Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, born on September 26, 1820, in West Bengal, excelled academically while facing financial hardships and became a pivotal figure in advocating for women's education and rights in India. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, born on May 22, 1772, significantly influenced social reforms, notably opposing practices like sati and advocating for women's rights while founding Brahmo Samaj. Vinoba Bhave, an advocate of nonviolence born on September 11, 1895, led the Bhoodan movement to redistribute land to the poor, synthesizing various religious truths and promoting social upliftment throughout his life.

6. ISHWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR WAS BORN TO THAKURDAS BANDYOPADHYAY AND BHAGAVATI DEVI
AT BIRSINGHA VILLAGE, IN THE GHATAL SUBDIVISION OF PASCHIM MIDNAPORE DISTRICT, ON 26
SEPTEMBER 1820. AT THE AGE OF 6 HE WENT TO CALCUTTA. IN CALCUTTA (PRESENT DAY KOLKATA),
ISHWAR STARTED LIVING IN BHAGABAT CHARAN'S HOUSE IN BURRABAZAR, WHERE THAKURDAS HAD
ALREADY BEEN STAYING FOR SOME YEARS. ISHWAR FELT AT EASE AMIDST BHAGABAT'S LARGE FAMILY
AND SETTLED DOWN COMFORTABLY IN NO TIME. BHAGABAT'S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER RAIMONI'S
MOTHERLY AND AFFECTIONATE FEELINGS TOWARDS ISHWAR TOUCHED HIM DEEPLY AND HAD A
STRONG INFLUENCE ON HIS LATER REVOLUTIONARY WORK TOWARDS THE UPLIFTMENT OF WOMEN'S
STATUS IN INDIA.
HIS QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE WAS SO INTENSE THAT HE USED TO STUDY UNDER A STREET LIGHT AS IT
WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO AFFORD A GAS LAMP AT HOME. HE CLEARED ALL THE
EXAMINATIONS WITH EXCELLENCE AND IN QUICK SUCCESSION. HE WAS REWARDED WITH A NUMBER
OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. TO SUPPORT HIMSELF AND THE FAMILY,
ISHWAR CHANDRA ALSO TOOK A PART-TIME JOB OF TEACHING AT JORASHANKO. ISHWAR CHANDRA
JOINED THE SANSKRIT COLLEGE, CALCUTTA AND STUDIED THERE FOR TWELVE LONG YEARS AND
PASSED OUT OF THE COLLEGE IN 1841 QUALIFYING IN SANSKRIT GRAMMAR, LITERATURE, RHETORIC
[ALANKARA SHASTRA], VEDANTA, SMRUTI AND ASTRONOMY

14. BORN: MAY 22, 1772
DIED: SEPTEMBER 27, 1833
ACHIEVEMENTS: FOUNDED ATMIYA SABHA AND BRAHMA SAMAJ. PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN ABOLITION AND SATI.
FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN.
RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY IS KNOWN AS THE 'MAKER OF MODERN INDIA'. HE WAS THE FOUNDER OF THE BRAHMO
SAMAJ, ONE OF THE FIRST INDIAN SOCIO-RELIGIOUS REFORM MOVEMENTS. HE PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN
ABOLISHING THE ROLE OF SATI. RAJA RAMMOHAN ROY WAS A GREAT SCHOLAR AND AN INDEPENDENT THINKER.
HE ADVOCATED THE STUDY OF ENGLISH, SCIENCE, WESTERN MEDICINE AND TECHNOLOGY. HE WAS GIVEN THE
TITLE 'RAJA' BY THE MUGHAL EMPEROR.
RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY WAS BORN ON MAY 22, 1772 IN VILLAGE RADHANAGAR IN THE DISTRICT OF HOOGHLY
IN BENGAL. HIS FATHER RAMKANTO ROY, WAS A VAISHNAVITE, WHILE HIS MOTHER, TARINI, WAS FROM A
SHAKTA BACKGROUND. RAJA RAM MOHUN ROY WAS SENT TO PATNA FOR HIGHER STUDIES. BY THE AGE OF
FIFTEEN, RAJA RAMMOHUN ROY HAD LEARNT BANGLA, PERSIAN, ARABIC AND SANSKRIT.
RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY WAS AGAINST IDOL WORSHIP AND ORTHODOX HINDU RITUALS. HE STOOD FIRMLY
AGAINST ALL SORT OF SOCIAL BIGOTRY, CONSERVATISM AND SUPERSTITIONS. BUT HIS FATHER WAS AN
ORTHODOX HINDU BRAHMIN. THIS LED TO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY AND HIS FATHER.
FOLLOWING DIFFERENCES HE LEFT THE HOUSE . HE WANDERED AROUND HIMALAYAS AND WENT TO TIBET. HE
TRAVELED WIDELY BEFORE RETURNING HOME.

