Women, Caste and Reform

Condition of Indian Women:
- Practices like child marriage, female infanticide, and sati.
- Limited access to education and marriage rights.
Caste-based Society:
- Division into upper castes (Brahmins, Kshatriyas), traders, peasants, artisans, and untouchables.
- Untouchables faced severe discrimination and exclusion from public spaces.

Raja Rammohun Roy:
- Founded Brahmo Samaj (1830), advocated for women’s education, and opposed the sati system.
- Played a key role in the abolition of sati (1829).
Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar:
- Advocated for widow remarriage, leading to the 1856 law allowing widow remarriage.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati:
- Founder of Arya Samaj (1875), supported widow remarriage and opposed caste distinctions.
Pandita Ramabai:
- Established a widow home in Poona, focused on improving the condition of widows.
Women's Education:
- Schools for girls were opened despite resistance.
- Aristocratic Muslim families taught women at home, and Muslim women like the Begums of Bhopal promoted education.
Women's Higher Education:
- By the 1880s, women began pursuing university education and engaging in social activism.

Paramhans Mandali:
- Founded in 1840 in Bombay, focused on caste abolition.
Christian Missionaries:
- Set up schools for lower-caste and tribal children.
Movements Against Caste Discrimination:
- Satnami Movement, Haridas Thakur’s Matua sect, Jyotirao Phule’s Satyashodhak Samaj.
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar led the temple entry movement (1927) and fought against caste oppression.
- Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker founded the Self Respect Movement to uplift untouchables.

Brahmo Samaj:
- Founded by Raja Rammohun Roy (1830), advocated for social reforms like women’s rights and the abolition of idolatry.
Young Bengal Movement:
- Initiated by Derozio, promoted radical and modern ideas.
Ramakrishna Mission:
- Founded by Swami Vivekananda, emphasized salvation through social service.
Prarthana Samaj:
- Founded in 1867, promoted the removal of caste restrictions and supported women’s education.
Veda Samaj:
- Established in 1864, worked on abolishing caste distinctions and promoting widow remarriage.
Aligarh Movement:
- Led by Sayyid Ahmed Khan, promoted modern education for Muslims through Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College.
Singh Sabha Movement:
- Aimed to purify Sikhism and free it from superstitions and caste distinctions.

Sati: Practice of widow burning.
Untouchable: Lowest caste, denied access to temples and public places.
Gulamgiri: Book by Jyotirao Phule advocating for the rights of lower castes.
Stripurushtulna: Book by Tarabai Shinde comparing the condition of women and men.
Conservative: Those opposing social reforms and adhering to traditions.
Suffrage: Right to vote.