19 th and early 20 th century

th and early th century You have already seen the far- reaching impact of colonialism on our lives. The social reform movements which emerged in India in the th century arose to the challenges that colonial Indian society faced. You probably are familiar with what were termed social evils that plagued Indian society. The well-known issues are that of sati , child marriage, ban on widow remarriage and caste discrimination. It is not that attempts were not made to fight social discrimination in pre-colonial India. They were central to Buddhism, Bhakti and Sufi movements. What marked these th century social reform attempts was the modern context and mix of ideas. It was a creative combination of modern ideas of western liberalism and a new look on traditional literature. Raja Ram Mohun Roy Pandita Ramabai Sir Syed Ahmed Khan