D.N. Kundra Textbook Solutions Social-Religious Reforms Movement - History

History - Chapter 8

Class 8 - DN Kundra History & Civics Solutions

Objective Type Questions

Read the two statements given below about the Social reform movements. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between (A) and (R).

Assertion (A): Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828.

Reason (R): Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875.

1. (R) contradicts (A)
2. (R) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (R) is false
4. (A) and (R) are independent of each other

Answer

Ans: (4)

Explanation:

(i) Assertion: Raja Rammohan Roy did found the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 to reform Hindu practices, oppose social evils such as Sati and idol worship, and promote monotheism and rational religion.

(ii) Reason: Swami Dayanand Saraswati did found the Arya Samaj in 1875 to revive Vedic teachings and oppose practices he considered corrupt, such as idol worship and caste discrimination.

(iii) Justification: Both statements are factually correct but independent of each other. The founding of the Brahmo Samaj came decades earlier and was not caused by the later establishment of the Arya Samaj.

Identify the achievements of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

P: Passing of Window Remarriage Act

Q: Formation of the Singh Sabhas at Lahore and Amritsar

R: Education for girls and the upliftment of women

S: Formation of Aligarh University

1. P and Q
2. R and S
3. P and R
4. Q and S

Answer

Ans: (3)

Explanation: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar campaigned successfully for the Widow Remarriage Act (P) and worked energetically for the education and uplift of women (R), including supporting girls' schools and opposing child marriage. Options Q and S are unrelated to Vidyasagar: the Singh Sabhas were Sikh reform groups, and Aligarh University grew from Sir Syed's Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College.

Reetu is preparing a project on 'Reform among Muslim Society'. Which of the following social reformers would MOST LIKELY be part of her project?

1. Shaukat Ali
2. Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
3. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
4. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Answer

Ans: (3)

Explanation: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan worked for social and educational reform among Indian Muslims. He encouraged modern education, founded the Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh (1875), and helped translate Western knowledge into Urdu, making him the most relevant choice for a project on reform among Muslim society.

Which of the following aspects is being depicted by the given picture?

1. Promotion of western sciences and culture among the Hindus.
2. Promotion of western sciences and culture among the Buddhists.
3. Promotion of western sciences and culture among the Muslims.
4. Promotion of western sciences and culture among the Christians.

Answer

Ans: (3)

Explanation: The picture refers to efforts made to promote Western sciences and modern education among Muslims. This was a main aim of reformers like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who encouraged English education and Western sciences among the Muslim community and founded institutions to achieve this goal.

Identify the ODD ONE out of the following leaders of the Social Reform Movements.

1. Narayana Guru
2. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule
3. Swami Vivekananda
4. Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer

Ans: (4)

Explanation: Narayana Guru, Jyotiba Phule and Swami Vivekananda were social and religious reformers who worked to remove social evils and uplift oppressed groups. Jawaharlal Nehru was a political leader and the first Prime Minister of independent India, not primarily a leader of nineteenth-century social-religious reform movements.

Consider the statements given below and choose the correct answer.

Statement I: Swami Dayanand Saraswati opposed idol worship, caste system, and religious creeds.

Statement II: His slogan was "Back to the Vedas" as he believed the Vedas contain the truth of science as well as truth of religion.

1. Statement (I) is correct and statement (II) is incorrect.
2. Statement (I) is incorrect and statement (II) is correct.
3. Both statements (I) and (II) are incorrect.
4. Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.

Answer

Ans: (4)

Explanation: Both statements are correct. Swami Dayanand opposed idol worship, rigid caste distinctions and many social practices he viewed as corrupt. His slogan "Back to the Vedas" expressed his belief that rightful knowledge and moral guidance lay in the Vedas, which he regarded as containing true religious and scientific principles.

Which among the following statements is incorrect?

