Brahmo Samaj
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Brahmo Samaj | |
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Calcutta, British India | |
Official website | brahmosamaj |
Brahmo Samaj (
It was one of the most influential religious movements in India
Meaning of the name
The Brahmo Samaj literally denotes community (
Doctrine
The following doctrines, as noted in Renaissance of Hinduism, are common to all varieties and offshoots of the Brahmo Samaj:[8][9]
- Brahmo Samajists denied that any scripture could enjoy the status of ultimate authority transcending human reason and conscience.
- Brahmo Samajists have no faith in Avatars (incarnations)
- Brahmo Samajists denounce polytheism and idol-worship.
- Brahmo Samajists are against caste system.
- Brahmo Samajists took no definite stand on the doctrine of karma and transmigration of soul and left it to individual Brahmos to believe either way.
Divisions of Brahmo Samaj
- Adi Brahmo Samaj
- Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
Anusthanic versus Ananusthanic (Non-Anusthanic) Brahmos
Anusthanic Brahmos comprise Adi Brahmos, Adi Dharmaites and many Sadharan Brahmos. Anusthanic Brahmos are exclusively adherents of the Brahmo religion and have no other faith.
The concept of the soul is anathema to Anusthanic Brahmos, which they consider to have been ruled out by the "1861 Anusthan"[citation needed] and they instead refer to the soul as "being". Every "being", which they consider immortal, is a part of God, who they see as the singularity, author and preserver of existence. "Beings" are sent out by God for a mission, "Kriya" on completion of which the "being" reintegrates (re-absorbs) into God.
For Anusthanic Brahmos the next step after death is this reintegration, re-absorption and renewal with God.
This corresponds to the 2nd "Adi" Prime Principle:[citation needed]
Being is created from Singularity. Being is renewed to Singularity. Being exists to be one again with Loving Singularity.
Ananusthanic (Non-Anusthanic Brahmos) believe in the concept of immortal souls eternally progressing towards God. This implies a karmic and fatalistic belief, which is different to Kriayic Brahmoism.[10]
History and timeline
Brahmo Sabha
On 20 August 1828 the first assembly of the Brahmo Sabha was held at the North Calcutta house of Feringhee Kamal Bose. This day was celebrated by Brahmos as Bhadrotsab (ভাদ্রোৎসব Bhadrotshôb; "Bhadro celebration"). These meetings were open to all people irrespective of religion, caste, creed, gender. The format of worship was defined by Raja Ram Mohan Roy - which included reading of the Vedas by two Telegu Brahmins, followed by an explanation of Vedanta and Upanishads in Bengali by Utsavananda Bidyabagish, followed by Brahmasangeet composed by Rammohun or his friends. The songs were performed by top classical musical exponents Krishnaprasad and Bishnu Chakraborty and percussion was played by the country's top maestro Golam Abbas.[11][12]
On 8 January 1830 influential progressive members of the closely related
On 23 January 1830 or 11th Magh, the Adi Brahmo premises were publicly inaugurated (with about 500 Brahmins and 1 Englishman present). This day is celebrated by Brahmos as Maghotsab (মাঘোৎসব Maghotshôb "Magh celebration").
In November 1830 Rammohun Roy left for England. Akbar II had conferred the title of 'Raja' to Rammohun Roy.[16]
Brief eclipse of Brahmo Sabha
By the time of Rammohun's death in 1833 near Bristol (UK), attendance at the Samaj dwindled. Dwarkanath Tagore provided the funds for the upkeep of the Samaj and Ram Chandra Vidyabagish kept up the flame burning, and arrived each week to perform the divine service as laid out by Rammohun.
Tattwabodhini period
On 6 October 1839, Debendranath Tagore, son of Dwarkanath Tagore, established Tattvaranjini Sabha which was shortly thereafter renamed the Tattwabodhini ("Truth-seekers") Sabha. Initially confined to immediate members of the Tagore family, in two years it mustered over 500 members. In 1840, Debendranath published a Bangla translation of Katha Upanishad. A modern researcher describes the Sabha's philosophy as modern middle-class (bourgeois) Vedanta.[17]. Among its first members were the "two giants of Hindu reformation and Bengal Renaissance", Akshay Kumar Datta, who in 1839 emerged from the life of an "anonymous squalor-beset individual", and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the "indigenous modernizer".[18]
First Covenant and merger with the Tattwabodhini Sabha
On 7th Pous 1765 Shaka (1843) Debendranath Tagore and twenty other Tattwabodhini stalwarts were formally invited by Pt. Vidyabagish into the Trust of Brahmo Sabha. The Pous Mela at Santiniketan starts on this day.[19] From this day forth, the Tattwabodhini Sabha dedicated itself to promoting Ram Mohan Roy's creed.[20] The other Brahmins who swore the First Covenant of Brahmoism are:
- Shridhar Bhattacharya
- Shyamacharan Bhattacharya
- Brajendranath Tagore
- Girindranath Tagore, brother of Debendranath Tagore and father of Ganendranath Tagore
- Anandachandra Bhattacharya
- Taraknath Bhattacharya
- Haradev Chattopadhyaya, the future father-in-law to Mahacharya Hemendranath Tagore[21]
- Shyamacharan Mukhopadhyaya
- Ramnarayan Chattopadhyaya
- Sashibhushan Mukhopadhyaya
Foundation of the Brahmo Samaj
In 1861 the Brahmo Samaj was founded at Lahore by Nobin Roy.[22] It included many Bengalis from the Lahore Bar Association. Many branches were opened in the Punjab, at Quetta, Rawalpindi, Amritsar etc.[23]
First secession
