Brahmo Samaj

Brahmo Samaj in English

Brahmo Samaj - Origin, Principles, Objectives, Doctrine, Divisions, Importance And Reforms

The Brahmo Samaj, a social component of Brahmoism, began as a monotheistic reformist Hindu religious movement during the Bengal Renaissance. It originated through gatherings of Bengalis in Calcutta in 1828 and was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. In 1831, Roy traveled to England as a reformist ambassador, where he passed away in 1833.

After his death, Debendranath Tagore, the father of Rabindranath Tagore, played a pivotal role in the Brahmo Sabha and was instrumental in formally establishing the Brahmo Samaj in 1843. Later, Keshab Chandra Sen, a devoted follower of Tagore, joined the Samaj in 1857. However, in 1866, ideological differences led to a formal division, giving rise to the Brahmo Samaj of India.

History And Origin of Brahmo Samaj

The Brahmo Samaj was founded on August 20, 1828, in Calcutta by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Debendranath Tagore as a reform of the dominant Brahmanism of the time.

It kicked off the Bengal Renaissance of the 19th century, which was the forerunner of all the Hindu community’s religious, social, and educational advancements.

A Trust Deed was created in 1830 to establish it formally, and the first house of worship, today known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj, was officially and publicly dedicated in January 1830.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Debendranath Tagore founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 as a reform movement in Calcutta.

It quickly became one of the most important religious reform organizations in India and considerably impacted the development of contemporary India.

Pandit Nobin Chandra Roy created the first Brahmo Samaj in Lahore in 1861. It ushered in the Bengal Renaissance, which emphasized religious, educational, and social reform while criticizing the prevalent Brahmanism.

About Brahmo Samaj

Brahmo means “one who worships Brahman,” while Samaj means a group of men. “Brahmo Samaj” refers to a group of males who worship Brahman, the supreme reality, in Sanskrit. It is a diverse group of individuals from all walks of life who have gathered in public. To show their undying devotion to "the (nameless) unsearchable Eternal, Immutable Being who is the Author and Preserver of the Universe."

Principles of Brahmo Samaj

Raja Ram Mohan Roy established the Brahmo Samaj in 1828, and its core values are:

God: It believes in an ‘Infinite Singularity.’ The ‘Infinite Singularity’ is considered infinite, indivisible, imperceptible, and undefinable. It rejects Avatars, reincarnation, and rebirths. It also condemns idolatry and polytheism.

Love: It promotes reverence for all living things while cautioning its members against idolizing anything since only the Singularity, or “Brahman,” is worthy of worship.

Scripture: Brahmo Samajists are adherents of Brahmo Samaj who do not believe in books, prophets, or intermediaries between Brahman and the human soul. They do not believe in Karma teachings.

Brahmo Samajists, on the other hand, might believe in Karma and reincarnation, depending on their beliefs.

Liberation: Although the Brahmo Samaj supports the idea that the soul is immortal and is ready to merge with Brahman, it does not support the idea of salvation or “Mukthi.”

Additionally, it rejects the ideas of hell and heaven. Knowledge – The adherents uphold truth, free will, and knowledge.

They also believe that righteousness is the only possible way to live. The Samaj supports secular values but opposes sectarianism and forces one’s religion on others.

Superstition: The Brahmo Samaj opposes superstition and dogma. In reality, superstitious behaviours such as ‘Sati’ were one of the fundamental motivations for the formation of the Brahmo Samaj.

It also justifies the alleged insignificance of nonscientific rituals, priests, and places of devotion such as temples, churches, and mosques.

Totalitarianism: All totalitarian ideologies are condemned by the Brahmo Samaj.

Additionally, it condemns unjustified and bigoted differences based on race, caste, religion, and other factors.

These disparities were seen negatively because they frequently catalyzed interpersonal conflict.

Aim and objectives of the Brahmo Samaj

The Renaissance and Reformation movements defended the ancient Hindu principles, including Raja Rammohan Roy and his Brahmo Samaj.

Universalism, secularism, and humanistic ideas were the movements' defining characteristics.

Rammohan Roy advocated eliminating formality and ritualism to restore the splendour of Ancient Indian culture.

Brahmo Samaj set God as its primary goal and opposed sacrifices, ceremonies, and priesthood.

It held that all faiths were interconnected and emphasised scripture study, meditation, and prayer.

Brahmo Samaj focused on contemporary India’s first intellectual reform movement, which resulted in the rise of rationality and enlightenment in India.

The progressive ideals of Rammohan Roy were greeted with significant hostility by traditional groups like Raja Radhakant Deb, who founded the Dharma Sabha to fight Brahmo Samaj propaganda.

