SSC
The founder of the Prarthana Samaj of Bombay was:
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Answer: Option C — Atmaram Pandurang
Detailed Solution
Dr Atmaram Pandurang (Tarkhadkar) was the founder of the Prarthana Samaj in Bombay.
About Atmaram Pandurang:
- He was born on 22 December 1823 in Bombay.
- He was a physician, one of the first Indian medical graduates, who studied at the Grant Medical College, Bombay.
- He was a social reformer, who had been a member of an earlier secret reform society of Bombay.
- He was the first President of the Prarthana Samaj.
- He worked for the education of women and the welfare of the depressed classes.
- He was the first Indian Sheriff of Bombay (1879).
- He died in 1898.
The Prarthana Samaj:
- It was founded with the inspiration of Keshab Chandra Sen of the Brahmo Samaj.
- It believed in one God, rejected idol worship and caste distinctions, and worked for social reform.
- It was inspired by the Bhakti saints of Maharashtra, such as Namdev and Tukaram.
Its later leaders, M. G. Ranade and R. G. Bhandarkar, made it a powerful force for social reform.
Its family:
His daughters, Annapurna Turkhud and others, were among the early educated women of Bombay; Annapurna was taught by Rabindranath Tagore, who stayed with the family in Bombay in 1878.
Other reformers of Bombay:
Jagannath Shankarseth and K. T. Telang were other leading public figures of Bombay.
Why not the other options?
- ✗G. Ranade and R. G. Bhandarkar were later leaders of the Prarthana Samaj.
- ✗Keshab Chandra Sen inspired its founding but did not found it.
Quick tip
Remember: Prarthana Samaj founder = Dr Atmaram Pandurang (Bombay; inspired by Keshab Chandra Sen); later leaders = M. G. Ranade and R. G. Bhandarkar.
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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.