Religious Revolution

Introduction:

Various socio-religious movements in British India not only reformed Indians but also led to the rise of nationalism in India. Read to know more about the various social and religious movements which transformed Indian society in the nineteenth and twentieth century.

What is Religious Revolution?

Religious Revolution refers to the socio-religious movements that aimed to eradicate social and religious evils prevalent in Indian society at that time. The main motive of these movements was to bring about a positive change in the social life and culture of Indians, which had become moribund due to foreign rule. As these movements completely transformed Indian society, they are called Religious Revolutions.

Importance:

The Religious Revolution played an important role in bringing about a positive change in Indian society. At the same time, it also paved the way for revivalists, renaissance and reformers who organized and led these movements. The socio-religious movements initiated by the British played a big role in shaping the future of Indian society.

Religious Revival:

Religious Revival refers to the socio-religious movements initiated by reformers and revivalists, who stood for the spiritual, social and political regeneration of India. The freedom movement was one such movement which set up a platform for Indians to pursue their religious, economic and political needs. Religious revivalists such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda were amongst its leaders. However, it is not easy to classify all these movements as religious as they were essentially political in nature as well. Different movements had a common aim of making India free from the rule of the British.

How did the Religious Revolution take place in India?

There were three types of religious movements which took place in India. These were the Sanatan Dharm revival, Arya Samaj Movement and the Raja Ram Mohan Roy movement. These religious movements aimed at making Indians aware of their traditional values, culture and way of life, which was at stake due to colonization by forces from outside India. The religious revolutions played a vital role in shaping the socio-cultural aspects of Indians. The social reformers led these revolutions to make people aware of their traditional beliefs as well as to fight against various social evils prevalent in Indian society during that time such as casteism, untouchability, dowry system and child marriage etc.

Religious Revolutions

Religious Revolutions began to take place in India after the British established their rule in India. British rule led to the decline of social and cultural norms, values and traditions that were followed by Indians for centuries. Various socio-religious movements initiated by the revivalists and reformers such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , Sri Rama, Sri Sankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi etc., resulted in complete transformation of Indian society.

How did the movement help India in revolutionizing?

The socio-religious movements initiated by revivalists and reformers not only made Indians aware of their traditional values, culture and way of life, but also gave them a chance to breathe after centuries of suppression. On the other hand, British rulers were also forced to change their system for governing India due to the campaigns launched by revivalists and reformers.

Many socio-religious movements were started in India by certain Hindu reformers and revivalists who wanted to eradicate evil from Indian society. Swami Vivekananda was one such religious leader who initiated such reforms in contemporary Indian society. Other religious leaders like Baba Ramrao Ambedkar had other motives like social reformation, economic growth etc., which they wanted to achieve through this movement.

Classification of Social and Religious Movements which reformed India:

Certain movements and social reformers which were initiated by the religious leaders during the British rule in India resulted in positive socio-cultural changes. Some of these movements were aimed at eradicating the social evils prevalent in Indian society, while others were meant for economic and political reforms. The socio-religious movements which resulted in such transformation are called Religious Revolutions. These movements aimed at reforming and transforming Indians through different methods such as preaching of religion or Bhakti Yoga, setting up of educational institutions, printing presses etc.

Conclusion:

While different movements and socio-religious movements led by religious leaders resulted in transformation of Indian society, it is not easy to label them as religious revolutions. Religious revolution had many objectives like eradicating evil practices prevalent in Indian society, promoting awareness about traditional values of Indians and reshaping the socio-cultural aspects of Indians. In conclusion, Religious Revolutions changed the social, cultural and religious aspects of India.