Mahadev Govind Ranade - Important Personalities - Modern India History Notes

Mahadev Govind Ranade was born in the Maharashtra district of Nashik in 1842. He was an Indian nationalist, social reformer, scholar, and jurist. He is known as the "Socrates of Maharashtra." Ranade was an active participant in the social reform movement. Prarthana Samaj, Arya Samaj, and Brahmo Samaj all had a significant impact on his life. He was a founder of the 'Deccan Educational Society' and also advocated for the formation of the 'Indian National Congress.' He received his law degree, was appointed as a judge, and then became a judge at Bombay High Court. This article discusses his life, ideology, and contributions to society which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Mahadev Govind Ranade - Background

• On January 18, 1842, Mahadev Govind Ranade was born into a middle-class Maharashtrian family in Niphad, Nashik.
• In Kolhapur, he attended a Marathi school before transferring to an English medium school. He enrolled at Elphinstone College in Bombay when he was 14 years old.
• He was a member of the University of Bombay's first batch of students. In 1862, he received his BA and four years later, his LLB.
• He was in charge of incorporating vernacular languages into the university curriculum.
• He was appointed Presidency Magistrate of the Bombay Small Causes Court in 1871. Ranade was appointed to the Bombay High Court in 1893.
• He was also appointed as a history instructor at Elphinstone College in Bombay. This opportunity piqued his interest in Maratha history. In 1900, he wrote ‘Rise of Maratha Power’ as a result of his interest in the subject.
• He was instrumental in the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.

Mahadev Govind Ranade - Ideology

• Ranade was a social activist whose work was heavily influenced by Western culture and the colonial state.
• His activities ranged from religious reform to public education to reform within the Indian family, and in each case, he was prone to see little virtue in Indian custom and tradition and to strive to reform the subject into the mould of what was prevalent in the west.
• His efforts to "Spiritualize'' Indian society stemmed from his reading that the Hindu religion placed too much emphasis on rituals and the performance of family and social duties, rather than on what he referred to as "Spiritualism."
• He saw the reformed Christian religion of the British as more spiritually oriented.
• Ranade was a supporter of Swadeshi and advocated for the use of indigenous products.

Mahadev Govind Ranade - Contributions

• He was a founding member of the Prarthana Samaj and advocated for the abolition of prevalent social evils.
• He would also edit the Induprakash, a Bombay Anglo-Marathi daily paper founded on his ideology of social and religious reform.
• He educated his wife Ramabai, who later became a doctor, and was also one of the founders of Seva Sadan, a women's rights organization that helped pioneer women's rights movements.
• He was also an excellent educator who established a number of schools. Ranade was a founder of the Social Conference movement, which he supported until his death, directing his social reform efforts against child marriage, widow remarriage, the high cost of marriages and other social functions, and caste restrictions on travelling abroad.
• In 1861, he was one of the founders of the Widow Marriage Association. He founded the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, a sociopolitical organization, and was later one of the founders of the Indian National Congress.
• He wrote books about Indian economics and Maratha history. He recognized the importance of heavy industry in economic progress and saw Western education as a critical component in the formation of an Indian nation.
• He influenced several Congress leaders, the most prominent of whom was Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Mahadev Govind Ranade - Work on Women Empowerment

• His efforts to "Humanize and Equalize" Indian society centred on women. He ran an ‘anti-purdah system' campaign.
• Ranade co-founded the 'Widow Marriage Association in 1861’, when he was still a teenager, to promote marriage for Hindu widows and to act as native compradors for the colonial government's project of passing a law allowing such marriages, which were forbidden in Hinduism.

Conclusion

Many people contributed to and worked on social reforms during India's independence struggle. One of them was Mahadev Govind Ranade, also known as Justice Ranade. Justice Ranade will be remembered for raising awareness about society, religious reforms, education, and the country's history. Ranade has been nicknamed the "Father of Indian Economics" for his efforts to persuade the British government to initiate industrialization and state welfare programs. Many other Indian social reformers were inspired by Ranade, most notably the educator and legislator Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who carried on Ranade's reform work after his death.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which organization did Ranade help to found to promote social reform?

A. Brahmo Samaj
B. Arya Samaj
C. Prarthana Samaj
D. Poona Sarvajanik Sabha

2. Which association did Ranade help form for promoting widow remarriage?

A. Widow Marriage Association
B. Bharat Mahila Parishad
C. Seva Sadan
D. All India Women's Conference

3. What was Ranade’s profession before his involvement in social reform?

A. Teacher
B. Lawyer
C. Judge
D. Doctor

4. What movement did Ranade lead to promote education and empowerment of women?

A. Women’s Liberation Movement
B. Widow Marriage Movement
C. National Women's Organization
D. None of the above

5. Which ideology influenced Mahadev Govind Ranade's social reforms?

A. Marxism
B. Swadeshi
C. Western liberalism
D. Socialism

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

1. Discuss the contributions of Mahadev Govind Ranade to India’s social and religious reform movements.

Answer: Mahadev Govind Ranade played a pivotal role in India’s social reform movements. His contributions to founding the Prarthana Samaj, promoting widow remarriage, and supporting women's education marked significant milestones. He worked for the abolition of child marriage, caste restrictions, and costly social practices. Ranade’s efforts led to the creation of institutions like the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha and the Indian National Congress, where his influence on early political thought was profound.

2. Analyze Mahadev Govind Ranade’s role in the Indian National Congress and his influence on its ideology.

Answer: Ranade was instrumental in shaping the early ideologies of the Indian National Congress. As a founding member, he believed in moderate reforms through dialogue and constitutional methods. His focus on economic progress, women’s rights, and social reforms influenced the INC’s agenda during its formative years, emphasizing gradual reform over revolutionary change.

3. Evaluate the impact of Ranade’s advocacy for women’s rights in the context of 19th-century India.

Answer: Ranade’s advocacy for women’s rights in 19th-century India was groundbreaking. By founding the Widow Marriage Association and supporting female education, he challenged deeply entrenched patriarchal norms. His work helped lay the foundation for subsequent women’s movements in India, and his belief in women’s empowerment resonated with later reformers like Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Previous Year Questions on Mahadev Govind Ranade

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2018

Question: Mahadev Govind Ranade co-founded which organization to promote widow remarriage?
A. Indian National Congress
B. Widow Marriage Association
C. Prarthana Samaj
D. Poona Sarvajanik Sabha

Answer: B

Explanation: Ranade co-founded the Widow Marriage Association in 1861 to promote widow remarriage.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2017 (GS Paper 1)

Question: Evaluate the contribution of Mahadev Govind Ranade to India’s social reform movement.

Answer: Ranade’s contributions to India’s social reform movement were pivotal. As a founding member of the Prarthana Samaj, he worked tirelessly for religious and social reforms. His advocacy for women’s education, widow remarriage, and the abolition of child marriage made significant strides in modernizing Indian society. His liberal views on education, women’s rights, and economic progress influenced future leaders like Gokhale.