SSC
Which society, founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in Calcutta in 1815, is regarded as the forerunner of the Brahmo Samaj?
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Answer: Option B — Atmiya Sabha
Detailed Solution
The Atmiya Sabha ("Society of Friends") was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in Calcutta in 1815 (some sources say 1814); it is regarded as the forerunner of the Brahmo Samaj.
About the Atmiya Sabha:
- It was a small group of Ram Mohan Roy's friends and followers, who met to discuss religious and philosophical questions.
- It held meetings for the worship of one God, the reading of the Upanishads, and the singing of hymns.
- It opposed idol worship, caste rigidity, meaningless rituals and social evils such as sati, polygamy and the dominance of priests.
- It also discussed the need for social reform and education.
- Its members included Dwarkanath Tagore, Prasanna Kumar Tagore and others.
- It was not a formal organisation and ceased to function after a few years (around 1819-1823).
The Brahmo Sabha:
- In August 1828, Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha, which later became known as the Brahmo Samaj.
- It held weekly meetings for the worship of the one God (Brahman), without idols.
- Its first prayer hall was opened in 1830 in Calcutta.
Ram Mohan Roy's other organisations:
- He co-founded the Calcutta Unitarian Committee, with William Adam.
- He supported the founding of schools and colleges for modern education in Calcutta.
After Ram Mohan Roy:
After his death in England in 1833, the Brahmo Samaj was led by Dwarkanath Tagore and later by Debendranath Tagore.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Tattvabodhini Sabha was founded by Debendranath Tagore; the Dharma Sabha was an orthodox body; the Unitarian Society was a different organisation.
Quick tip
Remember: Atmiya Sabha (Calcutta, 1815) = Ram Mohan Roy; forerunner of the Brahmo Sabha (August 1828), later the Brahmo Samaj.
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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.