17.Socio-Religious Movement-II

Question 1

Who was Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar?

Answer 1

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a Bengali Sanskrit scholar, educator, social reformer, author, and philanthropist.

Question 2

What is the significance of “Barnaparichay”?

Answer 2

“Barnaparichay” is a Bengali primer written by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. It is considered the most influential primer in Bengal and provides elementary knowledge of Bengali alphabets.

Question 3

What contributions did Vidyasagar make to improve the status of women in India?

Answer 3

Vidyasagar’s research into ancient texts led him to advocate for women’s rights. He played a key role in the passage of the Widow Remarriage Act in 1856, fought against the practice of child marriage, and established the Bethune School to promote women’s education.

Question 4

What social custom did Vidyasagar fight against?

Answer 4

Vidyasagar fought against the prevalent social custom of Kulin Brahmin, which involved polygamy. He opposed this practice and its negative impact on society.

Question 5

What were some of Vidyasagar’s publications?

Answer 5

Vidyasagar published several publications, including Tattavabodhini Patrika, Hindu Patriot, and Som Prakash.

Question 6

When did Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar live?

Answer 6

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar lived from 1820 to 1891.

Question 7

Who founded the Theosophical Society?

Answer 7

Madame H. P. Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott founded the Theosophical Society in New York in 1875.

Question 8

What was the aim of the Theosophical Society?

Answer 8

The aim of the Theosophical Society was to revive old religions and promote universal brotherhood.

Question 9

Where was the headquarters of the Theosophical Society established?

Answer 9

The headquarters of the Theosophical Society were established in Adyar, near Madras (now Chennai), India, in 1882.

Question 10

Who played a significant role in popularizing the Theosophical Society in India?

Answer 10

Annie Besant arrived in India in 1893 and played a significant role in popularizing the Theosophical Society. She aimed to revive Hinduism, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism.

Question 11

What was the most successful educational venture of the Theosophical Society?

Answer 11

The Central Hindu College in Varanasi, which opened in 1898, was the most successful educational venture of the Theosophical Society.

Question 12

When was the Theosophical Society of India established?

Answer 12

The Theosophical Society was established in 1875 in New York, but its headquarters in India were established in 1882.

Question 13

What led to a sense of loss of esteem among India’s educated and elite Muslims?

Answer 13

The transfer of power from the Mughals to the British led to a sense of loss of esteem among India’s educated and elite Muslims.

Question 14

What language replaced Persian as the language of employment and advancement in the new bureaucracy?

Answer 14

English replaced Persian as the language of employment and advancement in the new bureaucracy.

Question 15

Who was the founder of the Faraizi Movement?

Answer 15

Haji Shariatullah of Faridpur was the founder of the Faraizi Movement.

Question 16

What were the main objectives of the Faraizi Movement?

Answer 16

The main objectives of the Faraizi Movement were profound theological, social, and political transformations, as well as driving the English out of Bengal.

Question 17

Who organized the supporters of the Faraizi Movement?

Answer 17

Haji Shariatullah and his son Muhsin Uddin Ahmad, also known as Dudu Miyan, organized the supporters of the Faraizi Movement.

Question 18

In which areas was the Faraizi Movement well accepted?

Answer 18

The Faraizi Movement was well accepted in Dhaka, Faridpur, Barisal, Mymensingh, and Comilla districts.

Question 19

What term was used for the leader of the Faraizi Movement?

Answer 19

The leader of the Faraizi Movement was referred to as Ustad, or teacher.

Question 20

What was the primary goal of the Faraizi Movement?

Answer 20

The primary goal of the Faraizi Movement was religious purification and the elimination of un-Islamic activities.

Question 21

Where did the Faraizi Movement originate?

Answer 21

The Faraizi Movement originated in rural East Bengal, with Faridpur serving as its epicenter.

Question 22

What terminology was used for someone who has been admitted into the Faraizi fold?

Answer 22

Someone who has been admitted into the Faraizi fold was called a Tawbar Muslim or Mumin.

Question 23

When was the Faraizi Movement founded?

Answer 23

The Faraizi Movement was founded in 1819.

Question 24

What did the Faraizi Movement do to preserve tenants’ rights?

Answer 24

The Faraizi Movement played a significant role in preserving tenants’ rights.

Question 25

What inspired the Wahabi Movement?

Answer 25

The teachings of Abdul Wahab of Arabia and the preachings of Shah Walliullah inspired the Wahabi Movement.

