Reforms in the Indian Society

Reforms in the Indian Society

Who were the Mahants?

A mahant is a religious superior, in particular the chief priest of a temple or the head of a monastery. The Hindi word mahant is from Prakrit Mahanta-, from Sanskritmahat "great". Other titles for the word Mahant, serving in the context of a well known religious place, include priest or pundit, being generally always a Brahmin, gyani, or pastor. In other branches of Hinduism, the mahant is an ascetic who is the head and leader of the temple and has religious Also known as Satnami's responsibilities as a preacher.

Among Sikhs, mahants stood for hereditary managers who controlled Sikh gurdwaras until the formation of SGPC in 1920s.

Facts about Annie Besant-

Annie Besant-

• She was actively involved in the London match girls strike in 1888. She set up a committee seeking better pay and conditions for the women. During the London Dock Strike in 1889, she participated in many important meetings and demonstrations conducted by the organisation.

• She was paid a public tribute at London in 1924, celebrating her focus on social works.

• She was declared a World Teacher after her lecture on Theosophy in 1926 and was anointed president of the Theosophical Society for the fourth time in 1928.

Facts about Dadabhai Naoroji

Dadabhai Naoroji-

• Born into a leading Parsi family, Naoroji served as the Professor of Mathematics at Elphinstone College and he was called ‘The Promise of India’ by another professor at the same institution.

• In 1855, he sailed for England to join the first Indian business firm of the mercantile Cama family and 3 years later in 1859 established his own business firm under his own name.

• He established the Bombay Association in 1852 which was the first political association in India.

•  He was elected to the British Parliament and became the first Asian to win a seat in the House of Commons.

Facts about Sir Sayyid Ahamad Khan

Sir Sayyid Ahamad Khan-

• Sayyid advised the Muslims against joining active politics and to concentrate instead on education.

• His career as an author (in Urdu) started at the age of 23 with religious tracts.

• The death of Sayyid’s father left the family in financial difficulties, and after a limited education Sayyid had to work for his livelihood.

• The supreme interest of Sayyid’s life was, education—in its widest sense. 

Facts about Kandukuri Veeresalingam-

Kandukuri Veeresalingam-

• He was widely regarded as Father of Renaissance Movement in Telugu society and literature

• Veeresalingam awakened Andhras out of their suffocating medieval orthodox customs and superstitions.

• The Hita karini school that was upgradedby Kandukuri in 1907, later renamed after Veeresalingam’s name, was the first co-education school in Andhra.

Facts about Mahadev Govind Ranade-

Mahadev Govind Ranade-

• He was born on January 18, 1842 in Niphad, a Taluka town in Nashik district, Maharashtra in a Maharashtrian Chitpavan Brahmin family. His father was a minister.

• At the age of six, he attended a Marathi school in Kolhapur and was later transferred to an English school in 1851. When he was 14, his father sent him to study in the Elphinstone College, Bombay.

• In 1871, he was appointed as the Presidency Magistrate, a rank for the fourth judge in the Bombay Small Causes Court.

• He also published books on Indian economics and on Maratha history which includes ‘Rise of the Maratha Power' (1900).

Multiple Choice

Which society was renamed as Scientific Society?

• Translation Society

• Aligarh Muslim University

• Brahmo Samaj

• Mohammedan Literary Society

Multiple Select

Who led the movement to free the gurudwaras from the Mahants?

• Arya Samaj

• Akali Dal

• Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee

• Ramakrishna Misson

Multiple Choice

Raja Rammohun Roy believed in the existence of one God.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The Khalsa College was established in 1892.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Swami Vivekananda was disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Lala Hardayal set up the Dayanand Anglo-vedic school in Lahore.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is not correctly matched?

• Brahama Samaj - Reformist Movements

• Prarthana Samaj - Reformist Movements

• Aligarh Movement - Reformist Movements

• Arya Samaj - Reformist Movements

Multiple Choice

Who among the following was popularly known as ‘Lokahitawadi'?

• Mahadev Govind Ranade

• Pt. Iswar Chandra Vidhyasagar

• Jyotiba Phule

• Gopal Hari Deshmukh

Multiple Choice

The Parsi Reform Movement Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha (Religious Reform Association) was founded in which year?

• 1829

• 1851

• 1861

• 1879

Multiple Choice

The practice of sati was banned in the year

• 1821

• 1800

• 1829

• 1827