Character of Socio Religious Reforms

• led by UC-WEMC brahmins, anti priest
• focus on women related reform, but no leadership of women
  • in fact, focus on women because Brits used benchmark of status of women to decide status of civilization
  • thus it was a response to brit criticism, not internal desire to uplift
• White Man’s Burden for brits, cultural nationalism for indians
• reformers relied on state instead of social mvmt
  • top down reforms failed
• use of British authority led to distrust in masses (1857 Revolt)
• high use of scriptures
• reformers searched for modernity within Indian scriptures