Question 26

Who was the first Indian Muslim leader to organize Muslims around the ideals of the Wahabi Movement?

Answer 26

Shah Walliullah was the first Indian Muslim leader to organize Muslims around the ideals of the Wahabi Movement.

Question 27

What were the two-fold ideals of the Wahabi Movement?

Answer 27

The two-fold ideals of the Wahabi Movement were the desirability of harmony among the four schools of Muslim jurisprudence and the recognition of the role of individual conscience in religion.

Question 28

Who further popularized the teachings of Shah Walliullah?

Answer 28

Shah Abdul Aziz and Syed Ahmad Barelvi further popularized the teachings of Shah Walliullah.

Question 29

What was the aim of the Wahabi Movement regarding Muslim society?

Answer 29

The aim of the Wahabi Movement was to eliminate un-Islamic practices that had crept into Muslim society.

Question 30

What kind of society did Syed Ahmad Barelvi call for?

Answer 30

Syed Ahmad Barelvi called for a return to the kind of society that had existed in the Arabia of the Prophet’s time.

Question 31

Initially, who was the Wahabi Movement directed against?

Answer 31

Initially, the Wahabi Movement was directed against the Sikhs in Punjab.

Question 32

When did the Wahabi Movement start targeting the British?

Answer 32

After the British annexation of Punjab in 1849, the Wahabi Movement started targeting the British.

Question 33

What role did the Wahabis play during the 1857 Revolt?

Answer 33

The Wahabis played an important role in spreading anti-British feelings during the 1857 Revolt.

Question 34

What led to the decline of the Wahabi Movement?

Answer 34

The Wahabi Movement declined in the face of British military might in the 1870s.

Question 35

What was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s profession before retirement?

Answer 35

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was a loyalist member of the judicial service of the British government.

Question 36

What was the aim of the Aligarh Movement?

Answer 36

The aim of the Aligarh Movement was to reconcile western scientific education with the teachings of the Quran.

Question 37

Which book written by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan analyzed the reasons for the 1857 revolt?

Answer 37

“Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind” (Reasons for the India Revolt of 1857) was written by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.

Question 38

What were some of the reasons mentioned by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan for the 1857 revolt?

Answer 38

Some of the reasons mentioned were aggressive British expansion and ignorance of local customs by the British.

Question 39

What did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan emphasize regarding religion?

Answer 39

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan emphasized that religion should be adaptable with time and advocated a critical approach and freedom of thought.

Question 39

What educational initiatives did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan undertake?

Answer 39

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan opened schools, got books translated into Urdu, and started the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College (later the Aligarh Muslim University).

Question 40

How did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan advocate for the improvement of women’s position?

Answer 40

He advocated better education for women, opposed purdah and polygamy, advocated easy divorce, and condemned the system of piri-muridi.

Question 41

What did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan believe in regarding religions?

Answer 41

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan believed in the fundamental underlying unity of religions or “practical morality” and preached the basic commonality of Hindu and Muslim interests.

Question 42

Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan oppose political activity by Muslims at that time?

Answer 42

He believed that active participation in politics would invite hostility from the government towards the Muslim masses and felt that Muslims should first concentrate on education and jobs.

Question 43

How didvHow did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s views on Hindu-Muslim interests change over time? Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s views on Hindu-Muslim interests change over time?

Answer 43

In later years, he started propagating divergence of interests between Hindus and Muslims, allowing himself to be used by the colonial government in its policy of divide and rule.

Question 44

What were the twin objectives of the Deoband Movement?

Answer 44

The twin objectives of the Deoband Movement were to propagate pure teachings of the Quran and Hadis among Muslims and to keep alive the spirit of jihad against foreign rulers.

Question 45

When and where was the Deoband Movement initiated?

Answer 45

The Deoband Movement was begun at the Darul Uloom, Deoband, in Saharanpur district (United Provinces) in 1866.

Question 46

Who were the founders of the Deoband Movement?

Answer 46

The founders of the Deoband Movement were Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi.

Question 47

How did the objectives of the Deoband Movement differ from those of the Aligarh Movement?

Answer 47

The Deoband Movement aimed at the moral and religious regeneration of the Muslim community, in contrast to the Aligarh Movement’s focus on the welfare of Muslims through Western education.

Question 48

What was the focus of the instruction imparted at Deoband?

Answer 48

The instruction imparted at Deoband was in the original Islamic religion.

