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Question 1: Choose the appropriate option.

a) ______ agitation led to the passing of the Hindu Widows Remarriage Act in 1856.

• i) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s
• ii) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s
• iii) Pandita Ramabai’s
• iv) Savitribai Phule’s
• Answer: i) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s

b) ______ founded Kanya Gurukuls to promote education for women.

• i) Swami Vivekanand
• ii) M. G. Ranade
• iii) Swami Dayanand Saraswati
• iv) Annie Besant
• Answer: iii) Swami Dayanand Saraswati

c) The ______ started a powerful movement to reform the Gurudwaras.

• i) Arya Samaj
• ii) Akali Dal
• iii) Theosophical Society
• iv) Brahmo Samaj
• Answer: ii) Akali Dal

Question 2: Consider the following statements and choose the correct option.

a)

• Assertion (A): The reformers launched an attack on the evils prevailing in the Indian society.
• Reason (R): Widow remarriage was not considered an evil.
• Answer: ii) Assertion (A) is true and Reason (R) is false.

b)

• Assertion (A): Western ideals were criticized by all the Indian reformers.
• Reason (R): The introduction of English education exposed the Indians to a diverse range of knowledge.
• Answer: ii) Assertion (A) is true and Reason (R) is false.

Question 3: Match the columns.

Column A	Column B
a) Prarthana Samaj	i) Pandita Ramabai
b) Brahmo Samaj	ii) Atmaram Pandurang
c) Arya Mahila Samaj	iii) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
d) Bahishkrut Hitkarini Sabha	iv) Swami Vivekanand
e) Ramakrishna Mission	v) Raja Rammohan Roy

Column A	Column B
a) Prarthana Samaj	ii) Atmaram Pandurang
b) Brahmo Samaj	v) Raja Rammohan Roy
c) Arya Mahila Samaj	i) Pandita Ramabai
d) Bahishkrut Hitkarini Sabha	iii) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
e) Ramakrishna Mission	iv) Swami Vivekanand

Question 4: Answer the following questions in 10 to 20 words.

a) What kind of evil practices are responsible for the pitiable condition of women?

Several deeply rooted evil practices were responsible for the pitiable condition of women in 19th-century India. The most severe included Sati, where a widow was forced to immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. Other widespread issues were child marriage, which led to health problems and early widowhood, and the ban on widow remarriage, condemning widows to a life of poverty and social ostracism. Furthermore, the practice of female infanticide and the systemic denial of education to girls kept them economically dependent and deprived of personal agency, perpetuating their subjugation for generations.

b) What do you understand by ‘Indian Renaissance’?

The ‘Indian Renaissance’ refers to a significant period of social, religious, and intellectual awakening in 19th-century India. It was sparked by the exposure to Western ideas like rationalism and humanism, which prompted Indian reformers to critically re-examine their own society. This led to a powerful movement aimed at eradicating social evils like Sati and child marriage, and promoting women’s education and rights. It was not about rejecting Indian culture, but about reforming it from within by blending the best of Eastern and Western thought to build a more progressive and just society.

c) Why is Raja Ram Mohun Roy considered ‘the father of modern India’?

Raja Ram Mohun Roy is deservedly called the ‘father of modern India’ for pioneering the movement for social and religious reform. He launched a relentless campaign against the brutal practice of Sati, which culminated in its official abolition in 1829. A visionary, he founded the Brahmo Samaj to promote a rational, monotheistic form of Hinduism free from idol worship and superstition. He also championed the cause of modern Western education, believing it was essential for India’s progress. By advocating for a scientific temper and rational thinking, he laid the intellectual foundation for a modern Indian nation.

d) Why Jyotirao Phule is considered an influential reformer?

Jyotirao Phule is considered a highly influential reformer because he pioneered the fight for social justice from the perspective of the most oppressed—the lower castes and women. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, opened the first school for girls in India in 1848, boldly challenging the patriarchal norms of the time. He fiercely opposed the caste system and established the Satyashodhak Samaj to promote social equality. His work was groundbreaking as it directly linked caste oppression with the denial of education and sought to empower the marginalized through knowledge and social organization.

Question 5: Answer the following questions in 50 to 70 words.

a) Discuss Periyar’s view on the caste system.
Periyar E.V. Ramasamy viewed the caste system as the most oppressive and divisive social evil in India, particularly for the Dravidian people of the south. He argued that it was not a religious sacrament but a manipulative tool created by Brahmins to establish their social, economic, and intellectual dominance over other communities. His movement, the Self-Respect Movement, aggressively challenged this hierarchy by promoting rationalism, encouraging inter-caste marriages, and advocating for the complete annihilation of caste. He believed that true social justice and empowerment for the lower castes could only be achieved by dismantling this discriminatory system entirely.

b) How was the reform movement initiated among the Sikhs?
The reform movement among the Sikhs, known as the Singh Sabha Movement, began in the late 19th century. It was initiated to revive what was seen as the pure, original teachings of the Sikh Gurus and to counter the proselytizing activities of Christian missionaries and Hindu reformist groups like the Arya Samaj. The Singh Sabha leaders worked to eradicate practices they considered non-Sikh, such as idol worship and casteism within Gurudwaras. They promoted Western education alongside Sikh teachings, established Khalsa colleges, and laid the groundwork for the later Gurdwara Reform Movement (Akali Dal), which successfully freed Sikh shrines from the control of corrupt hereditary custodians.

c) Describe the contribution of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the upliftment of the depressed classes.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar made monumental contributions to the upliftment of the depressed classes (Dalits) by fighting for their political rights, social dignity, and educational advancement. He organized powerful movements like the Mahad Satyagraha to assert the right to access public water sources. As the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, he architected a framework that abolished untouchability and provided safeguards like reservation to ensure social justice and representation. Ultimately, believing that equality was unattainable within Hinduism, he led millions of his followers to convert to Buddhism, seeking a path based on liberty and fraternity.

d) How did women reformers fight for the emancipation of women?

Women reformers fought for emancipation through direct action and powerful advocacy. Pioneers like Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh braved social ostracism to establish the first schools for girls, breaking the barrier to education. Pandita Ramabai founded shelters for widows and championed their right to education and independence. These reformers used writing and public speaking to condemn evils like child marriage and the purdah system. By creating educational institutions, welfare organizations, and leading by personal example, they provided women with the tools and confidence to claim their rights and redefine their role in society.

Question 6: Give reasons.

a) The introduction of English education changed the outlook towards socio and religious ideas.
The introduction of English education acted as a catalyst for intellectual revolution. It exposed a new generation of Indians to Western principles of rationalism, liberty, and social equality. Thinkers like John Stuart Mill and the ideals of the French Revolution prompted them to critically re-exinate their own societal norms. This new lens revealed the irrationality of many prevailing customs like Sati and caste discrimination, fostering a spirit of inquiry and reform. It empowered reformers to use these modern ideas to challenge orthodox religious and social structures, leading to a widespread awakening.

b) The caste system had hampered social mobility.
The caste system, by its very design, was a rigid hierarchy that assigned an individual’s profession and social status purely by birth. This structure completely hamstrung social mobility, as a person born into a lower caste was permanently locked into a life of menial labour and social stigma, with no legal or social avenue to improve their standing. It denied them access to education, wealth, and positions of power, effectively creating a closed society where talent and merit were irrelevant, and one’s destiny was predetermined, stifling both individual potential and collective national progress.