Defence
The Central Hindu School (1898) at Banaras, which later became the nucleus of the Banaras Hindu University, was founded by:
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Answer: Option D — Annie Besant
Detailed Solution
The Central Hindu School (and the Central Hindu College) was founded at Banaras (Varanasi) in July 1898 by Annie Besant, with the support of Indian Theosophists such as Bhagwan Das.
About the Central Hindu College:
- Annie Besant wanted to provide modern education combined with the study of Hindu religion, ethics and culture, to Indian students.
- She believed that Indian youth should learn about their own heritage, instead of only Western ideas.
- The college taught science, literature and other modern subjects, along with religious and moral education based on Hindu scriptures.
- It received support from the Maharaja of Banaras and many others.
Becoming the BHU:
- Madan Mohan Malaviya wanted to set up a great Hindu university at Banaras.
- Annie Besant agreed to hand over the Central Hindu College to the proposed university.
- The Banaras Hindu University was established in 1916 by an Act of the Imperial Legislative Council, and the Central Hindu College became its first constituent college.
- The Central Hindu School continues to function as a school of the BHU.
About Annie Besant:
- She was a British social reformer, theosophist and leader of the Indian national movement.
- She came to India in 1893 and settled in Madras.
- She was the President of the Theosophical Society from 1907 until her death in 1933.
- She translated the Bhagavad Gita into English.
- She led the Home Rule movement and became the first woman President of the Congress.
About Bhagwan Das:
He was a philosopher and educationist of Banaras, who worked with Annie Besant and later helped to found the Kashi Vidyapith; he was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Malaviya founded the BHU; Vivekananda and Bhagwan Das played other roles.
Quick tip
Remember: Central Hindu School/College (Banaras, 1898) = Annie Besant; became the nucleus of the BHU (1916, Malaviya).
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Socio-Religious Reform Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Socio-Religious Reform Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
In the 19th century, reformers worked to remove social evils and revive Indian society. This topic covers organisations such as the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Theosophical Society, Satyashodhak Samaj and the Aligarh Movement, along with their founders and the social reforms they achieved. Questions usually ask who founded an organisation and when, or which reformer is linked to a reform. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar championed widow remarriage, and Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj. A table of organisation, founder, year and place covers most questions. Practise the socio-religious reform movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.