Brahmo
Encyclopedia
A Brahmo is either an adherent of Brahmoism
to the exclusion of all other religions, or a person with at least one Brahmo parent or guardian and who has never denied his faith. This definition has evolved from legal acts and juristic decree since previously "the word Brahmo did not admit of a clear definition."
The 2001 Census of India counted only 177 Brahmo in India, but the number of "followers" (Brahmo Samajists) who constitute the wider community Brahmo Samaj
("assembly for Brahmo worship") is significantly higher, and reliably estimated as about 20,000 Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
ists, 10,000 other Brahmo denominations and 8,000,000 declared Adi Dharm
ists. Since the Brahmo Samaj does not sanction caste, many low caste Brahmo converts in Upper India benefiting under India's social development policies prefer to declare themselves as Adi Dharm, a practice fostered by the Brahmo Samaj of North India since the 1931 census. A state-wise study by the Brahmo Conference Organisation
has tabulated 7.83 million Adi Dharm declarants in the 2001 Census. concentrated heavily in Upper India.
A recent publication describes describes the disproportionate influence of Brahmos on India's development post-19th Century as unparalleled in recent times
or atheism
or another belief without renouncing Brahmoism formally. There are differing views between the Theist and Deist streams of Brahmoism on the retention of such people within the fold. Additionally, a Brahmo who opts not to subscribe to membership of a Brahmo Samaj remains a Brahmo but ceases to be a Brahmo Samajist.
, Islam
or Christianity
. Neither is formal conversion to Brahmoism required nowadays, thereby affirming the now very well settled legal controversy that a non-Brahmo Brahmo Samajist does not cease to be (say) a Hindu or Sikh
by following the Samaj.
Brahmoism
Brahmoism is a religious movement from the late 18th century Bengal originating the Bengali Renaissance, the nascent Indian independence movement and the wider Hindu reform movements of the period...
to the exclusion of all other religions, or a person with at least one Brahmo parent or guardian and who has never denied his faith. This definition has evolved from legal acts and juristic decree since previously "the word Brahmo did not admit of a clear definition."
The 2001 Census of India counted only 177 Brahmo in India, but the number of "followers" (Brahmo Samajists) who constitute the wider community Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj is the societal component of the Brahmo religion which is mainly practiced today as the Adi Dharm after its eclipse in Bengal consequent to the exit of the Tattwabodini Sabha from its ranks in 1859. It was one of the most influential religious movements responsible for the making of...
("assembly for Brahmo worship") is significantly higher, and reliably estimated as about 20,000 Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
The Sadharan Brahmo Samaj is a religious division of Brahmoism formed as a result of 2 schisms in the Brahmo Samaj in 1866 and 1878 respectively.-The Brahmo Samaj:...
ists, 10,000 other Brahmo denominations and 8,000,000 declared Adi Dharm
Adi Dharm
Adi Dharm refers to the religion of Adi Brahmo Samaj the first development of Brahmoism and includes those Sadharan Brahmo Samajists who were reintegrated into Brahmoism after the 2nd schism of 1878 at the instance of Hemendranath Tagore...
ists. Since the Brahmo Samaj does not sanction caste, many low caste Brahmo converts in Upper India benefiting under India's social development policies prefer to declare themselves as Adi Dharm, a practice fostered by the Brahmo Samaj of North India since the 1931 census. A state-wise study by the Brahmo Conference Organisation
Brahmo Conference Organisation
The Brahmo Conference Organisation was founded on 27 January 1881 at Mymensingh Bangladesh to maintain communication between Adi Dharm and Sadharan Brahmo Samaj after the 2nd schism of Brahmoism in 1878...
has tabulated 7.83 million Adi Dharm declarants in the 2001 Census. concentrated heavily in Upper India.
A recent publication describes describes the disproportionate influence of Brahmos on India's development post-19th Century as unparalleled in recent times
"... Brahmos are among the elite groups of modern India, along with the Parsis of Bombay, the Chitpavans of Pune, the Iyers and Ayyangars of the South, the Kashmiri Pandits of Uttar Pradesh and the Kayasthas of the Punjab and Bihar. The Brahmos were the most cosmopolitan, having been overwhelmingly drawn from three castes - Brahmins, Vaidyas and Kayasthas - while the others were from a single caste. Their rise into eminence was earlier than all others except the Parsis. Brahmos engaged almost wholly in urban vocations, and except for the Tagores had no feudal associations. It was they who played the leading role in organizing the Indian Political Association, forerunner to the Indian National Congress as a platform for the educated middle class ..."
Brahmo and Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj refers to the wider socio-religious community either following the principles for Brahmo worship or subscribing to membership of a Brahmo Samaj, or to a Samaj, an association established for maintaining premises for assembly and Brahmo worship. A follower or Subscriber Member of this community is referred to as Brahmo Samajist.When is a Brahmo not a Brahmo Samajist?
