28 Oct 2022 Mains Answer Writing

28 OCTOBER 2022 – MAINS QUESTIONS:

Q1. The achievement of social fulfilment, human wellbeing, and national advancement was the reform movements’ ultimate goal. Comment.

·       Paper & Topic: GS I à Modern Indian History

·        Model Answer:

·       Introduction:

·        Indian society underwent a dramatic transformation in the eighteenth century. A multitude of social evils, including as female infanticide, sati, child marriage, the caste system, purdah, the ban on female education, widow remarriage, etc., emerged as a result of the devaluation of long-standing practises and conventions. A number of significant flaws and deficiencies in Indian social systems were made clear by the British conquest of India in the 18th and 19th centuries. The treatment of women was the most worrying problem. The “Indian Renaissance” refers to the socio-intellectual revolution that occurred in the area of social development. Post-Enlightenment reasoning was applied to society from the outside in during the European Renaissance, which was a major aspect of this period. However, it was necessary to relearn older logic from India’s history in that setting.

·       Body:

·        The most prominent impact of western culture was the substitution of a spirit of rationalism for naive faith in preexisting traditions, beliefs, and practises.

·        Reformers treated tradition with reason while also considering the social value of modern socio-religious practises. They wanted reason to take the place of faith.

·        It encouraged the Brahmo Samaj to contest the Vedas’ infallibility and the Aligarh Movement to strike a balance between Islamic theology and contemporary concerns.

·        Syed Ahmed Khan emphasised that religion will disappear, much as Islam did in India, if it did not change to meet modern needs.

·        Traditional culture was criticised by the socio-religious reform movement for having out-of-date social and religious vices.

·        Reviving venerable institutions in disciplines like philosophy, medicine, and education was the main objective.

·        Despite the varied approaches they used, these reform movements all shared the same objective of revitalising society via social and educational reforms.

·        The social reform movement, however, focused primarily on the perversions and distortions that had crept into society rather than the social structure as a whole.

·        They opposed any substantial adjustments to the country’s established socioeconomic system.

·        They called for improvements within the fundamental structure of the organisation rather than a radical overhaul.

·        The sacred writings were rendered into regional languages.

·        Worship became more individualised by putting an emphasis on scriptural interpretation and procedural simplification.

·        Modernization rather than complete westernisation was the aim of the reformers.

·        Press, lectures, sabhas, and propaganda networks were the principal urban communication channels utilised for idea transmission and the formation of favourable public opinion.

·        In order to break India’s intellectual and cultural isolation from the rest of the world, a conducive social environment has to be established.

·       Conclusion:

·        In contrast to Western countries, India’s social reforms tended to place less emphasis on changing society as a whole to benefit socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Instead, it referred to the introduction of fresh ideas and lifestyles into the already established social order. “The society would be retained, while its members would be altered” was the central tenet. In truth, the social reform movement was not a discrete event and was greatly influenced by more general national political and economic difficulties. The social reform movement could be seen as a kind of precursor to nationalism.

Q2. Raja Ram Mohan Roy is referred to as the “father of Modern India.” Describe his efforts to put India on the road to modernity by promoting logic and progress. (250 words)

·       Paper & Topic: GS I à Modern Indian History

·        Model Answer:

·       Introduction:

·        Rammohun Roy is regarded as a pioneer in the Indian Renaissance. Known for his innovative work opposing practises like Sati, child marriage, and societal divisions as well as for his advocacy of education, he was a multifaceted social, religious, and educational reformer. He was renowned for his creative efforts promoting religious liberty as well. He was also widely known for his opposition to religious prejudice. He was known as the “father of Modern India” due to his modern values and disregard for outdated conventions.

·       Body:

·        India’s progress and thoughtful growth as a result of Raja Ram Mohan Roy:

·        His most significant contribution to transforming Indian society was the eradication of the abhorrent and murderous Sati Pratha.

·        He also had a significant impact on the cessation of purdah and child marriage.

·        He was in favour of women’s education and widow remarriage.

·        Raja Ram Mohan Roy will forever be known as a true champion for women who fought to abolish the Sati practise, denounced polygamy and child marriage, and pushed for women to be granted the same inheritance rights as men.

·        He was also an outspoken critic of the rigid caste distinctions that were in use at the time.

·        Education: In 1817, he and David Hare established Hindu College, which served as the impetus for a transformation of the Indian educational system.

·        Hindu College later became one of India’s finest universities, producing some of the best minds in the nation.

·        He established the Anglo-Vedic School in 1822 and the Vedanta College in 1826 in an effort to harmonise traditional theological teachings with contemporary philosophical concepts.

·        In order to unite the Calcutta Brahmos, a group of people who rejected caste restrictions and had no faith in idol worship, Ram Mohan Roy created the Brahmo Samaj in 1828.

·        He looked back on a tradition and looked forward to a kind of Protestant reformation inside the Hindu framework as he pursued monotheism.

·        He asserted that Vedanta serves as the conceptual basis for the major world religions, including Hinduism, in this case.

·        People were able to understand the paradigms of societal revolution thanks to Raja’s monotheistic Vedanta, and his monotheistic interpretation of the Vedanta’s cultural category—which he borrowed—led to the development of a comprehensive theory that offered a thorough critique of culture, society, and ideology.

·        They had the ability to examine the relative advantages of various lifestyles that were competing for adherents. In such a humanitarian viewpoint, Raja’s appeal can be discovered, along with his contribution to modern India.

·        He placed a lot of emphasis on rationalism and the use of modern knowledge.

·        Ram Mohan Roy is credited for being a fervent supporter of the freedom of speech and expression.

·        He promoted open access to a free press for all people.

·        Additionally, he established the Bengali weekly “Sambad Kaumudi” and the Persian daily “Miratul- Akhbar” (the Mirror of News) (the Moon of Intelligence).

·       Conclusion:

·        Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s Brahmo Samaj, which served as the model for all later social, religious, and political organisations in India, was essential in highlighting the grave issues that the country’s society was dealing with at the time.

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