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GS History Modern India
Q.

Which of the following statements regarding the socio-religious reform movements of early 19th century is/are correct?

1. The movements were mostly spearheaded by the members from the upper castes.

2. The reformers relied on legislation for imposing reforms.

3. These movements created social consciousness at the grass-root level.

Select the correct answer using code given below.
Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct. Though caste was not a major criterea for membership, most of the member of the movement belonged to the three higher castes, Brahmans, Kayastha and Baidya. The Brahmo movement was almost patronised by these groups and although it spread from Calcutta to district towns and to other provinces, it remained alienated from the masses. The reformers never even tried to take the reform to the people, as the language of reform, the chaste Sanskritised Bengali prose of Rammohan Roy for example, remained incomprehensible to the uneducated masses and artisans. Similarly in western India, the members of the Prarthana Samaj were the English educated Chitpavan and Saraswat Brahmans, some Gujarati merchants and a few members of the Parsi community. The general high caste character of the reform movements of the early 19th century explains to a large extent the relative silence on the caste question.

Statement 2 is correct. Lacking in a broad social base, the reformers of the early nineteeth century exhibited an intrinsic faith in the benevolent nature of colonial rule and relied more on legilastion for imposing reforms from above example, Abolition of Sati by 1829 Regulation, Hindu Widows Remarriage Act, 1856, Age of Consent Act, 1891 etc.

Statement 3 is incorrect. There was very little or no attempt to create a reformist social consciousness at the grass-root level, where religious revivalism later found a fertile ground. These movements remained confined to a narrow social space, as the reformist spirit only appealed to a small elite group, who were primarily the economic and cultural beneficiaries of colonial rule.

Thus, Option B is Correct.

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