Question

Who was the Governor-General of India when the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act was passed?

• A. William Bentinck
• B. Lord Dalhousie
• C. Lord Ripon
• D. Lord Irwin

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Lord Dalhousie

Hindu Widow Remarriage Act, 1856

• The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act (officially titled Act XV, 1856) was passed on July 16, 1856.

• The act legalised the remarriage of Hindu widows in all jurisdictions of India under the East India Company rule.

• It was drafted by Lord Dalhousie, but it was enacted during the tenure of his successor, Lord Canning.

• A pivotal figure behind the legislation was Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a renowned social reformer who relentlessly campaigned against the social evils associated with widowhood in 19th-century India.