SSC
The Prarthana Samaj ('Prayer Society'), a reform movement inspired by the Brahmo Samaj, was established in Bombay in:
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Answer: Option C — 1867
Detailed Solution
The Prarthana Samaj was established in Bombay on 31 March 1867, with the inspiration of Keshab Chandra Sen of the Brahmo Samaj, who visited Bombay in 1864.
Background:
Keshab Chandra Sen's visit to Bombay inspired a group of reformers, who had earlier been members of a secret reform society (the Paramahansa Mandali), to form a new organisation.
About the Prarthana Samaj:
- It believed in one God (monotheism) and opposed idol worship, caste distinctions and the dominance of priests.
- It did not break completely with Hinduism; its members considered themselves followers of the Bhakti tradition of Maharashtra, especially the saints Namdev and Tukaram.
- It focused mainly on social reform rather than religious doctrine.
Its social programme:
- Promotion of women's education and the remarriage of widows.
- Opposition to child marriage and the purdah system.
- Abolition of the caste system and untouchability.
Its leaders:
- Mahadev Govind Ranade and Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar became its most prominent leaders, and gave it intellectual depth.
- G. Chandavarkar and K. T. Telang were also associated with it.
Its activities:
It set up schools, a night school for workers, women's associations, orphanages, and a home for widows.
The Depressed Classes Mission (1906), founded by V. R. Shinde, was associated with the Prarthana Samaj.
It spread to south India, through the efforts of reformers in Madras and Andhra.
NCERT on the Prarthana Samaj:
- NCERT notes that the Prarthana Samaj, established in 1867 at Bombay, sought to remove caste restrictions, abolish child marriage, encourage the education of women, and end the ban on widow remarriage.
- NCERT also notes that its religious meetings drew upon Hindu, Buddhist and Christian texts.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1828 was the year of the Brahmo Samaj; 1875 and 1889 were the years of other movements.
Quick tip
Remember: Prarthana Samaj = Bombay, 1867 (inspired by Keshab Chandra Sen; leaders M. G. Ranade and R. G. Bhandarkar; NCERT).
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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.