The primary goal of the Brahmo Samaj was to worship the everlasting God. It centred on prayers, meditation, and scripture reading. It was opposed to the priesthood, ceremonies, and sacrifices.

Raja Rammohan Roy believed that intolerance causes all religious divisions and wars.

Division of Brahmo Samaj

The Brahmo Samaj underwent various splits and factions during its existence, which were a result of various views on religious and social reform. The divisions, on many occasions, were the result of varying interpretations of the principles and goals of the movement, as well as ego and ideological differences among the leaders.

Over time, it was divided into ‘Adi Brahmo Samaj’ and ‘Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.’

Adi Brahmo Samaj

The Adi Brahmo Samaj was the first manifestation of “Brahmoism” and the first organised organisation in British India. Adi Brahmo Samaj was an organisation that fought against social and religious problems in the 18th and 19th centuries and was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Prasanna Coomar Tagore, and Debendranath Tagore. It denounced racial and ethnic divisions and established the framework for a modern, secular India.

Brahmo Samaj of India

When the unique relationship to Hinduism was removed, Samaj became more general. Much more extreme, with a stronger focus on female education and caste divisions. This resulted in the founding of the Indian Reform Association in 1870 and the Indian Marriage Act in 1872, which legalised intercaste marriage.

It was now a part of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and other religions. The Doctrine of God in Conscience of Keshub eliminated the contradiction between profession and practice.

Sadharan Brahmo Samaj

Schisms in the Brahmo Samaj resulted in the development of the ‘Sadharan Brahmo Samaj,’ a Brahmoism faction. Sadharan Brahmo Samaj was founded in a public assembly held on May 15, 1878, at Calcutta's Town Hall. Umesh Chandra Dutta, Sib Nath Shastri, and Ananda Mohan Bose led the religious movement when it was founded. Even though Ananda Mohan Bose was just 31 years old at the time of the Samaj's establishment, he was appointed its leader.

An Overview of Bramho Samaj

Brahmo Samaj Leaders

The Brahmo Samaj was linked to a number of the leading personalities who took essential roles in forming the movement and pushing forward its goals. The leading leaders of the Brahmo Samaj were Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Debendranath Tagore, Keshab Chandra Sen, Anandamohan Bose and Rabindranath Tagore

Rajaram Mohan Roy (1772-1833)

Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded Modern India’s Renaissance. He was a relentless social reformer. Raja Ram Mohan Roy launched India’s Enlightenment period and liberal reformist modernisation. He made a vital contribution when he founded the Brahmo Samaj as a reformist society in Calcutta in 1828.

Intending to reform the Indian community and make the true teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads, and other Hindu scriptures available to the common man, it was India's first reform movement.

Many well-known individuals were active Samaj members in the 1840s, including Debendranath Tagore and Keshub Chunder Sen.The movement made a vital contribution to modernising Indian society by criticising the oppressive caste system, the dowry system and by pushing for educational reforms to educate the masses.

One of India's most progressive reformist organisations, Brahma Samaj, advocated for women's independence by opposing Sati polygamy, child marriage, and the treatment of widows. While advocating monotheism, the Samaj also criticized Hindu polytheism and idolatry. Other faiths also influenced them and forbade criticizing their beliefs.

Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905)

Debendranath Tagore, the father of Rabindranath Tagore, was a chief leader in the Brahmo Samaj. He influenced its thought, extended its influence, and emphasised the need for spirituality and moral living for religious reformation.

Keshab Chandra Sen (1838-1884)

In 1858, Keshab Chandra Sen became a member of the Brahmo Samaj, aligning with Debendranath Tagore. His association with the Brahmo Samaj injected new vitality, expanding beyond Bengal into places like Bombay, Punjab, Madras, and the United Provinces, where it became known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj.

As a result, the community disapproved of the marriage of a 13-year-old girl to a young Hindu Maharaja of Cooch-Behar. This opposition ultimately led to the separation of the couple in the late 1870s. Additionally, Keshab Chandra Sen faced allegations of authoritarianism. The Sadharan Brahmo Samaj later replaced the Adi Brahmo Samaj in 1878, founded by Umeshchandra Dutta, Sib Chandra Deb, and Ananda Mohan Bose. In 1910, the Dayal Singh Trust established the Dayal Singh College in Lahore to impart education on Brahmo scriptures.

Anandamohan Bose (1847-1906)

Anandamohan Bose was one of the influential leaders of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, who believed in social reform and education. He promoted equality and justice, which were significant issues in the social and religious reform movement.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

Brahmo Samaj-associated Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore was closely identified with the movement. The movement's focus on reason, morality, and social justice shaped his life and work.

