Which of the following reform organisations had their origin in Western India?
(i) Paramahansa Mandali
(ii) Manav Dharma Sabha
(iii) Prarthana Samaj
(iv) Arya Samaj
AOnly (i) & (iv)
BOnly (i), (iii) & (iv)
COnly (iii) & (iv)
DAll the above ((i), (ii), (iii) & (iv))
Answer:
D. All the above ((i), (ii), (iii) & (iv))
Read Explanation:
Reform Organizations Originating in Western India
Paramahansa Mandali
The Paramahansa Mandali was founded in 1849 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, making its origin firmly in Western India.
It was established by Dadoba Pandurang Tarkhadkar and his associates.
It was a secret society that aimed to demolish caste rules and promote widow remarriage.
Members partook in food cooked by lower castes to defy caste restrictions.
Manav Dharma Sabha
The Manav Dharma Sabha was founded in 1844 in Surat, Gujarat, also in Western India.
It was established by Dadoba Pandurang Tarkhadkar along with Durgaram Bochharam Mehta and Dinmani Shankar.
Its primary aim was to expose the hypocrisies of the prevalent religious practices and advocate for monotheism and rationalism.
It was one of the earliest socio-religious reform organizations in Gujarat.
Prarthana Samaj
The Prarthana Samaj was founded in 1867 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, making it another organization with roots in Western India.
It was established by Atmaram Pandurang Tarkhadkar.
It drew inspiration from the Brahmo Samaj and aimed to establish a worship of one God, discarding idol worship and caste distinctions.
Key figures associated with Prarthana Samaj include Mahadev Govind Ranade and R.G. Bhandarkar, who significantly strengthened the movement in Maharashtra.
Its efforts focused on social reforms like opposition to child marriage, promotion of widow remarriage, upliftment of women and depressed classes.
Arya Samaj
The Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, placing its initial origin in Western India.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati's original name was Mool Shankar Tiwari.
The movement's motto was "Back to the Vedas", advocating for a return to the pristine form of Vedic Hinduism, free from later accretions like idolatry, caste system, and polytheism.
It championed social reforms such as women's education, widow remarriage, and abolition of untouchability.
Although founded in Bombay, its headquarters were later shifted to Lahore (now in Pakistan) in 1877, and it gained significant popularity in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and other parts of North India.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati wrote the book Satyarth Prakash, which is considered a foundational text of the Arya Samaj