SSC
The journal 'Rast Goftar' (Truth-teller), started in 1851, worked for social and religious reforms among the:
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Answer: Option C — Parsis
Detailed Solution
"Rast Goftar" ("Truth-teller") was a journal started in Bombay in 1851 to promote social and religious reforms among the Parsis.
About Rast Goftar:
- It was an Anglo-Gujarati fortnightly (later weekly) newspaper.
- It was founded by Dadabhai Naoroji, with the support of Kharshedji Nusserwanji Cama and others, as the voice of the Parsi reform movement.
- Dadabhai Naoroji was its first editor.
- It campaigned for women's education, the abolition of child marriage, and the reform of Parsi religious practices and customs.
- It also discussed political and social questions affecting Indians.
- It was published until 1940s.
The Parsi reform movement:
- In the 19th century, the Parsis of Bombay were among the first to adopt Western education and to engage in trade and industry.
- Reformers wanted to modernise the Parsi community, by promoting education, especially of women, and by removing superstitions and outdated customs.
- They also wanted to restore the original purity of the Zoroastrian religion.
- They opened schools for girls, and encouraged women to give up the purdah.
Results:
- The Parsis became one of the most educated and progressive communities in India.
- Parsi leaders, such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta and Dinshaw Wacha, played important roles in the national movement.
About the Parsis:
They are followers of Zoroastrianism, who migrated to India from Persia (Iran) in the 8th-10th centuries, and settled mainly in Gujarat and later in Bombay.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Sikhs, Muslims and Christians had their own reform movements.
Quick tip
Remember: "Rast Goftar" (1851, Bombay, Anglo-Gujarati) = journal of Parsi reform (Dadabhai Naoroji, editor).
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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.