One aspect of Brahmoism is recognition that not only explicit faith and worship makes for a Brahmo, but also genealogy, which is implicit. People with even a single Brahmo parent or other Brahmo guardian are treated as Brahmos until they absolutely renounce the Brahmo faith. This often causes tension within the Samaj, for example, when an offspring of a Brahmo follows communismCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
or atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
or another belief without renouncing Brahmoism formally. There are differing views between the Theist and Deist streams of Brahmoism on the retention of such people within the fold. Additionally, a Brahmo who opts not to subscribe to membership of a Brahmo Samaj remains a Brahmo but ceases to be a Brahmo Samajist.
Co-faith and conversion
Brahmoism does not forbid its followers from retaining other faiths like HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
or Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Neither is formal conversion to Brahmoism required nowadays, thereby affirming the now very well settled legal controversy that a non-Brahmo Brahmo Samajist does not cease to be (say) a Hindu or Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
by following the Samaj.
Notable Brahmos
- Aruna Asaf AliAruna Asaf AliAruna Asaf Ali , born Aruna Ganguli, was an Indian independence activist. She is widely remembered for hoisting the Indian National Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank maidan in Bombay during the Quit India Movement, 1942.She was 87 years old at the time of her death.-Early life:Aruna Asaf Ali was...
, Indian freedom fighter and prominent leader of the Quit India MovementQuit India MovementThe Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
. - Gunabhiram BaruaGunabhiram baruaGunabhiram Barua was an enlightened Assamese intellectual who ushered in new ideas about social reform in the early years of colonial rule in Assam....
, Famous playwright and the first widow remarriage in Assam. - Rajnarayan BasuRajnarayan BasuRajnarayan Basu was a writer and intellectual of the Bengal Renaissance. He was born in Boral in 24 Parganas and studied at the Hare School and Hindu College, both premier institutions in Kolkata, Bengal at the time. A monotheist at heart, Rajnarayan Basu converted to Brahmoism at the age of...
, Writer and intellectual of the Bengal RenaissanceBengal RenaissanceThe Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the region of Bengal in Undivided India during the period of British rule...
. - Anandamohan BoseAnandamohan BoseAnanda Mohan Bose , a barrister, was one of the earliest Indian political leaders during the British Raj. He co-founded the Indian National Association, one of the earliest Indian political organizations, and later became a senior leader of the Indian National Congress...
, Noted religious and political reformer, President of Indian National Congress. - Jagadish Chandra Bose, Noted Indian Scientist.
- Shanti Swaroop BhatnagarShanti Swaroop BhatnagarSir Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, OBE, FRS was a well-known Indian scientist.-Early life:Bhatnagar was born in Shahpur, now in Pakistan...
, Noted Chemist, Founder of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, First Indian Knighthood for Science. - Brajendranath DeBrajendranath De-In Calcutta and Lucknow:He was born at his maternal grandfather's home at 123, Manicktala Street, Calcutta. His father's family, originally from Uttar Rarh in Bengal, belonged to the newly emerging middle class of Calcutta. He describes them as Kayastha bhadraloks in his unpublished memoir...
, Civil Servant and orientalist. - Kadambini GangulyKadambini GangulyKadambini Ganguly was one of the first female graduates of the British Empire along with Chandramukhi Basu. She was one of the first female physicians of South Asia to be trained in European medicine.-Early life:...
, First female medical graduate in South Asia. - Behari Lal GuptaBehari Lal Gupta-Early life and education:He was born in Calcutta and studied in Hare School and Presidency College, Calcutta before proceeding with his childhood friends R.C. Dutt and Surendranath Banerjee to England for higher studies...
, Civil Servant and Dewan of Baroda. - Indrajit GuptaIndrajit GuptaIndrajit Gupta was a Communist leader who became Indias Union Minister for Home Affairs in the United Front government from 1996 to 1998...
, Communist, Pro-tem Speaker of Parliament and Home (Interior) Minister of India (1996–98). - Sucheta KriplaniSucheta KriplaniSucheta Kriplani , born Sucheta Mazumdar, was an Indian freedom fighter and politician in Uttar Pradesh, India. She became the first woman to be elected Chief Minister of any Indian state.-Early life:...
, First woman Chief Minister of an Indian State. - Prasanta Chandra MahalanobisPrasanta Chandra MahalanobisPrasanta Chandra Mahalanobis FRS was an Indian scientist and applied statistician. He is best remembered for the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure. He made pioneering studies in anthropometry in India...
, Scientist, Noted statisticianStatisticianA statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
and Founder of the Indian Statistical InstituteIndian Statistical InstituteIndian Statistical Institute is a public research institute and university in Kolkata's northern outskirt of Baranagar, India founded by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in 1931...
in 1931. - Subroto MukerjeeSubroto MukerjeeAir Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, OBE was the first Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force . Born in a Bengali family of repute, he was educated in India as well as England. He joined the Royal Air Force and later was one of the first recruits of the Indian Air Force...