15. AFTER HIS RETURN RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY'S FAMILY MARRIED HIM IN THE HOPE THAT HE WOULD CHANGE. BUT THIS
DID NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON HIM. RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY WENT TO VARANASI AND STUDIED THE VEDAS, THE
UPANISHADS AND HINDU PHILOSOPHY DEEPLY. WHEN HIS FATHER DIED IN 1803 HE RETURNED TO MURSHIDABAD. HE
THEN WORKED AS A MONEYLENDER IN CALCUTTA, AND FROM 1809 TO 1814, HE SERVED IN THE REVENUE
DEPARTMENT OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY.
IN 1814, RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY FORMED ATMIYA SABHA. ATMIYA SABHA TRIED TO INITIATE SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS
REFORMS IN THE SOCIETY. RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY CAMPAIGNED FOR RIGHTS FOR WOMEN, INCLUDING THE RIGHT
FOR WIDOWS TO REMARRY, AND THE RIGHT FOR WOMEN TO HOLD PROPERTY. HE ACTIVELY OPPOSED SATI SYSTEM
AND THE PRACTICE OF POLYGAMY.
HE ALSO SUPPORTED EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY EDUCATION OF WOMEN. HE BELIEVED THAT ENGLISH-LANGUAGE
EDUCATION WAS SUPERIOR TO THE TRADITIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM, AND HE OPPOSED THE USE OF
GOVERNMENT FUNDS TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS TEACHING SANSKRIT. IN 1822, HE FOUNDED A SCHOOL BASED ON
ENGLISH EDUCATION.
IN 1828, RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY FOUNDED THE 'BRAHMA SAMAJ'. THROUGH 'BRAHMA SAMAJ, HE WANTED TO
EXPOSE THE RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISIES AND CHECK THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY ON THE HINDU SOCIETY.
RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY'S EFFORTS BORE FRUIT WHEN IN 1829, THE SATI SYSTEM WAS ABOLISHED. IN NOVEMBER
1830 RAM MOHAN ROY TRAVELED TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AS AN AMBASSADOR OF THE MUGHAL EMPEROR TO
PLEAD FOR HIS PENSION AND ALLOWANCES. RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 27, 1833 AT
STAPLETON NEAR BRISTOL DUE TO MENINGITIS.

16. ROY DEMANDED PROPERTY INHERITANCE RIGHTS FOR WOMEN AND, IN 1828, SET UP THE BRAHMO SABHA,
WHICH WAS A MOVEMENT OF REFORMIST BENGALI'S FORMED TO FIGHT AGAINST SOCIAL EVILS.
ROY'S POLITICAL BACKGROUND INFLUENCED HIS SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS APPROACH TO REFORMS OF HINDUISM.
HE WROTE: "THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF HINDUS [SIC] IS NOT WELL CALCULATED TO PROMOTE THEIR POLITICAL
INTERESTS…. IT IS NECESSARY THAT SOME CHANGE SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN THEIR RELIGION, AT LEAST FOR THE
SAKE OF THEIR POLITICAL ADVANTAGE AND SOCIAL COMFORT
RAMMOHAN ROY'S EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TAUGHT HIM THAT
HINDU TRADITIONS WERE OFTEN NOT RESPECTED OR CONSIDERED TO BE CREDIBLE BY
WESTERN STANDARDS; THIS AFFECTED HIS RELIGIOUS REFORMS. HE WANTED
TO LEGITIMIZE HINDU TRADITIONS TO HIS EUROPEAN ACQUAINTANCES BY PROVING THAT THE
"SUPERSTITIOUS PRACTICES WHICH DEFORM THE HINDU [SIC] RELIGION HAVE NOTHING TO DO
WITH THE PURE SPIRIT OF ITS DICTATES!

