Police
The Parsi social reformer and journalist who played a crucial role in the passing of the Age of Consent Act (1891) was:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Behramji Malabari
Detailed Solution
Behramji Merwanji Malabari, a Parsi journalist, poet and social reformer of Bombay, played a crucial role in the passing of the Age of Consent Act (1891).
About Behramji Malabari:
- He was born on 18 May 1853 in Baroda, Gujarat.
- He was a writer in Gujarati and English, and the editor of the "Indian Spectator" (an English weekly).
- He was deeply concerned about the problems of child marriage and enforced widowhood among Hindus.
His campaign:
- In 1884, he published his "Notes on Infant Marriage and Enforced Widowhood", which he sent to British officials and Indian leaders.
- He argued that child marriage harmed the health of girls and caused much suffering, and that the government should raise the age of consent.
- He travelled to England in 1890 to campaign for the reform, and won the support of British public opinion.
The Phulmoni case (1889-1890):
The death of an 11-year-old girl, Phulmoni Dasi, in Calcutta, caused by her much older husband, shocked public opinion and strengthened the demand for reform.
The Age of Consent Act (1891):
- It raised the age of consent for sexual relations (for married and unmarried girls) from 10 to 12 years.
- It was passed by the Viceroy's council under Lord Lansdowne.
- Orthodox Hindus, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, opposed the Act, as an interference by the British in Hindu religious customs.
Seva Sadan:
Malabari also co-founded the Seva Sadan (1908) in Bombay, an organisation for the welfare and education of women, along with Dayaram Gidumal.
Other reformers who worked against child marriage:
- G. Ranade, D. K. Karve, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and others.
- He died in 1912.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta and Naoroji Furdonji were other Parsi leaders.
Quick tip
Remember: Age of Consent Act (1891; age raised from 10 to 12) = campaign of Behramji Malabari ("Notes on Infant Marriage and Enforced Widowhood", 1884); Phulmoni case; Seva Sadan (1908).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Socio-Religious Reform Movements Questions
View all ›More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
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.