Renaissance in Rajasthan

Renaissance in Rajasthan 

In Rajasthan the impact of cultural renaissance in the field of education was unprecedented, consequently considerable propagation of education took place in the State. For the first time, educational system based on English pattern was introduced in Ajmer.

 

Similarly, provisions for education were made in the erstwhile princely states of Alwar, Bharatpur, Jaipur etc. The Birla family contributed, its lot in the field of education by way of establishing 'Birla Education Trust' in Jaipur region. Mayo College was established in the year 1875 at Ajmer to impart education to the children of kings and feudal lords. Similarly, the Christian missionary institutions too established educational institutions at Ajmer, Beawar, Nasirabad, Jaipur, Deoli, Alwar, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota etc.

 

In Ajmer, the Arya Samaj played a significant role in the field of education by way of opening several education institutions. The Arya Samaj also made lot of efforts to promote female education. Government schools for girls were established at Udaipur, Jaipur and Bharatpur in the year 1866. The other places followed suit consequent upon which many more educational institutions for girls cropped up in different parts of the State.

 

The Mission girl’s schools as established at Nasirabad in the year 1862 and at Ajmer in the year 1863 also made specific contribution in promoting and motivating female education in the State. Although the propagation of western education by the British Government was meant to serve their own interest yet it helped a lot in the growth of the literary and knowledge in the State.

 

Consequently, the masses of Rajasthan started raising their voice against traditional social and cultural evils like untouchability, rigid casteism, child marriage, sati system, bonded labor etc. Along with while they established contact with modern science and knowledge on one hand, also remained adhered to their basic values thereby keeping themselves linked to their own society and religion. The institutions established by the Samaj while on one hand disseminated western science and knowledge among the masses of Rajasthan, made people aware of Vedic culture on the other. Consequent upon this feelings on fraternity, love for nation and self-prestige along with knowledge developed among the people of Rajasthan.

 

With the progress in the field of education the masses develop understanding of the ideologies and thereby make efforts to eradicate the evils and ill-traditions through organized movements. Thus, the more is done for the growth and development of education the better it would be. Presently along with the different linguistic academics, the Rajasthan Sahitya Academy; Rajasthan Hindi Granth Academy; Arabi-Pharsi Sodh Sansthan, Tonk; Rajasthani Bhasa Sahitya and Sanskrit Academy of Bikaner are playing commendable role in the growth and development of education in the state. Consequently the people of Rajasthan are in a state of total consciousness from the view point of culture.

 

The impact of the wave of renaissance in the socio-religious and cultural fields as witnessed in the mediaeval age was visible in Rajasthan too and there existed a paramount need to free the suffering mases from the tentacles of several customs related to religious conversion and social evils with which the state of Rajasthan was pasted during the age. A country wide movement was launched with the objectives of arresting religious conversion and restraining the growing autocratic designs of the brahmins.

 

The prominent pioneers of this movement were Dadu Dayal in Rajasthan, Nanak in Punjab, Kabir and Ramanand is Uttar Pradesh, Nemdev, Turkaram and Ramdas in Maharastra, Ramanuj in South and Jaidev and Chaitanya in Bengal. All these saints had a faith in the unity of God but were, nevertheless, against idoltary. They all considered the caste system to be wrong and denounced it in storng words.

 

Thereafter in nineteenth century social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Vivekanand came forward in this direction, who strongly lashed out at social conservatism and superstitious and launched movements and established institutions to combat the same. Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahma Samaj in the year 1828 while Swami Dayanand founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 and Swami Vivekanand established Ram Krishna Mission in the year 1897. Thus, in the 19th century incessant efforts were made by these socio-religious reformers to bring about reformation in social and religious fields so as to enable people to develop the right attitude towards God and save themselves from the prevalent social evils as well. Similarly they placed the night perspectives about eradication of caste system, women education, widow remarriage, abolition of sati system, child marriage, untouchability, polygamy etc. before the masses in order to help reform the conditions pertaining to these.

 

 

Impact of Renaissance

 

The reformation movements in the form of Arya Samaj, Prathana Samaj ete, motivated the people to develop a new outlook in the society. This, in turn, had its impact on the followers of Sanatan Dharama too who had to open many 'Rishikuls to protect their mythological doctrines and take resort to logical arguments to validate their principles. Thus, a wave of new awakening among the masses came to surface during nineteenth century due to the efforts of social reformers and the adherers of Sanatan religion.

 

 

In the opinion of these social reformers, the process of thinking and understanding in terms of the prevailing conditions and factual realities was fast developing A new enthusiasm along with the growth of the tendency of religion and knowledge through the preachings and interpretation of the scriptures by the Arya Samajists and Sanatandharmis was developing among the educated massed too.

 

 

The social reformers established hospitals, widow homes and schools etc.to attract the masses towards their respective religious ideologies. Lala Lajpat Rai founded the 'Servants of people Society' in Punjab. The Prarthana Samaj established 'Deccan Education Society' in Maharastra in the year 1889 and in Poona the 'Servants of India Society' was established by Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Thus, the feelings of self-sacrifice and service to nation developed among the educated masses and their faith in religious ostentation as well as social conservation declined through national renaissance.

 

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