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The term Brahmo Samaj refers to a congregation of devotees of the One Ultimate God. Brahmo is a person who worships Brahma, the Absolute Spirit of the universe, and Samaj is a group of men. Hence, the Brahmo Samaj symbolizes a set of individuals seeking to develop a spiritual attachment to the Absolute Creator rather than the land’s contemporary idol worship practices.
The Brahmo Samaj has influenced India’s awakening and the establishment of the bulk of contemporary Indian philosophy. The Brahmo Samaj was founded in Calcutta in 1828. It is based on the belief in one omniscient God. The Brahmo faith has spread throughout the world. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj.
Factors impacting Socio-Religious Reforms
European Islamic scholars laboured tirelessly to bring India’s rich past to light. The most principal factor, perhaps, was British rule. It had a major influence on India’s social, economic, cultural, and political life. An environment that fostered intellectual growth was developed.
James Princep, Sir William Jones, Muller, Charles Wilkins, and others may be included. Several Indian philosophers, like Rajendralal Mitra, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, M. G. Ranade, and others, have contributed to the reconstruction of India’s past.
The progressive movement’s emergence lead to a developing body of extremely innovative writing, which was characterized by a remarkable combination of the old and the current, a huge mingling of the greatest literary techniques of ancient India with the excellent parts of modern global culture. Renowned scholars in this subject include Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Keshav Chandra Sen, Kashinath Trimbak Telang, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and others.
Christian preachers who believed that spreading religious beliefs in India shall help Britain’s imperial goals and promote the empire’s security had a negative impact. Indians regarded it as a threat to the customs, religion, and heritage & social beliefs. They wished to modify it in order to expel civilization from harmful social behaviours.
Brahmo Samaj
In August 1815, Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833) established the Atmiya Sabha, which was eventually renamed the Brahmo Samaj in 1828. The influence of Brahmo Samaj grew, and the organization’s branches bloomed all throughout the country. The Brahmo Samaj’s most well-known leaders were Debendranath Tagore and Keshab Chandra Sen. Keshab Chandra Sen promoted the Brahmo Samaj theory throughout the Madras and Bombay presidential campaigns, as well as northern India.
Its mission was to “worship and revere the Unreachable, Eternal, and Unmanifested Being who will be the Maker and Protector of the Creation.”
Meditation practices, principles of chants, and Upanishad readings considered the methods of worship, with no sanctified image, statues, sculptures, paintings, carvings, drawings, or portraiture recognized in the Samaj’s structures, reinforcing the Samaj’s condemnation of idol worship and pointless rituals. Brahmo Samaj’s long-term objective was to cleanse Hinduism and achieve monotheism.
It was founded on two principles: the reason for establishment and the Vedas. Individual purity, opposition to idolatry, and criticism of societal problems like the Sati ritual were emphasized by the Samaj.
In 1843, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore became a part of the Samaj and injected fresh life into it. The Brahmo Samaj encouraged widow remarriage, women’s education, and the abolition of promiscuity.
After being expelled for his extreme ideas from Brahmo Samaj, Keshab Chandra Sen created the Brahmo Samaj of India. He had a key role in promoting the concept. When Keshub Chandra Sen eventually joined the Samaj, it opened a new phase of vitality, fervour, and eloquence.
Significance of the Brahmo Samaj
- Polytheistic religion and idol worship were denounced
- Renounced any belief in divine incarnation
- Demonstrated that no book could be claimed to have ultimate power over the rational mind and morality
It was significant for the caste system, but it did not take a definite stand on karma and transformation theories of the soul.
Keshab Chandra Sen’s daughter, who was 13-year-old, married a Cooch-Behar prince. Many individuals opposed these actions since they contradicted the values of the Brahmo Samaj. As a result, they agreed to split up.
In addition, only a few of them disagreed with his “Doctrine of God in Conscience.”
As a result, the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj broke away in 1878. Sadharan Brahmo Samaj was led by Sivnath Shastri, Anand Mohan Bose, Vijay Krishna, and Derozian Shib Chandra.
Conclusion
The Brahmo Samaj was a monotheistic group. This organization was formerly known as the Brahmo Sabha, but it was renamed the Brahmo Samaj in the year of 1830. Polytheistic religion and idol worship were both condemned. Similarly, the Brahmo Samaj denied the doctrine of divine incarnation. Bengali legislators in Calcutta initiated the campaign in 1828. Ram Mohan Roy, the Brahmo Samaj’s founder, was a crucial figure in the movement. As a reformist ambassador, Ram Mohan Roy arrived in England in 1831 and his life ended in 1833.
