What Relevance did the Religious Revivalist Movements had with the Need of the Time in Post 1857 Colonial India? What New Trends had been Introduced by Such Movements?

PMS 2025 Solved Pakistan Studies Past Papers | Relevance of the Religious Revivalist Movements Post 1857

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Question Breakdown

In this question, the examiner has asked about the relevance of the religious revivalist movements of post-1857 colonial India to the needs of the time and the trends introduced by them. You have to use the wording in your answer and try to boil it down to the point. There is no need to elaborate on the tactics involved. You are supposed to trace relevance rather than nature. Then, trends can be understood while looking at the latter part of history. You can highlight four or five based on the weightage of the first part. 

Outline

1- Introduction

2- Religious Revivalist Movements: A Response to Resist Power Transfer and Secure Identity

3- What Relevance did the Religious Revivalist Movements have with the needs of the Time in post-1857 Colonial India?

• ✓ Arya Samaj: A Response to British Domination
  • Evidence: As historical records of Oxford Biographies provide, Araya Samaj was “born of Hinduism’s encounter with British colonialism and Christianity
• ✓ Deoband Movement: A Response to Identity Crisis
  • Evidence: Ahmad Sarwar wrote in the book Trek to Pakistan, one of the aims and objectives of Darul Uloom Deoband included avoiding the influence of government and preserving the freedom of thought and knowledge.
• ✓ Aligarh Movement: A Response to the Transfer of Power Limiting Downfall
  • Evidence: Shah Muhammad, the writer of the book The Aligarh Movement, writes that there was no alternative left to Sir Syed to save the Muslims except to infuse vigour and energy into their thought.
• ✓ Nadwat-ul Ulema: Embracing Change to Ensure Survival
  • Evidence: Ahmad Saeed writes in the book Trek to Pakistan that among all the movements launched to strengthen the faith of the Muslims by enlightening them about their culture and spiritual heritage, the most significant was Nadwa tul Ulema, as it attempted to bridge the gulf between the old and new ideas.

4- What New Trends had been introduced by Such Movements?

• ✓ Socio-Political Mobilization
• ✓ Institutionalization and Education
• ✓ Aggressive Proselytization
• ✓ Institutional Silos

5- Conclusion

Answer to the Question

Introduction

Post 1857, the Indian Subcontinent witnessed British colonialism and marked the beginning of the direct rule of the British Crown. As Rajiv Ahir writes in the book Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India, direct British imperialism in India started after the War of Independence in 1857, and was intentional, not accidental. The arrival of new power holders was feared in the Indian society, as they might face an identity crisis, social disintegration, and complete subjugation. To obstruct the politico-social crisis, they mobilized, i.e., community-specific, while using religion as a tool. The mobilization refers to the religious movements of the 19th century that were more academic in nature but set forth different trends. The movements include Arya Samaj, Darul Uloom Deoband, Nadwa tul Ulema, and Aligarh Movement. Their nature was more academic but set trends of Socio-political mobilization, institutionalization, aggressive proselytization, and print and public argument. These trends were seen in the initial phase of the 20th century, used to attain a separate homeland by both Hindus and Muslims. To conclude, the religious movements were a need-based response to the existing condition of 19th-century India that demanded resistance, survival, and adjustment.

Religious Revivalist Movements: A Response to Resist Power Transfer and Secure Identity

Post 1857 colonial India witnessed the direct rule of the British Crown in the Indian Subcontinent. However, Britain initiated its stranglehold a century earlier when the British East India Company started its business in the famous Surat port. As far as religious movements are concerned, their history dates back to the arrival of the British Company. One factor remained a prominent feature of the Indian society, a firm stance on identity perseverance. Most of the religious movements, both pre-1857, reflect efforts for identity perseverance, either in the case of Muslims or Hindus. It is noteworthy that these movements were not only meant to withhold a separate identity but also to promote pan-Islamism; Hindus also tried to restore their capacity by highlighting the notion of enforced conversions. Therefore, religious domination and identity preservation are both factors that decode the nature of revivalist movements.

What Relevance did the Religious Revivalist Movements have with the Needs of the Time in post-1857 Colonial India?

Adding to the previous, the factors depict the relevance of the religious movements in post-1857 colonial India. 

• ✓ Arya Samaj: A Response to British Domination

To initiate, Arya Samaj, a Hindu Swami Dayananda Saraswati-led movement, was a need-based response to social disintegration. As British-enforced women’s rights, such as the abolition of the Sati system, facilitated the domination of the new rulers, it was necessary to restore the trust of the people in the system. In this context, religion is a viable option to target the trust system. Thus, the movement promoted revival of the original essence of Hinduism, i.e., the Vedas, while highlighting that the original scriptures already contain the newcomer-led modernization. As historical records of Oxford Biographies provide that Araya Samaj was “born of Hinduism’s encounter with British colonialism and Christianity. A part of its mission includes reversing the decline of solidarity, so it started a vital part in the Shuddi (reconversion) movement while highlighting the notion that enforced conversions by Muslim invaders narrowed the followers of Hinduism. To conclude, it was a need-based response to the looming threat of British domination and a potential fear of the identity crisis..

• ✓ Deoband Movement: A Response to Identity Crisis

Although having the nature of an educational movement, the initiative-led activities depicted their standing as a need-based response to the current situation, where British involvement in the education system, in the name of constructionism, is seen as a threat to identity. The Deoband Movement sought to restore the original essence of Islam by stressing the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. The movement of enforcing Orientalism obstructed constructionism, which obviously could westernize the Muslim society in the name of modernism. As Ahmad Sarwar wrote in the book Trek to Pakistan, one of the aims and objectives of Darul Uloom Deoband included avoiding the influence of government and preserving the freedom of thought and knowledge. One of the leading aspects of the movement involves its zero contingency of financial standing on the government, as its founder guarded it from government influence through grant-in-aid or donations. He, Molana Qasim, collected subscriptions from comparatively poor people.

