Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 27 of 84 · Socio-Religious Reform Movements
Questioneasy
This question was previously asked in

SSC

The satyagraha led by Dr B. R. Ambedkar in 1927 to assert the right of Dalits to draw water from a public tank was the:

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option D — Mahad Satyagraha

Detailed Solution

The Mahad Satyagraha was led by Dr B. R. Ambedkar on 20 March 1927 at Mahad, in the Raigad (then Kolaba) district of Maharashtra, to assert the right of Dalits (then called "untouchables") to draw water from the Chavdar Tank, a public water tank.

Background:

In 1923, the Bombay Legislative Council passed a resolution (moved by S. K. Bole) allowing all communities to use public water sources maintained by the government.

In 1924, the Mahad municipality declared that the Chavdar Tank was open to all.

But the caste Hindus of the town did not allow the "untouchables" to use the tank.

The satyagraha:

  • On 20 March 1927, Ambedkar led thousands of Dalits in a march to the Chavdar Tank.
  • Ambedkar drank water from the tank, followed by his followers, asserting their civic right.
  • Later that day, some caste Hindus attacked the Dalits, and "purified" the tank with cow dung and cow urine, claiming that it had been polluted.

The second conference (December 1927):

  • Ambedkar organised a second conference at Mahad in December 1927.
  • On 25 December 1927, he and his followers publicly burnt the "Manusmriti", which they saw as the basis of caste discrimination and untouchability.
  • 25 December is observed by many Ambedkarites as "Manusmriti Dahan Din".

The legal battle:

  • The caste Hindus went to court, claiming that the tank was private property.
  • After a long legal battle, the Bombay High Court ruled in favour of the Dalits in 1937.

Significance:

  • The Mahad Satyagraha was one of the first major movements of the Dalits for civil rights and dignity in India.
  • Ambedkar described it as a struggle for human rights and equality, not just for water.
  • 20 March is observed as "Social Empowerment Day" (Samajik Sabalikaran Din) in some places.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Vaikom and Guruvayur Satyagrahas were temple-entry movements in Kerala; Bardoli was a peasant movement.

Quick tip

Remember: Mahad Satyagraha (20 March 1927, Chavdar Tank, Raigad) = Ambedkar; Manusmriti burnt at Mahad on 25 December 1927.

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More Socio-Religious Reform Movements Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.Who was the spiritual guru of Swami Vivekananda?
  2. Q2.Who wrote the book 'Satyarth Prakash'?
  3. Q3.The Satyashodhak Samaj was founded by:
  4. Q4.The Servants of India Society was founded by:
  5. Q5.The Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act was enacted in:

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. 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.

‹ All Socio-Religious Reform Movements questionsBrowse all topics ›