1. The work of the Theosophical Society was carried on in India by an Irish Lady called Annie Besant.
2. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1896.
3. Swami Dayanand Saraswati opened the doors of the Arya Samaj to the Shudras and other depressed classes.
4. Lord William Bentick banned Sati in 1829.

Answer

Ans: (2)

Explanation: Statement (2) is incorrect. The Ramakrishna Mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1897 to carry forward the teachings and service work inspired by his guru, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. The other statements are correct: Annie Besant led Theosophical work in India, Swami Dayanand did open Arya Samaj activities to lower castes, and Lord William Bentinck banned Sati in 1829.

Identify the social reformers on the basis of given clues.

• Famous for the emancipation of oppressed sections of society in Kerala.
• Born in Ezhara family.

1. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
2. Kandukuri Veeresalingam

Answer

Ans: Narayana Guru

Explanation: Narayana Guru worked in Kerala for the upliftment of oppressed communities and is well known for social reforms that promoted equality and social dignity.

A law was passed in 1925 and the right of managing Gurudwaras was given to:

1. Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee
2. Akali Dal
3. Shiromani Akali Dal
4. Punjab Seva Dal

Answer

Ans: (1)

Explanation: The 1925 Sikh Gurdwaras Act gave the management of major Sikh shrines to the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), an organisation formed during the Gurdwara Reform Movement to restore control of gurdwaras to the Sikh community.

Pick the odd one out from the following options:

1. Uprising of 1857, battle of Plassey, and battle of Buxar.
2. Anglo-Maratha, Anglo-Wars Mysore, and Anglo-French Wars.
3. French Revolution, American Revolution, and American Civil War.
4. Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and Dayanand Saraswati.

Answer

Ans: (3)

Explanation: Options (1), (2) and (4) relate directly to Indian history (major uprisings and battles in India, Anglo-Indian wars, and Indian social reformers). Option (3) lists events in Europe and America and is therefore the odd one out in this set focused on Indian historical themes.

Fill in the blanks

Fill in the blanks.

1. It was due to Raja Ram Mohan Roy's efforts that Lord William Bentinck, the Governor General of India, banned Sati in 1829.
2. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar made a remarkable contribution to the education of girls and uplift of women.
3. Swami Vivekananda wanted people of India to be fearless, self-confident and self-reliant.
4. Swami Dayanand's slogan was Back to the Vedas.
5. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founded the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh in 1875.

Match the following

Match Column A with Column B.

Answer

True or False

State whether the following statements are True or False.

1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy's religious beliefs were based on the Bible.
2. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, as Principal of the Sanskrit College, allowed lower castes to join his college.
3. Swami Vivekananda attended the Parliament of Religions held at New York in 1980.
4. The Singh Sabhas founded at Lahore and Amritsar were the first to start a reform movement among the Sikhs.

Answer

1. Ans: False. Explanation: Raja Ram Mohan Roy's religious beliefs were based on the Vedas and the Upanishads, not the Bible; he sought to reform Hinduism by returning to its core scriptures.
2. Ans: True. Explanation: As Principal of the Sanskrit College, Vidyasagar encouraged students from lower castes to join and introduced modern subjects, promoting social equality in education.
3. Ans: False. Explanation: Swami Vivekananda attended the Parliament of Religions held at Chicago in 1893, not New York in 1980.
4. Ans: True. Explanation: The Singh Sabhas founded at Lahore and Amritsar were indeed among the earliest organised reform movements within the Sikh community, aiming to revive Sikh teachings and institutions.

Answer the following questions briefly

What were the main aims of the reformers of the nineteenth century in India? Describe the reforms initiated by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

Answer

Ans:

The main aims of the nineteenth-century reformers in India were:

1. Abolition of social evils such as Sati, female infanticide, child marriage and caste discrimination.
2. Promotion of women's rights by supporting widow remarriage, female education and inheritance rights.
3. Spread of modern education to encourage scientific thinking and rational enquiry alongside traditional learning.
4. Religious reform to remove superstitions, oppose idol worship and return to purer religious teachings.
5. National awakening to create self-respect and pride in India's cultural heritage.