• ✓ Aligarh Movement: A Response to Transfer of Power Limiting Downfall

The period post-1857 witnessed the formation of the Aligarh Movement, remembered as the most pragmatic, combining both Orientalism and Constructivism as part of the academic enlightenment. Aligarh Movement- led by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, sought to restore Muslim prestige and obstruct their downfall by initiating the western education system for Muslims, so they could get more government jobs and could not be excluded from mainstream social development. As Shah Muhammad, the writer of the book The Aligarh Movement, writes, there was no alternative left to Sir Syed to save the Muslims except to infuse vigour and energy into their thought. It was obvious that the British government was not on good terms with the Muslims due to their role in the War of Independence in 1857. In this situation, any political involvement of Muslims could further displease the government. So, the movement provided a limit to indulge in politics and equipped them educationally to get government jobs.

• ✓ Nadwat-ul Ulema: Embracing Change to Ensure Survival

One of the movements launched in the 18th century in response to the political and cultural dominance of European civilization over the sub-continent includes Nadwa tul Ulema. Ahmad Saeed writes in the book Trek to Pakistan that among all the movements launched to strengthen the faith of the Muslims by enlightening them about their culture and spiritual heritage, the most significant was Nadwa tul Ulema, as it attempted to bridge the gulf between the old and new ideas. The movement was a need-based response to the faltering condition of Muslim society, particularly academia. Targeting academia means directing the cursor of youth change, which was also needed at the time, as European civilization targeted young minds to sustain its long-term rule. As Ahmad Syeed writes, a very strong government on Indian soil also encouraged Christian missionaries to propagate their religion and impose it on the Indians. As far as the existing condition was concerned, the downfall of the Mughal Empire witnessed the dominance of elites and exclusion of society from development. In such a system, European forces, through generating employment, appeared to be a promising source of support. In this context, people were ready to extend their support to a new system but not new rulers.

What New Trends had been Introduced by Such Movements?

The following points describe the trends introduced by the Islamic Revivalist movements of the 19^th century.

• ✓ Socio-Political Mobilization

One of the leading outcomes of these revivalist movements was setting a trend of resistance to the authoritarian rule of the British. With the passage of time, the resistance took the shape of mass-scale mobilization. The Indians started gathering under the notion of preservation of their identity or against the totalitarian rule of colonists.  As stated earlier, both factors lead to the emergence of these revivalist movements. Although academia was targeted, gathering in pursuit of discussions and scholarly interactions opened ways for mobilization with a different plan. For illustration, the Aligarh Movement led the All-India Mohammadans Educational Conference, enabling the gathering of intellectuals from all over the sub-continent. Aimed to foster academic discussions, it eventually opened ways for discussions other than education under one panel. As a result, it led to the establishment of the All-India Muslim League in 1906, the political party that represented Muslims until the creation of Pakistan. One of the most accurate examples is the Khilafat Movement, where the non-cooperation movement mobilized Indian society at a greater level. The post-1940s saw the rise of such movements, such as the All-India Quit Movement. Besides, there are several movements in Punjab, like Khaksar and eventually the Pakistan Movement in 1940. 

• ✓ Institutionalization and Education

Second, the Islamic/religious reformist movements build long-lasting institutions, such as Darul Uloom Deoband, Aligarh universities and colleges, and Nadwatul Ulema. Both religious and Western education were institutionalized, one for survival and the other for adjustment. It is noteworthy that religion was the driving force behind using education as a tool to combat an identity crisis. The colonial educational policy not only opposed oriental studies but also created a language barrier. Adding fuel to the fire, they promoted their standing as right and modern. As illustrated in the white Men Burden theory by Rudyard Kipling, where he said it’s the duty of white men to modernize the illiterates of the sub-continent.

• ✓ Aggressive Proselytization

As discussed earlier, the religious movements of the 19th century regarded British dominance as a threat to their identity. To counter missionary success, aggressive proselytization started from both Hindus and Muslims. Arya Samaj blatantly practiced reconversion tactics while Tablighi Jamaat tried to obstruct the reconversion. The religious sphere became a ground of competition and triggered communal violence. The trend widened the Hindu-Muslim divide. While some considered it as part of the British Divide and Rule Policy, Muslim intellectuals saw it as a centuries-long struggle for establishing identity. It is noteworthy that although the divide was planned, unity between two fundamentally different ideologies is not pragmatically possible.

• ✓ Print and Public Argument

Last, the print media and printing press became a powerful tool where religious leaders publish their opinions, stances, and concerns. The religious movements set the trend where debates moved from the oral sphere to the public. Several religious scriptures were translated and printed to enhance the reach. The period also witnessed the rise of polemical pamphlets, such as Arya Samaj vs. Christianity; Deoband vs. Shias, in the form of attacking each other.

Conclusion

To conclude, the religious movements of the late 19th century were a need-based response to social fragmentation, a resistance against the authoritarian rule of colonizers, and an effort to resist identity crisis. Although a need-based response demonstrated a realistic approach to combat the crisis, the trend set by these movements was aggressive in nature. It includes communal violence, mass mobilization, bloodshed, and aggressive proselytization. However, its long-term benefits shadowed the violent aspect, i.e., liberation from colonization.

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