SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENT

Impact of Social Reform movements in the Socio - Economic Development of Tamil Nadu             

This post describes the Impact of Social Reform movements in the Socio - Economic Development of Tamil Nadu ||  Evolution of 19th and 20th Century Socio-Political movements in Tamil Nadu || Social and religious reform movement. This is one of the important topic for TNPSC exam. You can also download free pdf of the reference materials from the link given at the end of the article

 Social Reformers of Tamilnadu

(1) Ramalinga Swamigal :

    Ramalinga Swamigal (1823–1874) was popularly known as Vallalar and was born in Marudhur, a village near Chidambaram. He showed his compassion and mercy on all living beings including plants. This he called jeevakarunya. That is why he said "Vaadiya payirai kandapodellam vaadinaen". He expressed the view that ‘those who lack compassion for suffering beings are hard hearted, their wisdom clouded’.

    He opposed the superstitious beliefs and rituals.He emphasized on being vegetarian. One of the primary teaching of vallalar is Service to mankind is the path of moksha.

    He established the Samarasa Vedha Sanmarga Sangam in 1865 and it was renamed “Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Satya Sanga” which means “Society for Pure Truth in Universal self-hood”.

    He also established Sathya Dharuma Salai a free feeding house for everyone irrespective of caste at Vadalur in 1867, in the wake of a terrible famine in south India in 1866.

    He also established Sathya Gnana Sabai in 1872. He introduced the principle that God could be worshiped in the form of Light (Arul Perum Jothi).

    His voluminous songs were compiled and published under the title Thiruvarutpa (Songs of Grace). His radical views deeply disturbed Saiva orthodoxy, who condemned his writings as Marutpa (songs of ignorance).

    His other literay works include Manu Murai Kanda Vasagam, Chinmaya deepikai, Olivillodukam, Thondai mandala sadhakkam and Jeeva Karunyam.

(2) Vaikunda Swamigal:

            

    Sri Vaikunda Swamigal was born in 1809 at Swamithoppu in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.His original name Mudichudum Perumal was changed to Muthukutty by his parents due to objection raised by the upper caste Hindus.

    He preached the ideas of equality and advocated the rights of depressed  class people in the face of stiff opposition from upper castes as well as the princely state of Travancore. 

    Vaikunda Swamikal criticized the rule of the British and the rule of Rajah of Travancore as the rule of White devils and Black devils respectively.

    He requested the people to give up all the irrelevant rites and rituals in their worship. In 1833, Vaikundar commenced his meditation at Samithoppu for the abolition of caste differences and social integration of the society. Vaikunda Swamigal condemned the worship of idols. The people sacrificed goats, cocks and hens. He condemned these religious customs and campaigned against animal sacrifice.

    Vaikunda Swamigal founded Samathuva Samajam to unite all the people of various castes. His followers called him respectfully as Ayya (father). His cult was also known as Ayya Vazhi (The Path of Ayya). By the mid- nineteenth century, Ayyavazhi came to be recognized as a separate religion and spread in the regions of South Travancore and South Tirunelveli.

    After his death, the religion was spread on the basis of his teachings and the religious books Akilattirattu, Ammanai and Arul Nool. Hundreds of Nizhal Thangals (places of worship) were built across the country. His ideas are collected into a text called Akila Thirattu. 

(3) Iyothee Thassar:

    Pandithar Iyothee Thassar (1845–1914) was a radical Tamil scholar, writer, siddha medicine practitioner, journalist and sociopolitical activist. He was born in chennai. His original name was Kathavarayan.

    He campaigned for social justice and untouchables. He worked for the construction of a casteless identity and castigated caste hegemony and untouchability. He considered education as an important tool for empowerment.

    Iyothee Thassar founded the Advaidananda Sabha to raise the voice for the temple entry of the “untouchables”. In 1882, John Rathinam and Iyothee Thassar established a movement called, Dravida Kazhagam and launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian in 1885. 

    He founded the Dravida Mahajana Sabha in 1891 and organised the First Conference of the association at Nilgiris. He started a weekly journal, Oru Paisa Tamilan, in 1907 and published it until his demise in 1914.

    Influenced by the Theosophist organizer, Colonel H.S. Olcott, he went to Sri Lanka in 1898 and converted to Buddhism. In the same year, he founded the Sakya Buddhist Society at Madras to construct the rational religious philosophy through Buddhist religion. He called the “untouchables” Sathi Petham Atra Dravidar (Casteless Dravidians) and urged them to register as casteless Dravidians in the Census.

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