Social Religious Movement Archives

31. Swami Dayanand Saraswati 1. was opposed to the worship of idols of G

Swami Dayanand Saraswati

1. was opposed to the worship of idols of Gods and Goddesses.
2. regarded the Vedas as infallible.
3. had met and had discussions with Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1, 2 and 3

2 and 3 only

1 and 3 only

1 and 2 only

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2021

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The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) was a prominent Hindu reformer and the founder of the Arya Samaj. He strongly advocated for a return to the original teachings of the Vedas and rejected later religious practices he considered corrupt. Statement 1 is correct: He was a staunch opponent of idolatry and the worship of images. Statement 2 is correct: His philosophy was based on the infallibility and supreme authority of the Vedas (“Back to the Vedas”). Statement 3 is correct: Historical records indicate that he did meet and engage in discussions with Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891), another leading figure of the Bengal Renaissance and social reformer, on various social and religious issues.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s reformist movement aimed to purify Hinduism by removing superstitious practices, caste discrimination, and promoting education and social reform based on Vedic principles. His work had a significant impact on the social and religious landscape of 19th-century India.

32. Who among the following social reformer started a society for the enco

Who among the following social reformer started a society for the encouragement of widow remarriage in 1866 in Maharashtra ?

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Jyotirao Phule

Vishnushastri Pandit

Pandita Ramabai

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2018

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Vishnushastri Pandit started a society for the encouragement of widow remarriage in 1866 in Maharashtra.

Vishnushastri Pandit was a prominent social reformer in Maharashtra who actively campaigned for widow remarriage. He founded the Punarvivah Uttejaka Mandali (Society for the Encouragement of Widow Remarriage) in 1866 to promote this cause through public lectures, writings, and practical assistance.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a later nationalist leader from Maharashtra, focused more on political swaraj and social customs preservation, though he was not against reform in principle. Jyotirao Phule was a radical social reformer in Maharashtra who worked extensively against caste discrimination and for women’s education, and while he supported widow remarriage, he is not primarily credited with starting a specific society for this cause in 1866. Pandita Ramabai was a pioneering social reformer, particularly known for establishing institutions for destitute women and widows, but her main activities and institutions like Sharada Sadan began in the 1880s.

33. Which one of the following is a feature of thought and philosophy of t

Which one of the following is a feature of thought and philosophy of the Kandukuri Viresalingam ?

He believed that science and morality were unconnected to truth

He believed in universal education

He believed that language had no role in inculcating morality in students

He did not attempt to build a national consciousness on a cultural base

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2017

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Kandukuri Viresalingam (1848-1919) was a prominent social reformer, writer, and journalist from Andhra Pradesh. He is considered the father of the renaissance movement in Telugu literature. His work was deeply influenced by the Brahmo Samaj and aimed at modernizing Telugu society through rationalism and social reform.

A key feature of Kandukuri Viresalingam’s thought and philosophy was his strong belief in the power and necessity of education for social progress. He championed universal education, particularly emphasizing the education of women and the underprivileged sections of society, establishing schools for girls and promoting literacy. He saw education as essential for fighting superstition, caste discrimination, and other social evils.

– He advocated vigorously for widow remarriage, inspired by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and faced significant opposition from orthodox elements.
– He used his writings, including novels, essays, and plays, and his journals like ‘Vivekavardhani’ to propagate his reformist ideas.
– He believed in rationalism and morality being connected to truth and used language as a powerful tool for social change and moral upliftment.
– His efforts contributed significantly to the cultural awakening and reform movements in Andhra, which were part of the broader national consciousness development in India.

34. Which of the following statements about Brahmo Samaj is/are correct? 1

Which of the following statements about Brahmo Samaj is/are correct?
1. The Brahmo Marriage Act of 1872 allowed inter-caste and widow re-marriage only if the contracting parties declared themselves to be non-Hindus.
2. Keshub Chandra Sen arranged the marriage of his minor daughter with the Maharaja of Burdwan.
3. Keshub Chandra Sen’s followers broke away to form the Naba Brahmo Samaj.
4. The Brahmo Samaj grew from a small elite group to a mass movement in the 19th century.

