Socio Religious Reformers

Satyashodhak Samaj is a social reform society founded by Jyotirao Phule in Pune, India, on 24 September 1873. Its purpose was to liberate the less privileged in the then-prevailing society such as women, Shudra, and Dalit from exploitation and oppression. Jyotirao's wife Savitribai was the head of the women's section of the society. Through his writing and work, Jyotirao advocated against the caste system and the illogical and orthodox status of Brahmin. Phule had also started a newspaper Deenbandhu which provided the voice for the views of the Samaj. Jyotirao Phule's book Gulamgiri is dedicated to the pain, suffering and hardship faced by slaves.

* In 1888, Walangkar began publishing the monthly journal titled Vital-Vidhvansak (Destroyer of Brahmanical or Ceremonial Pollution), which was the first to have the untouchable people as its target audience. * He also wrote articles for Marathi-language newspapers such as Sudharak and Deenbandhu, as well as composed couplets in Marathi that were intended to inspire the people. Having read Hindu religious texts, Walangkar concluded that caste was contrived by the Aryan invaders to control the Anaryans (indigenous people). * In 1889, he published Vital Viduvansan (Annihilation of Ceremonial Pollution), which protested the position of untouchables in society and raised consciousness regarding what those people should expect. * He addressed this pamphlet, which was crafted as a collection of 26 questions, to the elites of Maharashtrian society. * T. N. Valunjkar says that Walangkar "can be regarded as the first intellectual rebel from the Dalit community to have launched a scathing criticism of the caste system and the position of dalits in it."

**Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar** - He was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School. As the secretary of the Bethune School established in 1849, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar did important work in the field of higher education for women in India. - Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's most significant contribution was his advocacy for widow remarriage and girls' education, leading to the enactment of the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act of 1856. **Annie Besant:** - In September 1916, Annie Besant along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak established the All-India Home Rule League. - In 1917, Annie Besant was elected the President of the Indian National Congress (INC) Calcutta session, becoming the first woman to hold this position. - In 1898, she founded the Central Hindu College in Benares. Theosophists from abroad assisted in this effort, and the institution eventually became the foundation for Banaras Hindu University. - She also established the Central Hindu School for Girls in Varanasi, advancing female education in India. **Debendranath Tagore:** - He founded the Tattvabodhini Sabha and Adi Brahmo Samaj. **Sarojini Naidu:** - In recognition of her service during the plague epidemic in India, the British government honored her with the ‘Kaisar-i-Hind’ Medal. - In 1925, she became the first Indian woman to be elected president of the Indian National Congress (INC) during its Kanpur Session and held the position until 1928. - In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi chose her to lead the Salt Satyagraha, a nonviolent protest against the British monopoly on salt production. - She also accompanied Gandhi to London for the second session of the Round Table Conference in 1931, which ultimately remained inconclusive.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a reformer who respected Indian traditions but promoted rational thinking and social equality. ✅ **Statement I is correct:** * He respected traditional Eastern philosophies like Vedanta and sought their reform. ✅ **Statement II is correct:** * He advocated for rationalism, scientific thinking, and equality of all men and women. So, the correct answer is: **C**