Brahmoism (Paperback)

Brahmoism is a new religious movement originating in 19th-century Bengal, originating in the context of the Bengali Renaissance, the nascent Indian independence movement and the wider Hindu reform movements of the period. It is a quasi-Protestant, theistic movement within Hinduism, founded by Ram Mohun Roy in Calcutta in 1828. The term has roots in the Sanskrit Brahman. Adherents, known as Brahmos (singular Brahmo) are mainly of Indian, particularly Bangladeshi origin or nationality.The Indian census reported 6,388 adherents as of 1921, declining to 5,378 adherents as of 1931. After Indian independence, by the late 1960s, the movement was reported as "fading out," to a large part because their demands for social reform had been met by the Indian government.While Ram Mohun Roy aimed at reforming Hinduism from within, his successor Debendranath Tagore in 1850 rejected the authority of the Vedas and thus broke away from orthodox Hinduism. Tagore still tried to retain some Hindu customs, but a radical group led by Keshab Chunder Sen broke away and formed the Brahmo Samaj in 1866, pursuing a course that was eclectic, cosmopolitan, and politically active in pushing for social reform. The original group after this called itself Adi Brahmo Samaj .A further schism in 1878 resulted in the formation of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.