Raja Ram Mohan Roy 1772-1833

Monotheism
No idolatry and meaning less rituals
Vedanta based on reason and if reason demanded, deviation is justified
Supported Unitarianism of Christianity and attacked trinitarianism of Christianity.

Brahma Samaj/Brahma Sabha
Atmiya Sabha - to campaign against idolatry, meaningless rituals, social ills
Abolition of sati, widow remarriage, prevention of early child marriage, attacked polygamy, right of inheritance and property to woman
Established Vedanta college - mix of Indian learning and western social and physical sciences
Against oppressive practices of zamindar, reduction in rents, taxes, export duties, abolition of East Indian company trading rights
Indianisation of superior services, separation of judiciary and executive, judicial equality b/w Indian and Europeans
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was first Indian to start an agitation for political reform

Not against Hinduism - stand for purification of Hinduism- Believed in Vedas and Upanishads
Monotheism
No idolatry, against avataras and meaningless rituals - prayers, meditation, readings
Worship and adoration of eternal, unsearchable, immutable being who is author and preserver of Universe
No definite stand on law of karma and soul and salvation. Left to followers
Succeeded by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore(father of Rabindranath Tagore)
Split 1 -

Dayanand Saraswati 1824-83 and Arya Samaj

Casteless and classless society
United India- religiously, socially, nationally- Aryan religion being the common to all

Every person has right to access God
Attacked - Orthodox Hindus, caste rigidity, untouchability, idolatry,� polytheism, belief in magic, taboo on sea voyages, feeding the dead
Caste not by birth but by occupation
Intercaste marriages, widow remarriages, equal status for women
Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools DAV - blend of western and traditional education
Believed Hinduism - against orthodox Hinduism [Believed in Vedas but not puranas(were full of false teachings)]
No idolatry
Monotheism
God, Matter, Soul distinct
Salvation only by right deeds and� not by destiny/karma
Gave slogan "India for Indians"

God is the original source of all true knowledge
God is existent, Conscious, Formless, Almighty, Infini te, Unchangeable, Fearless, Eternal, Pure and Creator of the universe. It alone must be worshipped.
The Vedas are the books of all TRUE knowledge.
Accept truth and abandon untruth
Dharma(right and wrong) guiding principle
Promote world's wellbeing.
Everyone should be treated with love and justice
Knowledge to be increased and ignorance to be dispelled.
One's own progress should depend on upliftment of all others
Social well-being of mankind is above individual well being

Work carried by Lala Hansraj, Gurudutt, Lala Lajapati Rai, Swami Shraddanand
Started the shuddi movement to reconvert to Hinduism who converted to Islam or Christianity which led to increase of communalisation of social life and communal political consciousness

Narendranath Dutta
Preacher of neo-Hinduism
Doctrine of service
Influence of his guru Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Upanishads, Gita, Buddha and Jesus
Does not consider itself to be sect of Hinduism
Image worship but emphasis on essential spirit
Omnipotent God
Salvation through traditional ways of renunciation, meditation, bhakti
Famous Chicago Parliament Speech in 1893- Blend of materialism of west and spiritualism of east into new harmony to produce happiness for mankind
Headquarters of Ramakrishna Math- Belur in Calcutta
Journals/Magazines" Prabuddha Bharata, Udbodhana

Proponent of merging of Eastern and Western culture would remove superstition and prejudice.
‘Borno Porichoy’ (Introduction to the letter),

Wrote book which brought revolution in the way that Bengali language is written and taught
It is still used as the introductory text to learn Bengali alphabets

*16 May 2021