Social Reformers & Their Work


Rajaram Mohun		Laid stress on the study of English & established the Hindu College in Calcutta
Roy		alongwith David Hare.
Maharishi		The grandfather of Rabindranath Tagore. He inspired a number of thinkers like
Devendranath		Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar & Akshay Kumar Datta who became Brahmo Samaj
Tagore		members. He din’t perform his fathers antyeshti samskara as it involved idol
		worship.
Keshav Chandra		He was greatly inspired with the lives of John the Baptist, Jesus Christ & hence he

Sen	came in confrontation with Devendranath Tagore. Consequently the Brahmo Samaj
	was split into the Brahmo Samaj of India under him & Adi Brahmo Samaj under
	Devendranath. He opposed child marriage but married her own minor daughter to
	Maharaja of Cooch-Behar. Hence there was a further split into Neo Brahmo Samaj
	under him & Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
Ishwar Chandra	Became principal of Sanskrit college in Calcutta. Opened the Sanskrit college for
Vidyasagar	non Brahmin students. He founded ‘Bethune School at Calcutta’ to encourage
	female education.
Bankim Chandra	First graduate of Calcutta University which was estd in 1857 based on the lines of
	Macaulay Minute. He became a deputy collector. Wrote the famous Bande Matram
	(Anand Math) & published Banga Darshan magazine.
Ramakrishna	Became a priest in the temple of Goddess Kali at Dakshineshwar.
Paramhamsa	(1836-86)
Swami	In 1893 he attened the Parliament of Religions at Chicago. In 1897 he established
Vivekanand	the Ramakrishna Mission. His disciple, Sister Nivedita even helped many
(1863-1902)	revolutionaries from Bengal directly.
Swami Dayananda	Known in early life as Mul Shankar & born in Gujarat. Received his education at
1824-83	the feet of Swami Virajananda at Mathura. Founded Arya Samaj in 1875 based on
	a set of 28 principles (later 10). He estd the HQ of Arya Samaj at Lahore. Passed
	away on Diwali at Jodhpur following the mixing of glass powder in his drink.
	Through his Satyartha Prakasha he emphasized Vedas. He laid emphasis on the
	worship of a formless god & abandonment of idolatory. He emphasized on
	Ashrama system of education. He stressed on swadeshi, swadharma, swabhasha &
	swarajya. He considered Vedas as infallible.
Jyotibha Phule	In 1873 he founded Satya Shodhak Samaj. Gave testimony before Hunter
	Commission against Christian missionaries. Later given the title ‘Mahatma’.
Sayyid Ahmad	In 1875 founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh which later
Khan	became Aligarh University. Opposed polygamy, purdah, abolition of the practice of
	easy divorce, reform in madrasa.
	Freedom Fighters
Lokmanya Tilak	Introduced the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi & Shivaji festivals. Paticipated in
1856-1920	Home Rule Movement in 1916. Called by Britishers as ‘Biggest Traitor’ & ‘Father
	of Indian dissatisfaction’
Lala Lajpat Rai	Sher-e-Punjab. Was sent to Jail at Mandey on the charges of seditious activities.
Sri Aurobindo	His development of National education & editing of Bande Mataram (started by
Ghosh	Bipin Chandra Pal) gave momentum to Bengal partition movement. Left Baroda to
	work in the National College in Calcutta.
Chapekar Brothers	Chapekar Brothers – Damodar & Balakrishna. Killed two British officials Rand &
	Aryst. Celcbrated Shivaji & Ganesh Utsavs.
Savarkar Brothers	Ganesh Savarkar, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar & Narayana Savarkar. V.D.
	Savarkar organized the New India Association in London. Organizing lectures at
	the India House founded by Shyamji Krishna Verma. He was linked to the
	assassination of Jackson at Aurangabad. Sentenced to imprisonment in the
	Andamans from 1911-24.
Shyamji Krishna	India House had become centre of V.D Savarkar, Sardar Singh Rana, Madam
Verma	Bhikaji kama & Madan Lal Dhingra.
Madam Kama	Represented India in the International Conference at Stutteguard in Germany.

Madan Lal	He short dead the assistant of the Secretary of State Curzon Wyllie. Gopal Krishna
Dhingra	Gokhale clled it as a heinous act meant to spoil the name of India.
Chandra Shekhar	Involved in the assassination of Saunders (officer who ordered the Lathi Charge in
Azad	which Lala Lajpat was killed), alongwith Bhagat Singh & Rajguru. He had chalked
	out a plan to blow up the train in which the Viceroy Lord Irwin was traveling. He
	was killed in a police encounter at Alfred Park in Allahabad.
Harkishen Talwar	Shot the Governor of Punjab but the latter escaped with injuries only Later
	Harkishen was hanged.
Bhagat Singh	In association with Chhabil Das & Yashpal he had founded the Punjab Naujavan
	Bharat Sabha.
Rani Gaidinliu	Lead the Nagas in the revolt. Yadunaga was the other leader.
Subhas Chandra	Passed the Civils in 1920 but preferred to serve the nationalist cause. He was
Bose	elected the Mayor of Calcutta in 1923 but soon arrested & sent to Mandalay.
	Elected President at the Haripura session of Congress in 1938. He left for Kabul
	along with his friend Bhagat Ram. From there he went to Germany & met Hitler.
	He was first addressed as Netaji in Germany.
Udham Singh	Whilst living in England in 1940, Singh shot dead Sir Michael O’Dwyer, former
	Governor General of the Punjab.