Essay on the reform movement in Punjab and Maharashtra

a. Reform Movement in Punjab:

Indeed, Dayananda’s preachings took the strongest root in Punjab. His Arya Samaj did splendid social and educational work and has remained a great and powerful factor to this day…….. “.

After Dayananda’s death his work was successfully continued by Lala Lajpat Rai, Lala Hansraj, Swami Sraddhananda and others.

The nineteenth century reform movement in India was not confined to any particular religious sect. The tidal wave of the reform movement also touched the Sikh community Punjab.

The Nirankari Movement and Namdhari Movement aimed at strict adherence to the tenets preached by Nanak.

b. Reform Movement in Maharashtra:

Dr. Atmaram Pandurang founded the famous Prcirthana Samaj in 1867 in Bombay. Members of the Prarthana Samaj devoted their chief attention to social reform instead of religious speculations.

Mahadev Govinda Ranade and R. G. Bhandarkar were two important personalities of the Prarthana Samaj.

The Brahmo Samaj and the Prarthana Samaj was largely the product of the ideas associated with the West.

But Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of the Arya Samaj (1875) in Rajkot (Saurashtra), drew his inspiration from ancient Indian religion and tradition.

He founded the Arya Samaj with a view to rescuing the Hindu society from degeneration into superstitious practices like caste division, child-marriage, etc.

The wave of socio-religious reform movement during the nineteenth century also had swept away the Parsee community of India In Bombay, the stronghold of the Parsees, a number of young workers like Dadabhai Naoraji, Wacha and others took active part in the social reform movement.

One, Naoraji Furdonji, founded the Religious Reform Association in 1851.The organisation aimed at regeneration of the social condition of the Parsees.

Besides, Rustamji Cama, after his return from Europe, made earnest endeavour to the spread of education among the members of his community.