, First Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air ForceIndian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
. - Sarojini NaiduSarojini NaiduSarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
, Poet, Prominent freedom fighter and Politician. First woman Governor of an Indian State. - Susobhan SarkarSusobhan Sarkar-Background and education:Sarkar was born into a Brahmo family of Dhaka. After attending Dhaka Collegiate School and then studying history at Presidency College, Calcutta, he continued his studies at Jesus College, Oxford from 1923 to 1925. His daughter was Sipra Sarkar, a brilliant student of...
, Legendary teacher; Professor and Head of Department of History, Presidency College, Calcutta - Hemendranath TagoreHemendranath TagoreThis article is connected to Tagore familyHemendranath Tagore , Debendranath Tagore's third son, is notable for being the first ever Brahmo as he was the first child born in 1844 to any of the 21 Brahmos who swore the First Brahmo Covenant on 21 December 1843 at Calcutta...
, Religious savant, founder of Adi DharmAdi DharmAdi Dharm refers to the religion of Adi Brahmo Samaj the first development of Brahmoism and includes those Sadharan Brahmo Samajists who were reintegrated into Brahmoism after the 2nd schism of 1878 at the instance of Hemendranath Tagore...
development of Brahmoism. - Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
, BengaliBengali peopleThe Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
poet and Nobel laureate in Literature - Satyendranath TagoreSatyendranath TagoreSatyendranath Tagore was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service. He was an author, song composer, linguist and made significant contribution towards the emancipation of women in Indian society during the British Raj.-Formative years:...
, Social Reformer and first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service, in June 1863. - Girish Chandra SenGirish Chandra SenGirish Chandra Sen , a Brahmo Samaj missionary, was the first person to translate the Qur’an into Bengali language in 1886. It was his finest contribution to Bengali literature.-Early life:...
, Translated the Quran into Bengali. - Swarnakumari DeviSwarnakumari DeviSee Tagore for disambiguationSwarnakumari Devi was an Indian poet, novelist, musician and social worker. She was the first among the women writers in Bengali to gain prominence.-Family and early life:...
, Noted Bengali poet, novelist, musician and social worker.
See also
- Adi DharmAdi DharmAdi Dharm refers to the religion of Adi Brahmo Samaj the first development of Brahmoism and includes those Sadharan Brahmo Samajists who were reintegrated into Brahmoism after the 2nd schism of 1878 at the instance of Hemendranath Tagore...
- BrahmoismBrahmoismBrahmoism is a religious movement from the late 18th century Bengal originating the Bengali Renaissance, the nascent Indian independence movement and the wider Hindu reform movements of the period...
- Brahmo DharmaBrahmo Dharma-Brahma Dharma:The Brahmo religion was first codified by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore with the formulation of the Brahmo Dharma Beej and publication of the Brahma Dharma book of 1848/1850 in 2 parts...
- Brahmo SamajBrahmo SamajBrahmo Samaj is the societal component of the Brahmo religion which is mainly practiced today as the Adi Dharm after its eclipse in Bengal consequent to the exit of the Tattwabodini Sabha from its ranks in 1859. It was one of the most influential religious movements responsible for the making of...
- History of BengalHistory of BengalThe history of Bengal includes modern day Bangladesh and West Bengal, dates back four millennia. To some extent, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers separated it from the mainland of India, though at times, Bengal has played an important role in the history of India.- Etymology :The exact origin...
- Indian National CongressIndian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
- KayasthaKayasthaKayastha or Kayasth or Kayeth is a caste or community of Hindus originating in India. Kayastha means "scribe" in Sanskrit, and has traditionally denoted members of the writer caste....
- Prarthana SamajPrarthana SamajPrarthana Samaj, or "Prayer Society" in Sanskrit, was a movement for religious and social reform in Maharashtra based on earlier reform movements and traditions of Maharashtra formed in 1849 by Ram Balkrishna Jaykar and others in Mumbai. It was secret in order to avoid the wrath of the powerful...
- Sadharan Brahmo SamajSadharan Brahmo SamajThe Sadharan Brahmo Samaj is a religious division of Brahmoism formed as a result of 2 schisms in the Brahmo Samaj in 1866 and 1878 respectively.-The Brahmo Samaj:...
- Tattwabodhini PatrikaTattwabodhini PatrikaTattwabodhini Patrika [Tattwabodhini Patrika ] was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore on 16 th August, 1843, as a journal of the Tattwabodhini Sabha, and continued publication until 1883...
- Trust deed of Brahmo SabhaTrust deed of Brahmo SabhaThe modern religious philosophy of Brahmoism is based in part on the foundations of reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy's humanitarian philosophy, as exemplified by the Trust Deed of Brahmo Sabha, known to Brahmos as the 1830 Brahmo Trust Deed.-Brief history:...
- Vaisya