Social Reform Movements in south

Year	Event / Organization	Key Leaders
1888	Aravipuram Movement	Sree Narayana Guru (Consecrated the Shiva idol, defying caste restrictions).
1903	SNDP Yogam	Sree Narayana Guru (Founder), Dr. Palpu (Organizer), and Kumaran Asan (First Secretary).
1916	Justice Party (South Indian Liberal Federation)	Dr. C. Natesa Mudaliar, T.M. Nair, and P. Theagaraya Chetty.
1924	Vaikom Satyagraha	K.P. Kesava Menon, T.K. Madhavan, and E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar).
1925	Self-Respect Movement	E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar).
1938	Periyar elected President	E.V. Ramasamy (Elected while in prison during the Anti-Hindi agitations).
1944	Dravidar Kazhagam (DK)	E.V. Ramasamy (He renamed the Justice Party at the Salem Conference).

Satyashodhak Samaj (1873)

Core Essentials

• Founder: Jyotirao Phule (Mahatma Phule).
• Date & Place: September 24, 1873; Pune, Maharashtra.
• Motto: “The Almighty does not need a mediator” (Challenged the necessity of priests).
• Target Group: Bahujan Samaj (Shudras, Ati-Shudras, and Women).

Key Ideology

• Anti-Caste: Total rejection of the Varna system and Brahminical supremacy.
• Rationalism: Focus on human rights and social justice based on logic, not scriptures.
• Secular Rituals: Conducted marriages and ceremonies without Sanskrit or priests.

Landmark Literature & Media

• Gulamgiri (1873): Phule’s most famous book; compared the plight of lower castes to American slavery.
• Sarvajanik Satya Dharma: Outlined the “True Religion” based on equality.
• Deenbandhu: The official newspaper (Started by Krishnarao Bhalekar in 1877).

Significant Milestones

• 1848: Phule opened the first school for girls in Bhide Wada, Pune.
• 1863: Started Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha (Home for the Prevention of Infanticide) to help pregnant widows.
• 1868: Opened his personal water tank to “untouchables.”
• Shahu Maharaj: Later patronized the movement in the early 1900s.

SNDP Yogam (1903)

Core Essentials

• Founder: Sree Narayana Guru.
• Narayana Guru served as its permanent chairman, while Kumaran Asan, a renowned poet and disciple of Guru, became its general secretary
• Key Associates: Dr. Palpu (the organizer) and Kumaran Asan (the poet).
• Date & Place: May 15, 1903; Kerala (Aruvippuram).
• Target Group: The Ezhava community (traditionally “untouchable” toddy-tappers).

Key Ideology

• Famous Slogan: “Oru Jati, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu” (One Caste, One Religion, One God for Mankind).
• Advaita Philosophy: Based on the principle that all humans are spiritually equal.
• Self-Help: Focused on education and economic upliftment rather than just asking for government favors.

Landmark Activities

• Aruvippuram Installation (1888): Narayana Guru defied Brahminical monopoly by installing a stone from the Neyyar River as a Shiva Linga, stating he was installing an “Ezhava Shiva.”
• Vaikom Satyagraha (1924-25): The movement provided the ideological backbone for the struggle to open temple roads to lower castes.
• Education: Built a network of schools and colleges to bypass the discrimination in state-run institutions.
• He established Sivagiri Mutt in 1904

Successors & Critics

• Sahadaran Ayyapan: A disciple who took a more radical/atheistic turn with the slogan “No Religion, No Caste, No God for Mankind.”

1. Early Organizations

• Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha (1924): Founded in Bombay to promote education and culture among the “depressed classes.” Its motto was “Educate, Agitate, Organize.”
• Samaj Samata Sangh (1927): Formed to preach social equality and organize common dining (inter-dining) programs.

2. Iconic Agitations

• Mahad Satyagraha (1927): Led thousands to the Chavdar Tank in Mahad to assert the right of untouchables to drink water from public resources. During this event, he famously burned the Manusmriti.
• Kalaram Temple Entry (1930): A massive protest in Nasik for the right to enter temples. Unlike Gandhi, Ambedkar eventually concluded that temple entry was less important than political power.

