Current Affairs 8th Class

Category : 8th Class

Women and Caste Reforms

 

 

'One third of India's population is now governed by Chief Ministers who are women ...' Trisha's mother said reading the morning news headlines aloud. Hearing this, Trisha asked 'What is such a big deal about it, mother?' Her grandmother chipped in, 'It's a big deal for us, the women in India'. 'Why, now women are working in all professions,' said Trisha. 'But before India became independent, the condition of women in India was very bad in the earlier centuries' said her mother. 'Then how did such a dramatic change take place for women?', asked Trisha. 'This was the result of the great social reforms...' Trisha's mother began telling her how the status of women has been changing over time. Let us take a look at it.

 

During the medieval and early modern period, many social evils were prevalent in the Indian society. The status of women was very low. They were oppressed and exploited by the society. The practice of sati was prevalent in society. According to this custom, widow was forced to jump alive on her husband's funeral pyre. Child marriage, polygamy, dowry system and female infanticide were common practices. Moreover, women were not educated and were denied opportunities to acquire knowledge, property and social status. Widows were not allowed to remarry and had to lead lives of humiliation.

 

Another social evil that plagued the Indian society was the caste system. The life of a person was governed by the caste to which he belonged. Marriages across caste lines were strictly forbidden. The Brahma-Has were the elite and respected people. The Kshatriyas and Vaishyas had rights to worship in temples but the Shudras were not allowed to offer sacrifice to the Gods. They were considered untouchables, and were barred from entering the temples. They could not use the village well, as it would pollute the water and make it unfit for drinking for the higher castes'. The untouchables did jobs that no one else would do like?cleaning animal carcasses and leather work. They could not be cremated when they died.

 

WOMEN'S EMANCIPATION

 

The 19th century was in very many ways the 'age of women', as efforts were made for the upliftment of the status of women. With the British rule came the western education which gave rise to a group of radical and new-thinking reformers. They realised the evils prevalent in the society and were determined to bring about a change. Many reforms were introduced by different reformers who took up this cause with fervor. The British helped by providing a boost to the work of Indian reformers. Thus, due to the continuous efforts of Indian reformers and constant help from the British, there came about a gradual change in the position of women in modem India.

 

WOMEN REFORM MOVEMENTS

 

The reformers used modern methods of communication such as-newspapers, books and pamphlets to spread social awareness to the people. These were cheap and easily accessible to everyone.

 

 

 

Abolishing Sati

A well-known social reformer from Bengal, Raja Ram Mohan Roy contributed greatly towards reforms. He was in the favour of western education which would bring about equality for women.

 

 

In 1812, he established an organization called 'Brahmo Samaj' and campaigned against Sati. The act of Sati propagated the belief that, if a widow burns herself alive on her husband's funeral pyre, she would attain salvation. 

 

Raja Ram Mohan Roy vehemently opposed the practice and   wrote   articles against it. He issued pamphlets denouncing Sati, citing proofs from the sacred literature and quoting from the Hindu law. Roy petitioned the government and even travelled to England to appeal before the British Parliament to ensure the ban on Sati. Finally/ an Act was passed in 1829 which abolished the custom of Sati.

 

History Reveals

The Mughal rulers were also against Sati and had even tried to abolish it but without success.

 

Widow Remarriage

Widowhood was common especially because marriages took place at an early age. The plight of widows was pitiable. They were considered a curse. Also, widows had no right on the children and the husband's property if she remarried anyone else other than her husband's brother.

 

 

 

 

 

Reformers like?Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Ishwar Chandra Vidhyasagar fought for widow remarriage. Swami Dayanand Saraswati first advocated remarriage of widows in 'Satyarth Prakash'. The 'Arya Samaj' founded by him, began widow remarriage. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar also started a movement in favour of women education and widow remarriage. He referred to the ancient texts to declare that widows could remarry. He urged the British to pass a legislation that would support widow remarriage. Finally, the Widow Remarriage Act was passed in 1856, which permitted a widow to remarry if she wished. However, the conservative groups in the society were opposed to what they thought was an intrusion into the traditional customs and ways of people. Most widows were boycotted by the society, if they remarried.

 

Q.        why do you think women preferred to commit Sati instead of living the life as a widow?

 

Child Marriage

 

 

The marriage of a female child younger than 18 years and a male child younger than 21 years is called. Child Marriage. This was another evil practiced in India. The first Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed in 1829, that fixed the minimum age of marriage for females at 14 years and for males at 18 years. However, the enforcement of this Act was practically nonexistent. Later, the Child Marriage Restraint Act was again passed in 1878. This set the minimum age for marriage of girls at 18 years and for men at 21 years.

 

An extract from a letter written by Rukhmabai, a victim of child marriage, to the Times of India, on July 26th, 1885 and produced in the book 'Child Marriages in India' by Jaya Sagade (OUP, 2005)

 

I am one of those unfortunate Hindu women whose hard lot is to suffer the unnameable miseries entailed by the custom of early marriage. This wicked practice of child marriage has destroyed the happiness of my life. It comes between me and the things which I prize above all others- study and mental cultivation. Without the least fault of mine, I am doomed to seclusion; every aspiration of mine to rise above my ignorant sisters is looked down upon with suspicion and is interpreted in the most uncharitable manner.

 

Women's Education

Many reformers took initiatives to make education available to women during this period. The reformers believed that education would give them a better life. Here also, they encountered hostility from the conservatives. People felt that a women's place was in the house and going to school would keep them away from performing household duties. Moreover, they considered girls going to school as unsafe and an unnecessary exposure. Some girls were taught at home by their fathers or teachers. Many Muslim girls were taught at home to enable them to read the Koran. So, it was very tough for reformers to realise their objectives.

 

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar first realised the need to educate women. He opened 30 schools for girls in Bengal to promote education of women. The Brahmo Samaj and the Anya Samaj all supported female education. Many schools were opened, catering to girls from the upper castes. Jyotiba Phule, a   Dalit   reformer from   Maharashtra founded a school for girls in Poona. By 1852, Phule had opened three schools for girls and one for lower castes.

 

 

This resulted in the evolution of the 19th century generation of the 'new woman'. Women began

 

Rassundri Devi, in her autobiography Amar Jiban describes her tough struggle for education.

 

"I was so immersed in the sea of housework that I was not conscious of what I was going through day and night. After some time the desire to learn, how to read properly grew very strong in me. I was angry with myself for wanting to read books. Girls did not read. That was one of the bad aspects of the old system. The other aspects were not so bad. People used to despise women of learning. In fact, older women used to show a great deal of displeasure if they saw a piece of paper in the hands of a woman."

 

Rassundri Devi did accomplish her mission, although it was a slow but steady process.

 

To receive education and assume respectable professional roles. Pandita Ramabai is an example of the 'new woman' of that time.

 

WOMEN FOR WOMEN

 

Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was an educated woman. She wrote essays on the condition of Indian women. According to her, education would help women fulfill their traditional roles. She began an institution for Muslim girls in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Later she set up the Sakhawat Memorial Girls' School in Calcutta.

 

 

 

 

 

Pandita Ramabai

 

 

Pandita Ramabai championed women's emancipation. She dedicated herself to the cause of education for women. She wrote 'High Caste Hindu Woman', which was against the treatment given to the Hindu   women.   She founded the Arya Mahila Sabha and opened many homes which provided free boarding to needy women. These homes also provided vocational training facilities for women to make them self-sufficient.

 

Tarabai Shinde

 

 

Tarabai Shinde was an inspirational women's activist.   She raised awareness about the unfair treatment given to women in the Indian society. She wrote 'Stree Purush Tulna' in which she has written about the social differences between men and women. Thus, women now began to speak up for justice for women. Nationalist leaders were also in favour of reforms for women and decided to give women equal rights after independence.

 

Q.        why was the society against women's education?

 

 

 

CASTE REFORMS

 

The caste system gradually got diluted during the colonial rule. This was due to many reasons. The British introduced railways and buses. Here, often people of different castes had to travel together. Also, with more people moving into the urban areas; contact between different castes increased. Most importantly, western education spread the ideas of equality among the educated Indians. Christian missionaries set up schools for the lower castes and tribals.

 

The educated Indians began to question the caste system and spoke against it. They raised their voice for the removal of such inequalities. The British introduced a judicial system where all were equal before the law. Educational institutions introduced by the British were open to all, regardless of caste. Also, there were equal opportunities for people from all castes to get employment in administrative jobs.

 

CASTE REFORM MOVEMENTS

 

Reforms in the caste system had become essential for the development of society. There were reform movements in many parts of India. Many movements were led by the people of lower castes who fought hard to abolish caste inequalities.

 

Sri Narayan Guru was a social reformer born in the Ezhava caste which faced many social injustices. He brought realisation to the underprivileged class that they were entitled to get respect. He motivated them to educationally and spiritually uplift themselves to better their lives. He founded an ashram at Aluva called the 'Advaita Ashram'.

 

Veeresalingam was a social reformer from Andhra Pradesh. He vehemently opposed the caste system and launched the anti-caste movement. He set up the Brahmo Samaj at Bangalore. Ghasidas started the Satnami Movement in 1830's. He worked towards social justice for the leather workers.

 

Educating the Lower Castes

The lower castes sometimes got admission in schools. But they were discriminated in the classrooms. They could not sit with the other 'high caste' children. They could not talk, play or eat with them. They had to sit outside the classroom. At times, they were made to sweep the classroom and even clean the toilets. Do you think this was fair? Was it wise to send lower caste children to school?

 

Non-Brahmana Movement

E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker, also called Periyar contributed immensely to the social reforms in south India. He experienced vices such as discrimination and exploitation at a very young age. He stood up for the establishment of principles such as equality of castes and sexes and an end to the exploitation    of the non-brahmana, Dravidians of South India. Periyar was always against the Brahmanas. According to him, Brahmanas claimed to belong to a 'superior' community and had deprived other communities. He claimed that in certain places the scheduled caste people were not allowed to use the public tanks, wells and at times even the streets used by Brahmanas. He said the untouchables were the true upholders of Tamil culture. He even criticised scriptures which established differences among castes.

 

 

Periyar's foremost appeal to people was to develop self-respect. He began the Self Respect Movement which spread principles of self-respect and eradication of the caste system. Periyar campaigned to influence the government to take measures to remove social inequalities. He joined the Congress but left it because he witnessed caste discrimination even there. In 1944, he formed a party called, Dravidar Kazhagam. This organization aimed at abolition of untouchability. It also propagated women's education and widow remarriage. Periyar published a Tamil weekly called Kudi Aras.

 

Mahatama Gandhi and Casteism

Gandhiji was much pained to see the unfair division created by the caste system. He considered untouchability a sin. He called the untouchables 'harijans' or people of God. He founded the weekly paper Harijan. He was instrumental in making Indians conscious of the evils of untouchability.

 

Slavery

Jyotirao Phule was an eminent social reformer. He opposed the caste system and worked actively against it. He belonged to a caste considered inferior. He attacked the Brahmanas and the upper castes. He blamed them for framing inhuman laws to suppress the Shudras. He said, the Brahmanas were the descendants of Aryans who were outsiders and had established themselves in India. The original inhabitants of India were the Dravidians, who were the lower castes.

 

He insisted that the only way to get rid of social evils was the education of women and the upliftment of the lower castes. He founded the Satya Shodhak Samaj in 1873. Its aim was to liberate the untouchables from exploitation by the upper castes. He even constructed a bathing tank outside his house which was open to all. He even sat and ate with untouchables. Along with his wife, Savitri Phule he began a school for girls and later for the lower castes. He wrote a book called Gulamgiri (slavery) published in June, 1873. In his book he has equated the conditions of the slaves in America to the Shudras in India.

 

A humiliating experience.....

An incident took place in his life that had immense impact on Jyotirao Phule. He was invited to attend a wedding of one of his Brahmanas friends. Because he belonged to an inferior caste, the relatives of the bridegroom insulted him. Jyotirao left the procession and decided to defy the caste system and social restrictions. He then started his campaign of serving the people of lower caste who were discriminated.

 

Temple Entry Movement

 

 

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was born in an untouchable caste and was the victim of caste discrimination. He faced humiliation on many occasions. School teachers treated him badly and even made him sweep the classroom floor. However, being an intelligent student, he got a scholarship and went ' abroad for further studies. He was determined to fight caste discrimination. He began an organisation in Bombay, called the Bahishkrit Hitkami Sabha for the progress of the untouchables. He preached for social equality among the untouchables and other castes. In 1927, he led the Temple Entry Movement. He wanted to assert the civic rights of the untouchables. He led two more such movements till 1935. His untiring efforts for the upliftment of the untouchables will always be remembered.

 

However, all these movements against the caste system were challenged by Brahmanas who also formed organisations to uphold the caste system. The struggle against the caste system continues even today.

 

The reform movements swept away the hindrances against women too and they finally got the opportunity to get educated and improve their position in the society. Thus, from the 20th century onwards, educated women began to put their views publicly and came to play an important part in the struggle for freedom. The lower castes also organised themselves into movements by the second half of the 19th century. These movements added to the momentum of the political surge against the colonial cause that united people and gave the struggle for freedom its mass character.

 

WORKING TOWARDS REFORMS                      

 

Prarthana Samaj

Mahadev Govind Ranade was one of the founders of Frarthana Samaj. He was a social reformer who worked relentlessly to bring about reforms in the society. He strongly opposed the caste system and untouchability and organised a number of social conferences to discuss these issues. He was of the opinion that education would contribute to the removal of social evils.

 

 Young Bengal Movement

This was started by a teacher of Hindu College called Henry Vivian Derozio. The supporters of the movement emphasised on female education and rights of women. This movement played an important role in social reforms and driving away several superstitions and social evils.

 

Brahmo Samaj

This organisation established by Raja Ram Mohan Roy worked for the upliftment of women and the eradication of the caste system. Raja Ram Mohan Roy insisted that Hindu society needed reformation but this had to be preceded by a reform in Hinduism itself. He said that ancient scriptures did not speak about caste. He was concerned about human rights and the prevailing caste system.

 

Ramakrishna Mission

Swami Vivekananda believed that all people were equal and opposed discrimination based on caste and religion. He wanted to contribute to the upliftment of the masses. He founded the

 

 

Ramakrishna Mission which was open to all irrespective of their caste or religion. He wanted to spread education to the masses and wanted the caste system to be based on a person's qualities. He strongly opposed untouchability.

 

Veda Sabha

This was established in 1864 by Sridharalu and Keshab Chandra Sen. They raised strong voices for discarding the caste system. They also opposed polygamy, child marriage and supported widow remarriage.

 

Allgarh Movement

This was launched by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. It worked towards the upliftment of the Muslim community. It advocated the cause of modem education.

 

Around the World

 

 

Martin Luther King, Jr., was a social activist who played a key role in the American Civil Rights Movement. He dedicated his life to achieve equality and justice for Americans of all colours. Inspired by advocates of non-violence such as Mahatma Gandhi, King sought equality for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and the victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He never got tired of trying to end segregation laws (laws that prevented blacks from entering certain places, such as restaurants, hotels, and public schools). He also did all he could to make people realize that "all men are created equal." He was the driving force behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the march on Washington, which helped to bring about such landmark legislations as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.