19. ROY PUBLISHED MAGAZINES IN ENGLISH, HINDI, PERSIAN, AND BENGALI. HE PUBLISHED THE
BRAHMONICAL MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH IN 1821. ANOTHER NOTABLE MAGAZINE OF HIS WAS
THE SAMBAD KAUMUDI, ALSO PUBLISHED IN 1821. IN 1822, RAM MOHAN PUBLISHED MIRAT-
UL-AKBAR IN THE PERSIAN LANGUAGE.
BRAHMONICAL MAGAZINE CEASED TO EXIST AFTER PUBLICATION OF A FEW ISSUES. BUT
SAMBAD KAUMUDI, A NEWS WEEKLY, COVERED TOPICS SUCH AS FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, THE
INDUCTION OF INDIANS INTO HIGH RANKS OF SERVICE AND SEPARATION OF THE EXECUTIVE
AND JUDICIARY. SAMBAD KAUMUDI BECAME BI-WEEKLY IN JANUARY 1830 AND CONTINUED TO
BE PUBLISHED FOR 33 YEARS.
HE PUBLISHED A NEWSPAPER TO REGISTER HIS PROTEST AGAINST THE INTRODUCTION OF
PRESS ORDINANCE OF 1823. THE ORDINANCE STATED THAT A LICENSE FROM THE GOVERNOR
GENERAL IN COUNCIL WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PUBLISH ANY NEWSPAPER. WHEN THE ENGLISH
COMPANY CENSORED THE PRESS, RAMMOHAN COMPOSED TWO MEMORIALS AGAINST THIS IN
1829 AND 1830 RESPECTIVELY. AS AN ACTIVIST, HE STEADILY OPPOSED SOCIAL ISSUES
LIKE SATI AND CHILD MARRIAGE……

23. ONE OF THE

32. VINOBA BHAVE ABOUT THIS SOUND PRONUNCIATION (HELP·INFO) (MARATHI: विनोबा भािे), VINAYAK NARAHARI BHAVE
(SEPTEMBER 11, 1895 - NOVEMBER 15, 1982) OFTEN CALLED ACHARYA (SANSKRIT FOR TEACHER), WAS AN INDIAN
ADVOCATE OF NONVIOLENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS. HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR THE BHOODAN MOVEMENT. HE IS
CONSIDERED AS A NATIONAL TEACHER OF INDIA AND THE SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR OF MOHANDAS GANDHI..

33. CAREER
HE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH MAHATMA GANDHI IN THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE
MOVEMENT. HE STAYED FOR SOME TIME AT GANDHI'S SABARMATI ASHRAM IN A
COTTAGE THAT WAS NAMED AFTER HIM, 'VINOBA KUTIR'. IN 1932 HE WAS SENT TO
JAIL BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF HIS ACTIVISM
AGAINST BRITISH RULE. THERE HE GAVE A SERIES OF TALKS ON THE GITA, IN HIS
NATIVE LANGUAGE MARATHI, TO HIS FELLOW PRISONERS.
THESE HIGHLY INSPIRING TALKS WERE LATER PUBLISHED AS THE BOOK "TALKS ON
THE GITA", AND IT HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO MANY LANGUAGES BOTH IN INDIA
AND ELSEWHERE. VINOBA FELT THAT THE SOURCE OF THESE TALKS WAS
SOMETHING FROM ABOVE AND HE BELIEVED THAT ITS INFLUENCE WILL ENDURE
EVEN IF HIS OTHER WORKS WERE FORGOTTEN.
IN 1940 HE WAS CHOSEN BY GANDHI TO BE THE FIRST INDIVIDUAL SATYAGRAHI (AN
INDIVIDUAL STANDING UP FOR TRUTH INSTEAD OF A COLLECTIVE ACTION) AGAINST
THE BRITISH RULE. IT IS SAID THAT GANDHI ENVIED AND RESPECTED BHAVE'S
CELIBACY, A VOW HE MADE IN HIS ADOLESCENCE, IN FITTING WITH HIS BELIEF IN
THE BRAHMACHARYA PRINCIPLE. BHAVE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE QUIT INDIA
MOVEMENT.