1 only

1 and 2 only

2 and 3 only

1, 2, 3 and 4

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2016

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Let’s evaluate each statement:
1. The Brahmo Marriage Act of 1872 (Native Marriage Act) legalized inter-caste and widow remarriages for those who did not profess to be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or Parsi. This declaration essentially made them non-Hindus for the purpose of the Act, aligning with the Brahmo ideology that transcended traditional Hindu social norms like caste and prohibition of widow remarriage. This statement is correct.
2. Keshub Chandra Sen arranged the marriage of his minor daughter (Sunity Devi, aged 14) with the Maharaja of Cooch Behar (Nripendra Narayan) in 1878. The statement incorrectly names the Maharaja of Burdwan. This action also contradicted the Brahmo principle against child marriage, which Keshub himself advocated. This statement is incorrect.
3. The controversial marriage of Keshub Chandra Sen’s daughter led to a major split in the Brahmo Samaj of India in 1878. A group of his followers who opposed the marriage broke away to form the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj. Keshub’s own group then adopted the name ‘Church of the New Dispensation’ or Naba Bidhan/Naba Brahmo Samaj. The statement incorrectly states that Keshub’s followers broke away to form the Naba Brahmo Samaj; they broke away to form the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj. This statement is incorrect.
4. The Brahmo Samaj, despite its significant reformist contributions, remained primarily an intellectual and ethical movement concentrated among the educated elite in Bengal. It never expanded into a mass movement across India in the 19th century. This statement is incorrect.
Only statement 1 is correct.

– The Brahmo Marriage Act of 1872 was crucial for legalizing Brahmo marriages and related social reforms like inter-caste marriage and widow remarriage.
– The Cooch Behar marriage of Keshub Chandra Sen’s minor daughter caused a major schism in the Brahmo Samaj.
– The break-away group formed the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.
– Brahmo Samaj remained largely an elite movement, not a mass movement.

The Brahmo Samaj was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1828. Debendranath Tagore and Keshub Chandra Sen were later prominent leaders. Internal disagreements over doctrine, social reform pace, and leadership led to splits, notably in 1866 (Adi Brahmo Samaj vs. Brahmo Samaj of India) and 1878 (Brahmo Samaj of India vs. Sadharan Brahmo Samaj).

37. Which one of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?

Which one of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?

Mohammedan Literary Society – Abdul Latif

National Mohammedan Association – Sayyid Ameer Ali

Mohammedan Educational Conference – Sayyid Ahmad Khan

Anglo-Mohammedan Defence Association – Nawab Muhsin-ul-Mulk

This question was previously asked in

UPSC Geoscientist – 2020

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The Anglo-Mohammedan Defence Association was founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1893. Its purpose was to protect Muslim political interests and oppose the Indian National Congress. While Nawab Muhsin-ul-Mulk (Sayyid Mehdi Ali Khan) was a close associate and successor of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in leading the Aligarh Movement and later played a crucial role in the formation of the Muslim League, he was not the founder of the Anglo-Mohammedan Defence Association. Therefore, the pair “Anglo-Mohammedan Defence Association – Nawab Muhsin-ul-Mulk” is not correctly matched.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the Anglo-Mohammedan Defence Association. Nawab Abdul Latif founded the Mohammedan Literary Society. Sayyid Ameer Ali founded the National Mohammedan Association. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan also founded the Mohammedan Educational Conference (later All India Muslim Educational Conference).

These organizations were part of the broader Muslim socio-political awakening in 19th-century India. They aimed at promoting education, advocating for political rights, and addressing the concerns of the Muslim community in the changing political landscape.

38. Consider the following statements about the condition of widows in the

Consider the following statements about the condition of widows in the 18th century India:

1. Raja Sawai Jai Singh of Amber promoted widow remarriage.
2. Maratha General Parshuram Bhau promoted widow remarriage.
3. Raja Ram Mohan Roy opposed Sati.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only

1 and 3 only

2 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CDS-2 – 2024

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Statement 3 is correct. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a staunch opponent of the practice of Sati and played a crucial role in its abolition in 1829 through the efforts of Lord William Bentinck.
Statement 1 is generally considered correct by some historical interpretations, which suggest that Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of Amber (Jaipur) took measures against social evils and showed interest in reforms, potentially including some efforts towards discouraging practices like child marriage and encouraging widow remarriage, although these efforts were not as widely documented or impactful as later movements.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Maratha General Parshuram Bhau Patwardhan was primarily a military figure and there is no significant historical evidence linking him to the promotion of widow remarriage.
Given that statement 3 is definitely correct and there is no option for ‘3 only’, and based on the possibility that statement 1 is considered correct by the source of the question due to Jai Singh II’s general reformist inclination, option B (1 and 3 only) is the most plausible answer among the given choices.

Social reform efforts in India spanned centuries and involved various individuals and groups addressing issues like Sati and widow remarriage.
Ram Mohan Roy was a pivotal figure in the movement against Sati.

Later reformers like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar made significant contributions to the movement for widow remarriage, which was eventually legalized by the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, 1856.