Home > Indian History > History of India > Doctrines of Brahmo Samaj
Doctrines of Brahmo Samaj
Doctrines of Brahmo Samaj were sketched by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and further enriched by others.

Share this Article:

Doctrines of Brahmo Samaj, Brahmo SamajBrahmo Samaj is considered one of the most influential and powerful organisations that propelled a significant socio-religious movement in India during the British period. The organisation got huge popularity among the newly English educated elite class of India and made a huge impact on the contemporary Indian society. Brahmo Samaj operated with certain aims and objectives and propagated its own views and doctrines on various social and religious issues. The Brahmo Samaj was founded and led by the Raja Ram Mohan Roy and the sketching of the Samaj`s doctrines was also done by Ram Mohan Roy. The doctrines of Brahmo Samaj became the basic ideology for many more socio-religious movements that occurred in different parts of India during the nineteenth and twentieth century.

Ram Mohan Roy was counted amongst the most eminent educationalists and social reformers of nineteenth century in Bengal. He was adhered to theism and believed in worshipping only one formless God. He was also against all the evil rituals that were practised in Hinduism. Ram Mohan Roy`s personal views were nicely reflected in the doctrines of Brahmo Samaj and in fact, the base of the Brahmo philosophy was built by Roy. Ram Mohan Roy sketched the doctrines of Brahmo Samaj for the first time in a Trust Deed that was filed in 1830. According to the deed, the Brahmo Samaj would operate for a reaffirmation of egalitarianism and would worship only one deity, who is `the Eternal Unsearchable and Immutable Being who is the Author and Preserver of the Universe`. Roy also included a prohibition of all forms of idolatry and sacrifice and a ban on criticism of other religious beliefs and practices, in the deed. However, Ram Mohan Roy did not elaborate on these principles further.

Doctrines of Brahmo Samaj, Brahmo Samaj The doctrines of Brahmo Samaj sketched by Raja Ram Mohan Roy were based in the belief that once Hinduism returns to its past purity and once proper belief is reestablished, the erroneous customs such as Sati, the debarring of women from education, elaborate and useless rituals, idolatry and polytheism would disappear. The vision was based on the Vedas, Upanishads and Vedanta-Sutra and the validity of these texts were elaborated by Ram Mohan Roy in the doctrines of Brahmo Samaj.

After Ram Mohan Roy departed for England in November, 1830 and died in 1833, the leadership of Brahmo Samaj was taken by Debendranath Tagore. Tagore fought against the Christian missionaries and also propagated theistic Hinduism. Though he accepted Vedanta, he emphasised on the superiority of Hinduism and brought about a degree of structure and ideological coherence to Brahmo Samaj. He wrote the Brahma Covenant, which was a creedal statement listing the basic obligations of membership of Brahmo Samaj. He also revised the Hindu life-cycle rituals in 1861 and gave them a particular Brahmo form.

Under the leadership of Keshab Chandra Sen, the doctrines of Brahmo Samaj underwent changes and a sense of militancy was introduced to the operations of the Samaj. Restlessness, a sharp rejection of the older values and militancy became the features of Brahmo Samaj. The Brahmos abandon the caste system and the sacred thread worn by Brahmans and also refused to practise temperance. They worked for the equality of women and started to strive for social radicalism. The first schism of Brahmo Samaj also occurred during that period, mainly because of the changed philosophies of Keshab Chandra Sen and his followers. However, the Adi Brahmo Samaj led by Debendranath Tagore continued to follow the religious doctrines of Brahmo Samaj and acted like a religious organisation dinned with rituals and theology. This section of Brahmo Samaj was not inclined to social reform and devoted much of its attention to the defence of Hinduism from the missionary criticisms.

The doctrines of Brahmo Samaj laid major emphasis on the worship of one formless omnipresent God, who has no name, designation or title. The Samaj always opposed the evil practices of Hinduism and strongly cited scriptural sources to justify their contention that the practices were not required by Hindu law. They also described them as erroneous accretions. The Brahmo doctrines believe that God and his presence are proven by the complexity of reality. The philosophy envisions God as the "almighty superintendent of the universe". According to the doctrines of Brahmo Samaj, the debarring of women from education should be opposed and the elaborate and useless rituals, idolatry and polytheism should disappear. The Brahmo philosophy has no faith in any scripture as an authority; has no faith in Avatars; the philosophy denounces the polytheism and idol-worship and also opposes the caste restrictions.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.