Disagreement with the Debendranath Tagore and Keshub Chandra Sen came to a head publicly between the period of 1 August 1865 till November 1866 and the followers of Keshub created the "Brahmo Samaj of India". This period is also referred to in the histories of the secessionists as the "First Schism".[24]
Brahmo Samaj and Swami Narendranath Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda was influenced by the Brahmo Samaj of India, and visited the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj in his youth.[25]
Current status and number of adherents
While the various Calcutta sponsored movements declined after 1920 and faded into obscurity after the Partition of India, the Adi Dharm creed has expanded and is now the 9th largest of India's enumerated religions with 7.83 million adherents, heavily concentrated between the states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In the Indian census of 2001 only 177 persons declared themselves a "Brahmo", but the number of subscriber members to Brahmo Samaj is somewhat larger at around 20,000 members.[26][27]
Social and religious reform
In matters of social reform the Brahmo Samaj attacked many dogmas and superstitions. It condemned the prevailing Hindu prejudice against going abroad (Kala Pani). The Samaj condemned practice of Sati (burning of widows), discouraged child marriage and polygamy, and crusaded for widow remarriage. The Samaj attacked casteism and untouchability.[28]
After the controversy of underage marriage of
Second secession
Differences arose between Keshub Chandra Sen and the band of young people who called themselves "Samadarshi". The difference arose due to the autocratic handling of the works of the Brahmo Samaj by Keshub Chandra Sen. The differences came to a head with the Coochbehar marriage. A meeting was called in Town Hall of Calutta on 15 May 1878 and the
See also
- History of Bengal
- Arya Samaj
- Brahmo
- Prarthana Samaj
- Tattwabodhini Patrika
- Brahmosamaj Kerala and Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan
References and notes
- ^ J. N. Farquhar, Modern Religious Movements of India (1915), p. 29.
- ^ Brahmo Samaj and the Making of Modern India, David Kopf, publ. 1979 Princeton University Press (USA).
- ^ Modern Religious Movements in India, J. N. Farquhar (1915), p. 29 etc.
- ^ "Official Brahmo website". Brahmosamaj.in. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "Bangladesh Law Commission" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ Page 1 Chapter 1 Volume 1 History of the Brahmo Samaj by Sivanath Sastri, 1911, 1st. edn. publisher R.Chatterji, Cornwallis St. Calcutta. Brahmo (ব্রাহ্ম bramho) literally means "one who worships Brahman", and Samaj (সমাজ shômaj) mean "community of men".
- ^ Trust Deed of Brahmo Sabha 1830.
- ^ Source: The Gazetteer of India, Volume 1: Country and people. Delhi, Publications Division, Government of India, 1965. CHAPTER VIII – Religion. HINDUISM by Dr. C.P.Ramaswami Aiyar, Dr. Nalinaksha Dutt, Prof. A.R.Wadia, Prof. M.Mujeeb, Dr. Dharm Pal and Fr. Jerome D'Souza, S.J.
- ISBN 978-81-7930-688-8. Archivedfrom the original on 30 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ "Anusthanic Brahmos, Ananusthnic Brahmo Samaj". World Brahmo Council. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- Raja Rammohun Roy and his friends like Dwarkanath Tagore, Kalinath Munshi, Ram Chandra Vidyabagish and others. The Samaj regularly gathered on Saturday between seven o'clock to nine o'clock. These were informal meetings of Bengali Brahmins (the "twice born"), accompanied by Upanishadic recitations in Sanskrit followed by Bengalitranslations of the Sanskrit recitation and singing of Brahmo hymns composed by Rammohun.
- ^ History of the Brahmo Samaj – Sivanath Satri (1911).
- ^ "A History of Brahmin Clans" (Brāhmaṇa Vaṃshõ kā Itihāsa) in Hindi, by Dorilāl Śarmā, published by Rāśtriya Brāmhamana Mahāsabhā, Vimal Building, Jamirābād, Mitranagar, Masūdābād, Aligarh 2nd edn. 1998 and also footnotes to Bengali Brahmin.
- ^ "Tagore, (Prince) Dwarkanath". Banglapedia. 22 April 2009. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ "Online copy of 1830 Trust Deed". brahmosamaj.in. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ISBN 0-521-24986-4.
- ^ 2007: Brian Hatcher Journal of American Academy of Religion.
- ^ Brahmo Samaj and the Making of Modern India, David Kopf, Princeton University Press, pp. 43–57.
- ^ "Rabindra Bharati Museum Kolkata, The Tagores & Society". Rabindrabharatiuniversity.net. Archived from the original on 7 March 2005. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "Bourgeois Hinduism", Brian Allison Hatcher, pp. 57–58.
- ^ History of the Brahmo Samaj, S. Sastri. 2nd ed. p. 81.
- ^ Qalb-i-Abid, S. "The Growth of Communalism in the Punjab Before the 1919 Reforms: A Brief Survey" (PDF). Pakistan Journal of History and Culture. 11: 4.
- .
- ^ Pt. Shivnath Shastri, Brahmo History, 1911, pp. 106-107, 2nd ed.
- ISBN 9788120815865. Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- ^ "Brahmo Samaj FAQ Frequently asked Questions". Brahmo.org. 25 July 2011. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ Statewise census computation Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine by the Brahmo Conference Organisation.
- ISBN 9781400869893.
- ^ "Brahma Sabha". Banglapedia. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ History of the Brahmo Samaj - Sivanath Sastri (1911) pp. 290 - 292.
External links
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