34. RELIGIOUS AND
SOCIAL WORK
VINOBA'S RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK WAS VERY BROAD AND IT SYNTHESIZED THE TRUTHS OF MANY RELIGIONS. THIS CAN BE SEEN
IN ONE OF HIS HYMNS "OM TAT SAT" WHICH CONTAINS SYMBOLS OF MANY RELIGIONS.
VINOBA OBSERVED THE LIFE OF THE AVERAGE INDIAN LIVING IN A VILLAGE AND TRIED TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR THE
PROBLEMS HE FACED WITH A FIRM SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION. THIS FORMED THE CORE OF HIS SARVODAYA (UPLIFTING OF
ALL) MOVEMENT. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE BHOODAN (LAND GIFT) MOVEMENT STARTED AT POCHAMPALLY ON 18
APRIL 1951, AFTER INTERACTING WITH 80 HARIJAN FAMILIES. HE WALKED ALL ACROSS INDIA ASKING PEOPLE WITH LAND TO
CONSIDER HIM AS ONE OF THEIR SONS AND SO GIVE HIM ONE SIXTH OF THEIR LAND WHICH HE THEN DISTRIBUTED TO
LANDLESS POOR. NON-VIOLENCE AND COMPASSION BEING A HALLMARK OF HIS PHILOSOPHY, HE ALSO CAMPAIGNED
AGAINST THE SLAUGHTERING OF COWS.
VINOBA SAID, "I HAVE WALKED ALL OVER INDIA FOR 13 YEARS. IN THE BACKDROP OF ENDURING PERPETUITY OF MY LIFE’S
WORK, I HAVE ESTABLISHED 6 ASHRAMS. ALTHOUGH I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT, ONE OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS “BABA”
WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR, IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THESE ASHRAMS. HENCE, SIX GEOGRAPHICAL SITES WERE
CHOSEN. THREE IN THE THREE CORNERS OF INDIA AND THREE IN THE MIDDLE, ON THE LINES OF ADI SHANKARA.
SAMANVAY ASHRAM IN BODHGAYA, BIHAR
BRAHMA VIDYA MANDIR IN PAUNAR, MAHARASHTRA
PRASTHAN ASHRAM IN PATHANKOT, PUNJAB
VISARJAN ASHRAM IN INDORE, MADHYA PRADESH
MAITRI ASHRAM IN NORTH LAKHIMPUR, CLOSE TO SINO-INDIA BORDER, ASSAM

35. LITERARY
CAREER
VINOBA BHAVE WAS A SCHOLAR, THINKER, AND WRITER WHO PRODUCED
NUMEROUS BOOKS. HE WAS A TRANSLATOR WHO MADE SANSKRIT TEXTS ACCESSIBLE
TO THE COMMON MAN. HE WAS ALSO AN ORATOR AND LINGUIST WHO HAD AN
EXCELLENT COMMAND OF SEVERAL LANGUAGES (MARATHI, GUJARATI, HINDI, URDU,
ENGLISH, SANSKRIT). VINOBA BHAVE WAS AN INNOVATIVE SOCIAL REFORMER. SHRI
VINOBA BHAVE CALLED NAGARI SCRIPT THE "QUEEN OF WORLD SCRIPTS". HE WROTE
BRIEF INTRODUCTIONS TO, AND CRITICISMS OF, SEVERAL RELIGIOUS AND
PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS LIKE THE BHAGAVAD GITA, WORKS OF ADI
SHANKARACHARYA, THE BIBLE ANDQURAN. HIS CRITICISM OF DNYANESHWAR'S
POETRY AND WORKS BY OTHER MARATHI SAINTS IS QUITE BRILLIANT AND A
TESTIMONY TO THE BREADTH OF HIS INTELLECT.
VINOBA BHAVE HAD TRANSLATED THE BHAGAVAD GITA INTO MARATHI. HE WAS
DEEPLY INFLUENCED BY THE GITA AND ATTEMPTED TO IMBIBE ITS TEACHINGS INTO
HIS LIFE, OFTEN STATING THAT "THE GITA IS MY LIFE'S BREATH".[SOME OF HIS WORKS
ARE:
THE ESSENCE OF QURAN
THE ESSENCE OF CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS
THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION
SWARAJYA SASTRA
A UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN NAMED AFTER HIM, VINOBA BHAVE UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS
LOCATED IN HAZARIBAGH DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF JHARKHAND.

36. VINOBHA BHAVE AND LAND
DONATION MOVEMENT
IN 1951 VINOBA BHAVE STARTED HIS LAND DONATION MOVEMENT,
THE BHOODAN MOVEMENT. HE TOOK DONATED LAND FROM LAND
OWNER INDIANS AND GAVE IT AWAY TO THE POOR AND LANDLESS, FOR
THEM TO CULTIVATE. THEN AFTER 1954, HE STARTED TO ASK FOR
DONATIONS OF WHOLE VILLAGES IN A PROGRAMME HE CALLED
GRAMDAN. HE GOT MORE THAN 1000 VILLAGES BY WAY OF DONATION.
OUT OF THESE, HE OBTAINED 175 DONATED VILLAGES IN TAMIL NADU
ALONE.

37. VINOBA SPENT THE LATER PART OF HIS LIFE AT HIS BRAHMA VIDYA
MANDIR ASHRAM IN PAUNAR, MAHARASHTRA. HE DIED ON 15
NOVEMBER 1982 AFTER REFUSING FOOD AND MEDICINE FOR A FEW DAYS.
THE THEN PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, INDIRA GANDHI CUT SHORT HER
VISIT TO MOSCOW,TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL OF SOVIET LEADER LEONID
BREZHNEV TO BE AT THE FUNERAL OF VINOBA BHAVE.

38. INFORMATION:-
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