3. Political Parties

• Independent Labour Party (ILP) (1936): Formed to protect the interests of the laboring classes (both Dalit and non-Dalit). It won 15 seats in the 1937 Bombay Legislative Assembly elections.
• Scheduled Castes Federation (SCF) (1942): An all-India political party to represent the interests of Dalits exclusively.
• Republican Party of India (RPI): He laid the blueprint for this party just before his death in 1956.

4. Key Literature & Journals

• Mooknayak (1920): His first Marathi weekly (supported by Shahu Maharaj).
• Bahishkrit Bharat (1927): Started after the Mahad Satyagraha.
• Annihilation of Caste (1936): His most famous work (originally a speech) where he argued that the caste system cannot be reformed—it must be destroyed.

1. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule (1827–1890)

• Title: ‘Mahatma’ (Conferred in 1888 by Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar at a social gathering in Bombay).
• Organization:Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth Seekers’ Society).
  • Founded: September 24, 1873.
  • Location: Pune.
  • Aim: To liberate the Shudras and Ati-Shudras from exploitation by the upper castes and priestly class.
• Ideology:
  • Strongly opposed Sanskrit Hinduism and the Caste System.
  • Rejected idolatry (Murti Puja).
  • Propagated the concept of “Nirmik” (The Creator) – asserting that no priest or middleman is required to connect with God.

Key Social Reforms:

• Education: Opened India’s 1st Girls’ School in August 1848 at Bhide Wada, Pune.
• Widow Welfare: Established the ‘Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha’ (Home for the Prevention of Infanticide) in 1863. This provided a safe place for pregnant Brahmin widows to give birth to avoid social shame and infanticide.
• Against Untouchability: In 1868, he opened his private water tank to untouchables to challenge caste purity norms.

Literary Works (Chronology & Themes):

1. Gulamgiri (Slavery) – 1873: Dedicated to the people of the USA who fought to abolish slavery (drawing a parallel between American slaves and Indian lower castes).
2. Shetkarayacha Aasud (Cultivator’s Whipcord): highlighted the exploitation of farmers.
3. Sarvajanik Satyadharma: Published posthumously in 1891; contains his comprehensive philosophy.
4. Tritiya Ratna: A play written in 1855.
5. Satsar: (The Essence of Truth).

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2. Savitribai Phule (1831–1897)

• Role: Regarded as India’s First Female Teacher and a pioneer of the modern Indian feminist movement.
• Contribution: Worked alongside Jyotiba Phule in running schools despite facing severe social boycott (people often threw mud and stones at her).
• Social Work:
  • Mahila Seva Mandal (1852): Founded to create awareness about women’s rights.
  • Barbers’ Strike: She organized a strike of barbers to protest the practice of shaving the heads of widows.
• Literary Works:
  • Kavyaphule (1854): A collection of poetry.
  • Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (1892): A biography/history of Jyotiba Phule.
• Legacy:
  • January 3 (her birthday) is observed as ‘Balika Din’ in Maharashtra.
  • She died in 1897 while nursing victims of the Plague in Pune (she contracted the disease herself).

Justice Movement (Madras, 1916)

• Also Known as South Indian Liberal Federation (Justice Party).
• Founders: C.N Mudaliar, T.M Nair, P. Tyagaraj.
• Goal: To Secure Jobs and Repn for Non Brahmins in legislature.
• 1st Non-Brahminical movn in TN.

Justice Party (Continued)

• In 1920, they fought elections as the Justice Party.
• In 1937, it came under the leadership of E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar) and his Self-Respect Movement.
• He transformed the Justice Party into a social movement called Dravidian Kazhagam, and they withdrew from electoral politics.
• For the 1st time, they asked for caste-based Reservation in the country.

Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Movement (SNDP) (1888)

• Also known as the Aravippuram Movement (1888).
• Founded by Sree Narayana Guru among the Ezhavas of Kerala (a depressed caste/untouchables).
• Associates: Kumaran Asan and Dr. Palpu.
• Demands: Rights to admission to public schools, public services, access to roads, and political representation.
• It advocated for Temple entry and hygiene among Ezhavas.
• Note: Sree Narayana Guru is known for his conversation with Gandhi.

Self Respect Movement (TN)

• Started by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar) in the mid-1920s.
• Aim: Aimed at nothing short of the rejection of Brahminical religion.
• At times, it acquired violent manifestation and attacked symbols of Brahminical authority.

Temple Entry Movement

• T.K. Madhavan (Editor of Deshabhimani) took up this issue in Travancore.
• Vaikom Satyagraha (Kerala, 1924): Led by K.P. Kesava.
  • Demanded the opening of Hindu temples and roads for untouchables.
  • Gandhi toured to support it.
• Other leaders associated with Temple Entry:
  • Sree Narayana Guru, Subramaniam Tirumambu, N. Kumaran Asan.
  • K. Kellapan (during Civil Disobedience Movement).
  • P. Krishna Pillai, A.K. Gopalan.
  • C. Rajagopalachari (Madras) in 1938.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

• Principal of Sanskrit College.
• Reforms:
  • Opened the college for Non-Brahmins.
  • Introduced western thoughts in Sanskrit College to break the “Isolation of Sanskrit Learning”.
• Writings: Wrote the book “Bahuvivah”.
• Social Work:
  • Determined crusader in support of Widow Remarriage and against Polygamy and child marriage.
  • The Widow Remarriage Act (WRA) 1856 was the result of his efforts.
  • He was a Government Inspector of Schools.
  • Helped organize 35 Girls Schools, many run at his own expense.
  • He was the Secretary of Bethune School, making him a pioneer of women’s higher education.

Based on the handwritten notes in the source, here is the transcription of page 18:

Satyashodak Samaj and Jyotiba Phule (1873)

• (1827–1890)
• Movement against upper caste domination.
• Its Leadership came from Backward classes.
• Aim: Social Services – Spread education among women and lower caste.
• Objectives:
  • Eradication of untouchability and Socio-Economic Inequalities.
• Phule’s Work:
  • Against Sanskrit Hinduism.
  • Gender equality and Women’s education & empowerment.
  • Pioneer of widow remarriage movement.
• He along with his wife Savitribai Phule opened:
  • 1st Girls School in Poona.
  • School for Untouchable children.
  • Home for Pregnant Brahmin widows.
• Title: Given title “Mahatma” by Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar.
• Works of Phule:
  • Gulamgiri
  • Sarvajanik Satyadharma
  • Tritiya Ratna
  • Shetkarayache Aasuad (Cultivator’s Whipcord)
  • “Satya Sodh”.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Legacy

Year	Event / Organization	Key Details & Corrections
1924	Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha	Founded in Bombay. Focus: Education and socio-economic improvement of the “depressed classes.” motto : educate agitate oragnise
1927	Samaj Samata Sangh	Established to preach social equality and organize inter-caste dinners and marriages.
1927	Mahad Satyagraha	Correction: You listed 1924, but it occurred in March 1927. It was a fight for the right to use water from the Chavdar Tank.
1927	Manusmriti Dahan	(Dec 25, 1927) Ambedkar publicly burned the Manusmriti as a protest against the ideological basis of untouchability.
1930	Kalaram Temple Entry	Led by Ambedkar and Dadasaheb Gaikwad in Nasik. It was a massive non-violent struggle for religious rights.
1936	Independent Labour Party (ILP)	Formed to protect the interests of the working class and abolish the Khoti (landlord) system.
1942	Scheduled Castes Federation	Founded as a pan-India political party to demand rights for the Dalit community during the transition of power.
1956/57	Republican Party of India (RPI)	Ambedkar laid the groundwork in 1956, but the party was officially formally established in October 1957 after his death.