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Bharat Dharma Mahamandala was a Hindu organization founded in colonial India in 1887 by Pandit Din Dayalu Sharma in Haridwar. It had purpose to unify and support orthodox Hindu communities in colonial India during a period marked by religious and social reform.[1][2][3] The Mahamandala emerged during a period of social and religious reform movements in India. It positioned itself as a defender of orthodox Hinduism against critiques and alternative interpretations from groups like the Arya Samaj, Theosophists, and Ramakrishna Mission.[1][4][5]
History
editThe Bharat Dharma Mahamandala was established with the goal of consolidating the leadership within orthodox Hindu circles and preserving Sanātana Dharma (considered as the eternal law in Hinduism). Pandit Din Dayalu Sharma, also known for founding the Hindu College in Delhi in 1899, envisioned the Mahamandala as a central body for various Hindu organizations.[1][6]
The first meeting of the organization was attended by various notable participants, including figures like Henry Steel Olcott of the Theosophical Society, Raja Harbans Lal of Sheikhupura, Diwan Ramjas of Kapurthala, Bal Mukand Gupta, and Pandit Ambika Dutt Vyas. Over time, the Mahamandala evolved into an all-India society and organized assemblies in locations including Haridwar, Mathura, and Lahore, extending its presence across the Indian subcontinent.[7]
Initially, the Mahamandala garnered support from members of the ruling Hindu aristocracy, landowners, religious leaders, and Theosophists. Although its activities were concentrated in North India at first, it gradually expanded its influence to South India, becoming one of the leading orthodox Hindu organizations in India.[1]
In the early 20th century, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, an educationist and nationalist, became closely associated with the Mahamandala. The Bharat Dharma Mahamandala led to the formation of the Sanatan Dharma Sabhas, an offshoot established to defend Hinduism against criticisms from both within and outside the community.[1]
According to a report from The Friday Times, a Pakistani publication, Nabagopal Mitra and Rajnarayan Basu were also co-founders of the Bharat Dharma Mahamandala. The organization advocated for the establishment of a Hindu Raj (Hindu nation) or Aryan State and later influenced the formation of the Hindu Mahasabha, a nationalist political party founded in 1915 that included leaders from the radical faction of the Indian National Congress.[8]
In the late 19th century, various groups known as Sanatana Dharma Rakshini Sabhas and similar organizations emerged throughout India. These groups later unified under the Bharat Dharma Mahamandala.[9]
Work
editThe Bharat Dharma Mahamandala functioned through various departments. It engaged in propagation by training paid missionaries to preach orthodox Hindu principles. It had established Sanatan Dharma schools to promote traditional Hindu education and published literature supporting orthodox beliefs. Their activities included the repair and maintenance of temples and pilgrimage sites. The organization worked for social reforms, including dowry abolition. It promoted modern education, and established educational institutions, homes for widows, and almshouses for indigent women.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f Indian History. Allied Publishers. 1988. p. 165. ISBN 9788184245684.
- ^ Shri Bharat Dharma Mahamandala. 1924. The World's Eternal Religion. Benares: Bharat Dharma Syndicate.
- ^ Kasturi, M. (2015). Sadhus, sampradaya, and Hindu nationalism : the Dasnamis and the Shri Bharat Dharma Mahamandala in the early twentieth century. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. ISBN 9789383650873.
- ^ Modern History. Arora IAS. p. 209.
- ^ Markovits, Claude (2002). A History of Modern India, 1480-1950. Anthem Press. p. 458. ISBN 9781843310044.
- ^ Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Taylor & Francis. 21 August 2012. p. 786. ISBN 9781135189792.
- ^ Satish Chandra Mittal (1986). Haryana, a Historical Perspective. Atlantic Publishers. p. 70. ISBN 9788171560837.
- ^ Khan, Muhammad Umair (May 5, 2023). "Of Fact, Fiction And The Two Nation Theory". The Friday Times.
- ^ Agrawal, Purushottam (November 30, 2018). "Sanatana, A Living Being". Outlook India.