as child marriage, Sati, and caste discrimination, the notes provide a clear understanding of the challenges faced by different social groups.

• The notes outline the efforts made by reformers to challenge and change these practices, illustrating the progress towards social equality.

Tips for Learning the Class 8 Chapter 7 History Women, Caste and Reform

• Make sure you understand the social problems addressed in the chapter, such as Sati, child marriage, and caste discrimination. Knowing these issues will help you grasp why reforms were necessary.

• Write short summaries of each section of the chapter. This will help you remember the main points and how they fit together.

• Refer to revision notes to quickly review the key concepts and facts. They are designed to highlight important information and make studying easier.

• Answer sample questions related to the chapter. This will test your knowledge and help you prepare for exams.

Conclusion

For an enhanced comprehension of this subject, NCERT - Class 8 Social Chapter 8 - Women, Caste and Reform, thoughtfully prepared by experienced educators at Vedantu, is your invaluable companion. These notes break down the complexities of Women, “Caste and Reform” into easily digestible sections, helping you grasp new concepts and navigate through questions effortlessly quickly in the last minute as well. By immersing yourself in these notes, you not only prepare for your studies more efficiently but also develop a profound understanding of the subject matter.

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