Socio-Religious reforms by Brahmo Samaj

The Brahmo Samaj is the sociological component of the Brahmo religion. It is now mostly followed as Adi Dharm in Bengal following the withdrawal of the Tattwabodini Sabha from its ranks in 1859.

The Brahmo Samaj embodied Bengal Renaissance principles in all areas of social change, including eradicating the caste and dowry systems, women emancipation, and improving the educational system.

Brahmoism was a key issue in Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s famous 1914 Bengali language novella, Parineeta, as a method of critiquing the dowry system.

Sati and Child Marriage

Many educated individuals in Bengal and elsewhere supported Samaj’s appealing agenda its appeal.

It campaigned against the persistence of bad customs that exposed women to suffering, degrading treatment, and inferiority. It battled against societal ills that caused misery for women for the sake of religious holiness, such as child marriage, sati, selling female infants, and other such practices. Brahmos passed legislation outlawing the practice of sati in 1829 despite organised resistance from the Dharma Sabha.

They were grateful to God and the British Government, whose benevolent arm had saved our weaker sex from terrible murder committed in the name of religion.

Widow Marriage Despite

Despite Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar’s work, which resulted in the legalisation of widow remarriage in India in 1856, Hindu society had numerous misgivings about the topic.

The Brahmos fought against such prejudices. To demonstrate their dedication, many young men in the Brahmo movement made a point of marrying widows.

Saving of Upper Caste Unmarried Women

The caste system did not just harm those in lower castes. The girls from the upper caste households suffered despite their caste rank due to their position.

Their options were restricted since it was against the law for such a girl to marry a man from a lower caste if a suitable husband could not be found for her within their caste.

These women frequently ended up being married off to very old men who had previously been married many times.

These girls were occasionally poisoned to death. Once more, the Brahmos fought such unfair practices and helped many such females escape death.

Women’s Education and Status

Education had hitherto been largely reserved for males. However, Brahmos’ perspective began to shift in the 1860s and 1870s.

The Brahmo women were encouraged to pursue education. Allowing women to pray in the prayer halls alongside men emphasized their equality in society at the same time.

The Brahmo Samaj appointed the first female Brahmo preacher in Barishal (Bengal) in 1881.

Study History notes on the rise of Gandhi in the Indian freedom struggle here

Significance of Brahmo Samaj

It is the Brahmo religion’s social branch. One of the most significant religious movements helped shape contemporary India.

The earliest contemporary Hindu reform movement was the Brahmo Samaj.

The Bengali young had a negative attitude toward their religion, which was Hindu. It began as an intellectual uprising movement against the prevalent superstitious customs.

There was a conscious uprising against orthodoxy and ritualistic customs. A tiny but powerful group of Indians with Westernised lifestyles led it.

In this environment, the Brahmo Samaj was born. It aimed to establish a cleansed version of Hinduism.

A Hindu religion devoid of any puranic components such as temple rites and image worship.

This Movement shaped Hindu responses to Western and Christian influences, paving the stage for the Indian Renaissance in the late 1800s. Bengali intelligentsia spearheaded it.

Brahmo Samaj attempted to transition from sectarianism to universal Samaj. It promoted both religious and social transformation.

Brahmo Samaj’s major declaration or slogan was Sarva Dharma Sambhava’, which means that all faiths are equal and should be honoured equally. Raja Ram Mohan Roy created the Brahmo Samaj.

Hindu ceremonialism was removed from Brahmo worship and replaced with Christian or Islamic prayer customs. With time, the Brahma Samaj became a significant force for social change in Bengal, particularly in women’s education.

The Decline of Brahmo Samaj

The Brahmo Samaj of India separated when this act of underage marriage sparked controversy, and His pro-British comments and inclination toward Christian customs sparked much more. In 1878, the Sadharan (ordinary) Brahmo Samaj was created. It progressively resorted to Upanishad teachings while continuing the mission of social change.

The movement, which was never widely supported by the public and was always an exclusive group, disappeared in the 20th century. Trustees Dwarkanath Tagore and Pandit Ram Chandra Vidyabagish effectively managed the Brahmo Sabha's operations when Rammohun departed for England in 1830, with Dwarkanath providing management guidance to his diwan.

Around Bristol (UK), where Rammohun died in 1833, the Telugu Brahmins revived idolatry, and fewer people attended the Sabha. The zamindars' hectic schedules and lack of time for Sabha business effectively ended the body's spark.

Keshub Chandra Sen founded the more extreme “Bharatvarshiya Brahmo Samaj” with Christian undertones in 1866. He advocated for women’s education and opposed child marriage. Nevertheless, he set up the union of his minor daughter Suniti with the prince of Coochbehar.