Social Reforms

Indian History · सामाजिक सुधार · 17 facts

Abolition of Sati (1829) — Regulation XVII, Lord Bentinck, efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Widow Remarriage Act (1856) — efforts of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, under Lord Dalhousie

Age of Consent Act (1891) — raised marriage age for girls to 12 years

Child Marriage Restraint Act / Sarda Act (1929) — marriage age: boys 18, girls 14

Abolition of Slavery (1843) — under Lord Ellenborough

FIRST woman teacher of India → Savitribai Phule (wife of Jyotiba Phule)

FIRST school for girls → Opened by Jyotiba Phule in 1848 at Pune

FIRST Indian to go to World Parliament of Religions → Swami Vivekananda (1893, Chicago)

'Father of Modern India' → Raja Ram Mohan Roy

'Father of Indian Constitution' → B.R. Ambedkar

'Mahatma' title to Jyotiba Phule → Given by Mahatma Gandhi

Raja Ram Mohan Roy = Father of Modern India; Brahmo Samaj (1828)

Sati abolished 1829 by Lord Bentinck + Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Dayanand Saraswati: Arya Samaj (1875, Bombay); 'Back to Vedas'

Dayanand wrote Satyarth Prakash; started Shuddhi Movement

Vivekananda: Chicago speech 1893; Ramakrishna Mission (1897, Belur Math)

Vivekananda was disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa