8 Social Reformer Before Independence

You may have wondered about Notable Social Reformers and their contribution to society , you  may read the following to know them and their contributions. 

1-Jyotiba Phule (1827-90)

Jyotirao Govindrao Phule is one of the most important social reformers in Maharashtra in the 1800s. Instead of focusing on the social institutions of the family and marriage, other reformers focused more on improving the status and rights of women, while not focusing as much on how to change them. Jyotirao Phule took a stand against the unfair caste system that had been hurting people for centuries. In particular, he stood up for the untouchables and took the fight to the poorer peasants. He was a very strong supporter of their rights. He took a stand against the Brahmins, who kept other people from learning about all kinds of things. Jyotirao took care of pregnant widows and told them that the orphanage would take care of their children, so they could be safe. It was in this orphanage run by Jyotirao that a Brahmin woman gave birth to a boy in 1873. Jyotirao took him in and raised him as his own son. It was Jyotirao's idea to start the Satya Shodhak Samaj group (society of seekers of truth). The main goals of the organization were to free the Sudras and Ati-Sudras and stop the Brahmins from exploiting them. Phule didn't like idolatry and didn't like the chaturanga. According to him, both men and women should have the same rights because of their sex. He said that man is one and that he dreamed up a society based on liberty, equality, and fraternity. Phule fought for the rights of the poor all his life. Phule used a lot of different social work techniques, like social action and community organization, to keep the untouchables from being exploited by the Brahmins. He did a lot of things to help the dalits and protect their rights, which is important to social workers because people should be able to live with dignity.

2-Chattrapati Shahu Maharaja (1874-1922)

Shahu Maharaja was a pivotal figure in the history of Indian social service. Shahu Maharaja was a wise leader who made sincere efforts to promote the cause of social reform within the constraints given by their treaties with the British Government.

The Maharaja of Kolhapur was the first Indian prince to become involved in social and religious reforms for the so-called backward castes. He made every effort to shatter the chains of the caste system and open the doors of education and public service to everybody, regardless of caste disparities. Following his election, he issued a command to abolish the system of forced labor. He attempted to limit child marriages and promote widow remarriage. His most important work was in the field of education. He established a number of free schools in Kolhapur and erected a number of hostels where disadvantaged children may be lodged for free. He was adamant about giving the underprivileged classes equal opportunities. He observed that members from other castes could not compete successfully with Brahmins due to a lack of educational facilities and equal opportunity. One of the measures he wholeheartedly supported was the building of student hostels based on caste. He abolished separate schools for untouchables and forced them to attend classes alongside students from upper castes. He was a supporter of western liberal education.

He belonged to the Arya Samaj, which he believed was the best solution to social problems. The Maharaja, who was born in Maratha, championed the cause of non-Brahmins. He was the first Indian ruler to have the audacity to outlaw untouchability in his state.

He quickly rose to prominence as the leader of the non-Brahmin movement, uniting the Marathas under his banner.

Shahu Maharaja enacted a number of social legislations to promote the social inclusion of many disadvantaged groups in society, all of which are key concerns for social workers. His ideas are focused on social work concepts such as compassion and welfare in order to strengthen the oppressed parts of society.

3-Sri Narayan Guru (1845-19280)

He was a great social reformer in the state of Kerala, and he was well-known for his fight against the caste system and what it did. For his work, he helped the poor people of Kerala, especially the Ezhava people in Kerala. Sri Narayan Guru came up with a new name for the Izhavas of Kerala based on a new interpretation of traditional Hindu families. He didn't believe there were a lot of different kinds of Gods, religions, or castes.

He said that birth should not be the only thing that kept people from getting the best spiritual knowledge. He also said that training was a good way to get this knowledge. For the Izhava to be able to claim a new identity with honour, esteem and self-respect, he made them believe in the same things as the upper class. He also made them worship in the same temples and have the same priests as them. In the beginning, this movement was called the "self-respect movement." In 1888, he put the Siva idol up at Aravipuram. Unique in history: A person from the lower caste who was not allowed to go inside the temple had himself consecrated the Siva idol in a temple.

When he was done writing on the wall, he added these words. "Without walls of class, race, or hatred for someone who is different from us, we all live together as brothers and sisters." People all over the world saw Shri Narayan Guru as a saint and a philosopher, poet, and social reformer because of his work. Sri Narayan Guru used a lot of different ways to help the ezhavas, like community organisation and social action, to make sure they didn't get taken advantage of by the upper class people. As a professional social worker, it's important to help the weakest people in society become more powerful, which is what he has done for most of his life.

4-Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Ram Mohan Roy was one of the world's best social and religious reformers. He is known for making a lot of changes. He has set up the Bramho samaj. Raja Ram Mohan Roy has made the following important changes. To stop the practice of sati, he started a movement. This was because this practise was cruel and inhumane. A long time ago, he used the authority of the oldest sacred books to show that the Hindu religion at its best didn't like this. It was mostly because of him that Lord William Bentinck was able to get rid of sati. Propagated widow remarriage and encouraged people to marry people from different races. He didn't like the caste system because it divided people and made them less patriotic. He was very against child marriage and many wives. He did everything he could to get the British government to stop having child marriage. When he saw so many gods, he didn't want to worship them. Instead, he thought there was one God who could do anything. A lot of what he said was against things like useless practices, costly sacrifices, and myths. He slammed the caste system and said it was cruel. As he sees it, it has led to us not being able to work together. He thought that the caste system was both bad and good at the same time. It made people less equal, divided them, and made them less patriotic. When it came to the rights of women, he was a big supporter of them. To improve their social status, he said that women should have the same rights as men and that they should be able to own and inherit things. He also said that widows should be able to get married again. To get rid of meaningless religious evils, he was very against idolatry and the worship of so many different gods and goddesses. He started the Brahma samaj to spread the idea of monotheism, which is the worship of only one powerful God, and to teach people how to do that. It would be good for the people to get western education so they could learn more about the world around them. Raja Ram Mohan Roy used a lot of professional social work techniques, like social action and social advocacy, to try to get rid of social problems. This is one of the main goals of professional social work, though. In his reform movement, he tried to help widows and the poor, as well as get rid of social problems, which are still important goals for social workers today.

5-Mahadev Govinda Ranade

Mahadev Govinda Ranade was a social reformer who worked to improve the lives of women and the poor. He was the first general secretary of the Indian Social Conference, which was started in 1875 A.D. The goal of the conference was to reform and modernise Indian society. When he was in charge, the work of social reform spread across the country, and it touched almost every part of society. For example, he worked to make it easier for people of different castes to get married, to raise the age when people can get married and to abolish caste. He also worked to get women's education, to discourage polygamy and to make people of different castes better off. All religious disputes between Hindus and Muslims were settled through Panchayats. As long as Ranade lived, he worked hard to improve society. He had worked for the betterment of the weaker parts of society, especially for the betterment of women. He had used a method of social work called "community organising" to try to solve a problem between Hindus and Muslims, and it worked.

6-Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)

Narendranath Dutta was the name of Swami Vivekananda before he became a monk. He was one of the most well-known and powerful spiritual leaders in India. He was the most important student of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the person who taught him. It was him who started Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, which are both religious groups. During the history of Hindu Reform Movements, he is one of the most important people. He said that all religions are important and that there should be no narrowness in religious matters. He also said that social action was important. He thought that only by improving the lives of the people could the country stay strong. He told people to have a spirit of liberty, equality, and free thought. He also wanted a social order that was based on equality and freedom. There can't be any social progress without improving the lives of women, who were the most important force for change in the world. He didn't like the caste system and the Hindu rituals and superstitions that people did. In 1987, he started the Ramakrishna mission to help people in need and help people in the community. His mission and matha were based out of Belur, so it became the centre of his work. Every time the Ramakrishna Mission helps people, they always use the social case work, group work, and community organisation method to help them. Was in favour of giving people the right to live their lives the way they want to. This is an important part of professional social work.

7-Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Vidyasagar's most important legacy is that he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Indian women. He almost single-handedly brought the practise of widow remarriage to the majority of Hindus, making it very common. Ishwarchandra People can see Vidyasagar's "reforming mind" most clearly in his socio-religious thoughts. This is the best way to say it. He asked about early marriage, polygamy, widow remarriage, and many other things that slowed down social progress. Vidyasagar helped start a lot of schools for girls. When the act of 1856 was passed, it made it legal for widows to get married again. The Civil Marriage Act of 1872, which limited bigamy and child marriage and encouraged widow remarriage, also owed a lot to Vidyasagar. A lot of people helped make modern India. He had a lot to do with that. When he was young, he was very interested in the education of women. He started a girls' school in Calcutta. Also, the Bathune School came from his work. Soon, a lot of schools for girls started up in different parts of the country because of his work. He was very against child remarriage. For widow remarriage, he made people think it was okay. The British Government had to pass an act that made it legal for widows to get married in 1856 A.D. because of his work. Sanskrit college: He made it possible for non-Brahman students to go there and study Western thought.

He could get the widows excited about remarrying by using social case work techniques in the right way. Through the social case work method, he was able to build the confidence and courage of the widows so that they could get married again. The effective use of the community organisation method made people aware of the different problems in Hindu society that needed to be fixed right away.

8-Swami Dayanand Saraswati

The Arya Samaj was started by Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 AD. He was one of the most important social reformers of all time, and he did a lot to help people.

Arya Samaj believes that all men and all countries should be treated the same, as well as that women and men should be treated the same. It doesn't believe in a caste system that is passed down from generation to generation. Instead, it only recognizes professions or guilds that match the skills of men in the society. Idol worship, animal sacrifices, animal cults, pilgrimages to ancestral shrines, priestcraft, offerings in temples, castes and untouchability are all banned by the Arya samaj because they don't have Vedic approval. This is why they don't like them. The Arya Samaj discourages dogma and symbolism, and it encourages people to be sceptical about beliefs that don't make sense or make sense. Dayanand made a huge contribution when he fought for the rights of women, like the right to go to school and read Indian scriptures. Swami Dayanand made the following contributions to bring about social and religious change in India. He was against the caste system and the practice of not being able to touch people. He was very against the practise of sati and child marriage. He did a lot to help women get better and get more education. These schools or colleges, called D.A.V. schools or colleges, are still going strong today. He didn't like the worship of idols and useless religious rites, and he didn't like the Brahmins' power. When Swami Dayanand Saraswati worked, he always used a rights-based social work method that made sure both men and women had the same rights. He did a lot of work to improve the status of women in society, which shows that he was always interested in gender main stream, which is a goal of professional social workers. The fact that he built a lot of schools across the country for the education of both girls and boys shows that he cares about everyone's well-being.