Socio-Religious Movements in West Bengal
Bengali society was the only one in the country to go through a middle class oriented ‘renaissance’ in the 19th and 20th century.
In 1760, the Fakir-Sannyasi Resistance Movement was organised and led by Majnu Shah, a Sufi saint of Madaria sect and gathered momentum in 1763. Their main target was the Company kuthi, revenue kacharis of zamindars loyal to the Company rulers, and the houses of their officials. It was a violent movement. By 1767, the attack of the rebels intensified in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Koch Bihar, Jalpaiguri and Comilla. To check the activities of the rebels in North Bengal an Enghsh army was sent to Rangpur in 1767 under Captain De Mackenzee. Fakir-Sanyasi rebellion sustained for more than a decade. Subsequently, in a battle against the Company army under Lieutenant Brenan in Kaleswar area, the revolution was crushed on 26th January 1788.
In the 17th century, Bengal witnessed an intellectual awakening that was in some way like the Renaissance in Europe. This movement questioned existing orthodoxies, particularly concerning women, marriage, the dowry system, the caste system and religion. One of the earliest social movements that emerged during this time was the ‘Young Bengal Movement' introduced by an Anglo-Indian Henry Louis Vivian Derozio that adopted rationalism and atheism as the common denominators of civil conduct among upper caste educated Hindus. With tremendous influence over the students, he played a prominent role in substantiating the revolution by encouraging them to freely discuss all subjects- social, moral and religious matter. Prominent Derozians are Krishna Mohan Banerjee, Sib Chandra Deb, Hara Chandra Gosh, Ramgopal Ghosh, Ramtanu Lahiri Rasik Krishna Mallick, Peary Chand Mitra, Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee, Radhanath Sikdar etc.
In 1828 Brahmo Samaj was founded in Calcutta by Raja Rammohan Roy and is regarded as one of the most rigorous reformist movements responsible for the making of modern India. The Brahmo Samaj does not accept the authority of the Vedas, has no faith in avatars (incarnations) and does not insist on belief in Karma (casual effects of past deeds) and samsara (the process of death and rebirth). The Brahmo dharma discards Hindu rituals and adopts some Christian practices in its worships. It denounces polytheism, image worship and the caste system. Debendranath Tagore founded Tattwabodhini Sabha in 1839 as a small group of the Brahmo Samaj, but in 1859, it was dissolved back Into Brahmo Samaj by him. He tried to retain some of the traditional Hindu customs. Also, condemned idol Worship, discouraged pilgrimages, ceremonies and penances among the Brahmos. Under the dynamic leadership of Kesab Chandra, its branches were opened outside Bengal in the Uttar Pradesh, the Punjab, Bombay, Madras and other towns. But his liberal and cosmopolitan outlook brought about a split in the Brahmo Samaj. Note: Keshab Chandra Sen and his followers left Samaj in1866 and formed the Brahmo Samaj of India. Debendranaths Samaj henceforth came to be known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj.
Ramakrishna Mission is an organisation which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement. Also known as the Vedanta Movement, it was founded by Swami Vivekananda on 1st May 1897 at Belur Math in Howrah, West Bengal. The mission aims at the harmony of religions and promoting peace and equality for all humanity. It subscribes to the ancient Hindu philosophy of Vedanta. The mission conducts extensive work in healthcare, disaster relief, rural management, tribal welfare, elementary and higher education and culture. The mission bases its work on the principles of Karma Yoga.
The Swadeshi Movement had its genesis in the anti-partition movement which started with the partition Bengal by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. This movement started in Bengal in 1905 and continued till 1911. Marked the beginning of a new form of mobilisation, the movement gave an original orientation to the politics through its policies of boycott, passive resistance, mass agitation, etc. It was the most successful movement of the Pre-Gandhian era. The chief architects of this movement were Aurobindo Ghosh, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, etc.
The Muslim League, the first organisation of the Islamic community fighting for independence in India, was founded in 1906. The Anushilan Samiti was founded in 1906 by Pramathanath Mitra. The Samiti challenged British rule in India by engaging in militant nationalism. Anushilan Samiti had two prominent branches known as Dhaka Anushilan Samiti centred in Dhaka and Juganatar Anushilan Samiti focused at Calcutta.
In the 1930s, Bengal was one of the leading centres of activity of the Communist Party of India. The most prominent communist movement was the Tebhaga movement which was initiated by the Kisan Sabha of Bengal in 1946. Tebhaga means three shares of harvests. The movement resulted in clashes between Jotedars and Bargadars.
Ahl-e-Hadith is the adherents of Shariah-based on hadith and sunnah. They launched the movement in the second half of the 19th century for reviving Islam based on its fundamental principles. As a religious revivalist movement, Ahl-e-Hadith is committed to the practice of the sunnah of the great Prophet Muhammad. The Ahl-e-Hadith movement in India has been founded on four pillars, i.e. belief in pure Unitarianism, the Sunnah of the great Prophet Muhammad, enthusiasm for jihad or holy war and submission to Allah. Ahl-e-Hadith insists on taking all decisions based on the holy Quran and Hadith and not by applying the methodology of Qiyas or analogy. In 1914, the Bengali and Assamese students of Maulana Sayyid Miyan Nadhir Husain formed Bengal and Assam wings of Anjuman-i-Hadith. After 1947, the headquarters of the organisation was shifted from Calcutta to Pabna. The Anjuman-e-Ahl-e-Hadith was formed inWest Bengal in 1951.
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