Question 49

How did the Deoband school view the Indian National Congress?

Answer 49

The Deoband school welcomed the formation of the Indian National Congress.

Question 50

What religious decree did the Deoband school issue against Syed Ahmed Khan’s organizations?

Answer 50

In 1888, the Deoband school issued a fatwa (religious decree) against Syed Ahmed Khan’s organizations, the United Patriotic Association and the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental Association.

Question 51

What was the criticism against the Deoband school’s support for the nationalists?

Answer 51

Some critics attribute Deoband’s support for the nationalists more to its opposition to Syed Ahmed Khan rather than a positive political philosophy.

Question 52

Who founded the Ahmadiyya Movement?

Answer 52

The Ahmadiyya Movement was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1889.

Question 53

What principles did the Ahmadiyya Movement uphold?

Answer 53

The Ahmadiyya Movement was based on liberal principles and described itself as the standard-bearer of Mohammedan Renaissance. It promoted the principles of universal religion of all humanity and opposed jihad (sacred war against non-Muslims).

Question 54

What was the unique belief of the Ahmadiyya community?

Answer 54

The Ahmadiyya community believed that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the Messiah who came to end religious wars and bloodshed, and to reinstate morality, peace, and justice.

Question 55

What was the stance of the Ahmadiyya Movement on the separation of mosque and state?

Answer 55

The Ahmadiyya Movement believed in separating the mosque from the state, as well as promoting human rights and tolerance.

Question 56

What influence did the Ahmadiyya Movement have on Indian Muslims?

Answer 56

The Ahmadiyya Movement spread Western liberal education among Indian Muslims.

Question 57

What is one criticism faced by the Ahmadiyya Movement?

Answer 57

The Ahmadiyya Movement, like Bahaism, suffered from mysticism according to some critics.

Question 58

When did religious reform among the Parsis in Bombay begin?

Answer 58

Religious reform among the Parsis in Bombay began in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Question 59

What was the name of the religious reform association founded by Nauroji Furdonji, Dadabhai Naoroji, S.S. Bengalee, and others?

Answer 59

The religious reform association founded by them was called Rehnumai Mazdayasan Sabha, or Religious Reform Association.

Question 60

What was the purpose of the journal Rast Goftar?

Answer 60

The journal Rast Goftar was founded to promote social and religious reforms among Parsis.

Question 61

What were some of the areas of reform advocated by the Rehnumai Mazdayasan Sabha?

Answer 61

The Rehnumai Mazdayasan Sabha campaigned against religious orthodoxy and initiated the modernization of Parsi social customs concerning the education of girls, marriage, and the social position of women in general.

Question 62

How did the Parsis become known in terms of social westernization?

Answer 62

Over time, the Parsis became the most socially westernized section of Indian society.

Question 63

When did socio-religious reform movements among Sikhs begin?

Answer 63

Socio-religious reform movements among Sikhs began at the end of the nineteenth century.

Question 64

What was the purpose of establishing the Khalsa College in Amritsar?

Answer 64

The Khalsa College was founded in Amritsar in 1892 to promote Gurumukhi, Sikh learning, and Punjabi literature.

Question 65

What was the main goal of the Akali Movement?

Answer 65

The main goal of the Akali Movement was to improve the management of Gurudwaras (Sikh shrines) that were controlled by priests treating them as private property.

Question 66

Who spread the Nirankar (formless) concept of God among Sikhs?

Answer 66

Baba Dayal Das spread the Nirankar concept of God among Sikhs.

Question 67

Who founded the Namdhari movement and what were its key rituals and beliefs?

Answer 67

Baba Ram Singh founded the Namdhari movement, which followed rituals modeled after Guru Gobind Singh’s founding of the Khalsa. They wore the five symbols but carried a stick instead of a sword, abandoned idol worship, practiced strict moral conduct, and prohibited beef consumption.

Question 68

What were the goals of the Singh Sabha of Amritsar?

Answer 68

The goals of the Singh Sabha of Amritsar were to restore Sikhism to its original purity, publish religious books and periodicals, spread knowledge, promote Punjabi language, encourage Sikh education, and involve Englishmen in Sikh educational programs.

Question 69

What organization imitated the Amritsar Singh Sabha and aimed for a more democratic approach?

Answer 69

The Lahore Singh Sabha imitated the Amritsar Singh Sabha and aimed for a more democratic approach.