The reforms initiated by Raja Ram Mohan Roy included:

Religious reforms

• Founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 to purify and reform Hinduism and promote monotheism.
• Opposed idol worship and rigid caste distinctions and advocated worship of one God.
• Published Bengali translations and explanations of key Vedic and Upanishadic ideas to spread rational religious thought.

Social reforms

• Led the campaign against Sati, which contributed to Lord William Bentinck's ban in 1829.
• Supported women's rights by opposing child marriage and polygamy and encouraging widow remarriage and inheritance rights.

Educational reforms

• Supported Western learning and promoted a balance between modern sciences and Indian learning.
• Helped establish schools in Calcutta, assisted David Hare with the Hindu College (later Presidency College), and founded Vedanta College in 1825 to teach Western and Indian subjects.

What are the main teachings of the Arya Samaj? How did they help in the spread of education in India?

Answer

Ans:

The main teachings of the Arya Samaj were:

1. Opposition to idol worship, the caste system and religious superstitions.
2. Promotion of social equality by opening Arya Samaj activities to Shudras and other depressed classes.
3. Emphasis on the study of the Vedas while also encouraging English education and Western sciences.
4. Promotion of self-confidence and national pride by asserting the importance of Vedic knowledge.

Contribution to the spread of education

1. Established many schools and colleges known as DAV (Dayanand Anglo-Vedic) institutions for boys and girls.
2. Combined modern Western education with traditional learning, making education acceptable to a wider audience.
3. Promoted female education and challenged caste barriers, helping more people access schooling.

How did Swami Vivekananda spread the ideas of his Guru Ramakrishna? What was his religious philosophy?

Answer

Ans:

Swami Vivekananda spread Ramakrishna's ideas by:

1. Preaching in India and abroad: He spoke across India and travelled overseas to explain his guru's teachings.
2. World Parliament of Religions (1893): He represented Hinduism at Chicago, gaining international attention and respect for Indian spirituality.
3. Founding the Ramakrishna Mission (1897): He set up the mission to carry out social service-schools, hospitals and relief work-putting spiritual teachings into practice.

His religious philosophy

1. Emphasised the unity of all religions and the idea that different paths lead to the same truth.
2. Believed that serving humanity is equivalent to serving God, so social service is a form of worship.

Mention the social and educational reforms started by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.

Answer

Ans:

Social reforms

1. Worked to raise the status of Muslim women and encouraged an end to strict purdah where it hindered education.
2. Opposed harmful customs such as indiscriminate polygamy and easy divorce, and promoted social improvement through education.

Educational reforms

1. Urged Muslims to adopt English education and learn Western sciences and modern subjects.
2. Founded the Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh in 1875, which later became Aligarh Muslim University, to provide modern education while retaining Islamic values.
3. Encouraged the translation of Western works into Urdu to make modern knowledge accessible to the Muslim community.

Case Study Based Questions

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a great advocate of women's rights and worked all his life for improving their status in India. He was greatly interested in the education of women. He helped Bethune to set up one of the first schools for girls in Calcutta in 1849, called the Bethune School. He also led a campaign against child marriage and polygamy. It was due to his efforts that the Government passed the Widow Remarriage Act in 1856, drafted by Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General. As the Principal of Sanskrit College in Calcutta, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar encouraged lower castes to join his college. He introduced the study of western thought in his college. Vidyasagar made remarkable contribution to education of girls and the upliftment of women.

(i) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar made great contribution towards the education of ............... .

1. women
2. children
3. students of lower caste
4. students of higher caste

(ii) The Bethune School was founded in ............... .

1. 1830
2. 1850
3. 1836
4. 1849

(iii) The Widow Remarriage Act was passed in ............... .

1. 1856
2. 1855
3. 1853
4. 1852

Answer

(i) women

(ii) 1849

(iii) 1856