Muslims, Parsis & Sikhs - Socio-Culture Reform Movement

Among Muslims.

Wahabi/Walliullah Movement

• Teachings of Abdul Wahab of Arabia and the preachings of Shah Walliullah (1702-1763), revivalist response to Western influence.
• Return to the true spirit of Islam, first Indian Muslim leader.
• Two fold idea
1. Desirability of harmony among the four schools of Muslim jurisprudence which had divided the Indian Muslims (he sought to integrate the best elements of the four schools).
2. Recognition of the role of individual conscience in religion where conflicting interpretations were derived from the Quran and the Hadis.
• Further popularised by Shah Abdul Aziz and Syed Ahmed Barelvi.
• Un-Islamic practices sought to be eliminated, return to the pure Islam existed in the Arabia of the Prophet’s time.
• India is dar-ul-Harb (land of the kafirs) needed to be converted to dar-ul-Islam (land of Islam).
• Initially, the movement was directed at the Sikhs on Punjab but after the British annexation of Punjab (1849), the movement was directed against the British.
• 1857 Revolt, Spreading anti-British feelings.

Titu Mir‘s Movement

• Mir Nithar Ali known as Titu Mir, disciple of Sayyid Ahmed Barelvi.
• Organised the Muslim peasants of Bengal against the landlords, Mostly Hindu & British indigo planters, not as militant.

Faraizi Movement

• Fara’idi Movement, emphasis on the Islamic pillars of faith, was founded by Haji Shariatullah in 1818.
• Eradication of social innovations or un-Islamic practices & draw their attention to their duties as Muslims.
• Leadership of Haji’s son, Dudu Mian, revolutionary from 1840 onwards.
• Fara’idis organised a paramilitary force & Established its own Law courts.
• Arrest in 1847 finally weakened the movement.

Ahmadiyya Movement

• Sect of Islam, founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1889.
• Standard-bearer of Mohammedan Renaissance, principles of universal religion of all humanity, opposing jihad (sacred war against non-Muslims).
• Believed in separating the mosque from the State as well as in human rights and tolerance.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Aligarh Movement

• Section of Muslims led by Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898), loyalist member of the judicial service of the British government.
• After Retirement, member of the Imperial Legislative Council in 1878, wanted to reconcile Western scientific education with the teachings of the Quran.
• Advocated a critical approach and freedom of thought and not complete dependence on tradition or custom.
• Zealous educationist - started the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College.
• Struggled to bring about an improvement in the position of women through better education and by opposing purdah and polygamy, advocating easy divorce, and condemning the system of piri and muridi.
• Argued that Muslims should first concentrate on education and jobs.
• Ideas were propagated through his magazine Tahdhib-ul-Akhlaq (Improvement of Manners and Morals).
• Aligarh Movement - in Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College
1. Modern education among Indian Muslims without weakening their allegiance to Islam.
2. Social reforms among Muslims relating to purdah, polygamy, widow remarriage, women’s education, slavery, divorce, etc.
• Aligarh became the centre of religious and cultural revival of the Muslim community.

Deoband Movement

• Orthodox section among the Muslim ulema.
• Twin Objective
• Pure teachings of the Quran and Hadis among Muslims.
• Keeping alive the spirit of jihad against the foreign rulers.
• Founded in 1866 by Mohammad Qasim Nanotavi (1832-80) and Rashid Ahmed Gangohi (1828-1905).
• Welfare of Muslims through Western education and support of the British government.
• welcomed the formation of the Indian National Congress and in 1888 issued a fatwa (religious decree) against Syed Ahmed Khan’s organisations, the United Patriotic Association and the Mohammaden Anglo-Oriental Association.
• Mahmud-ul-Hasan, the new Deoband leader, gave a political and intellectual content to the religious ideas of the school.
• Jamiat-ul-Ulema gave a concrete shape to Hasan’s ideas of protection of the religious and political rights.
• Shibli Numani, supporter of the Deoband school.
• Founded the Nadwatal Ulama and Darul Uloom in Lucknow in 1894-96.
• Believed in the idealism of the Congress and cooperation between the Muslims and the Hindus of India.

Among Parsis

Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha

• Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha (Religious Reform Association) was founded in 1851.
• “regeneration of the social conditions of the Parsis and the restoration of the Zoroastrian religion to its pristine purity”
• Naoroji Furdonji, Dadabhai Naoroji, K.R. Cama and S.S. Bengalee as its leaders.
• Message of Reform spread by the newspaper Rast Goftar (Truth-Teller).
• uplift the status of Parsi women through removal of the purdah system, raising the age of marriage and education.

Seva Sadan

• Parsi social reformer, Behramji M. Malabari (1853-1912) in 1908.
• Against child marriage & widow remarriage.
• Taking care of those women who were exploited and then discarded by society.
• Catered to all castes and provided the destitute women with education, and medical and welfare services.

Among Sikhs

Singh Sabha Movement

• Singh Sabha Movement was founded at Amritsar in 1873.
• Two fold
1. Make available modern western education to the Sikhs.
2. Counter the proselytising activities of Christian missionaries as well as the Brahmo Samajists, Arya Samajists and Muslim maulvis.
• First objective - network of Khalsa schools was established.
• Second Objective - went against the Gurus’ teachings was rejected.
• Sikh doctrine were sought to be established

Akali Movement

• Also Gurudwara Reform Movement, liberating the Sikh gurudwaras from the control of corrupt Udasi mahants (post became hereditary).
• Government tried its repressive policies against the non-violent non-cooperation satyagraha launched by the Akalis in 1921.
• Passed the Sikh Gurudwaras Act in 1922. Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) is apex body.
• Regional movement but not a communal one