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The Reform Movements

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Most Hindus today still adhere to traditional teachings and practice passed down via the four

Concepts

main communities. What has been termed "modern Hinduism" has grown largely out of a

Practice

number of quite radical reform movements of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Lifestyle
Tradition
Historical Perspective

These movements had a relatively small number of followers and by no means replaced or
superseded the major traditional forms of Hinduism. Some specific reform movements, like the
Arya Samaj and the Ramakrishna Mission, still continue to be influential.

Doctrine and Scripture

The reform movements largely emerged from the growing contact that Hindu thinkers had with

Movements and Leaders

Western thought, culture and religion. Below are the four most important movements and the

The Four Main

Denominations
Vaishnavism

names associated with them.

The Brahmo Samaj

Shaivism

The Brahmo Sabha was founded in 1828 by Rama

Shaktism

Mohan Roy (left) and in 1843 was restructured and

The Smarta Tradition

renamed Brahmo Samaj by Devendranatha Tagore,

Founders and Theologians

father of the well-known poet, Rabindranatha Tagore.

The Bhakti Saints

Rama Mohan was extremely learned and strongly

The Reform Movements

influenced by Christianity. He disagreed with the

Socio-Political Movements

doctrine of reincarnation and fought to abolish certain

Recent Spiritual and Cultural

traditional practices, some of which had been grossly

Leaders

misused. These included caste, polygamy, image

Modern Hindu Groups and

worship, sati, and child marriage. His ideas of worship

Leaders

were drawn largely from Christianity.

Famous Women within

Hinduism

Devendranatha Tagore was greatly influenced by the western philosophy of Locke and Hume.

Hinduism in Britain Today

He tried to reform the Brahmo Samaj but lacking support eventually left. Keshab Chandra Sen

Extras

joined the Samaj in 1857 and initially worked with Tagore. But later disagreeing with Tagore's
ideas, he left to establish his own movement.
Today the Brahmo Samaj has but a few thousand members and little visible influence on the
Hindu community. It failed to fulfil the hopes of those who saw the future religion of India as a
blend of Christianity and Hindu metaphysics.

The Arya Samaj

The Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayananda
Sarasvati (left) in 1875 as a radical reform movement.
Dayananda wanted to halt the Christian missionary
onslaught and to return to the ancient Vedic tradition.
He therefore sought to purge Hinduism of what he
considered later additions, such as image worship,
pilgrimage and ritual bathing. Although emphasising the
ancient Vedic tradition, Dayananda also sought to
modernise Hinduism and to re-absorb Hindus who had
converted to Islam or Christianity. His movement, with
its concerns over the influence of other religions sowed

the seeds for the many political parties that desired to re-establish Hindu rule in India. The Arya
Samaj is still an active organisation, both world-wide and in the UK. Its members agree to follow
its "Ten Principles" and worship largely through havan (the sacred fire ceremony) and recitation
of the Gayatri-mantra.

The Ramakrishna Mission

Ramakrishna (right) was born Gadadhar Chatterji in a
poor but orthodox Bengali brahmana family. As a young
man he became the priest at the Kali temple near
Calcutta. He was later initiated as a sannyasi and
experienced mystical visions, especially of Devi. He
was profoundly influenced by Christianity and Islam and
emphasised the universality of religion. He preached
that "Jiva is Shiva" (the soul is God). He met many
contemporary reformers and it was Keshab Chandra
Sen who made him first known to the world.
It was Vivekananda (18631902), however, who made
Ramakrishna really famous. Born into the wealthy Dutt family, he was named Narendranath. He
joined the Brahmo Samaj but later became Ramakrishna's favourite disciple, receiving the
name Swami Vivekananda. He was expert in presenting Advaita Vedanta and greatly
impressed the Western world in his presentation to the World Parliament of Religions in
Chicago in 1893. He travelled extensively, promoting wide reform, claiming that other reformers
"played into the hands of Europeans." He established the Ramakrishna Mission, today well
known for its social and educational programmes.

Gandhi's "Satyagraha"
Mohandas Gandhi (18691947) is probably the best
known Indian of the twentieth century He was primarily
an educator and reformer. His ultimate aim was to reestablish Ramarajya, the reign of Lord Rama or, in
more Western terms, the "kingdom of God on Earth."
He, was opposed to British oppression and particularly
the way Indian cotton was sent to Manchester and the
clothes returned for sale in India. He tried to free his
country from this unhealthy economic dependence and
campaigned for India's independence from British Rule.
His means to do this was satyagraha grasping the
truth based on ahimsa (non-violence), with an
unswerving faith in God. He followed many orthodox practices and was particularly fond of the
Bhagavad-gita. He often referred to the "still small voice within." He is most well known for his
support of the untouchables. He died at the hands of an assassin, disappointed with the
partition of his beloved India.

Common Misunderstandings
Mahatma Gandhi was opposed to the system of varnashramadharma and proposed a
totally classless society
Although Gandhi fought against the rigid and exploitative caste system, he maintained a strong

conviction in the need for dividing society according to the four varnas and four ashrainas. He
sought to bring the untouchables (Dalits, as they are now usually called) within the shudra
varna. For this reason, he differed with Ambedkar, who proposed a totally classless society.

Quotes
"My patriotism is not an exclusive thing. It is all-embracing and I should reject that patriotism
which sought to mount the distress or exploitation of other nationalities."
"The truest test of civilisation, culture and dignity is character, not clothing."
Mahatma Gandhi
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"Heart of Hinduism" is Copyright: ISKCON Educational Services, 2004