{"id":4926,"date":"2026-01-06T15:06:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T09:36:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=4926"},"modified":"2026-01-07T11:50:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T06:20:45","slug":"dharma-sabha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/dharma-sabha\/","title":{"rendered":"Dharma Sabha, Founder, Objectives, Significance"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Dharma Sabha<\/strong>\u00a0was founded in 1830 in Calcutta by\u00a0Radhakanta Deb<\/strong>, with the primary goal of opposing the socio-religious reform movements led by figures like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Henry Derozio. Dharma Sabha served as a conservative response to these reform efforts, aiming to protect traditional Hindu values and practices.<\/p>\r\n

Although an orthodox society, the Dharma Sabha supported the promotion of Western education, even for girls. However, the Dharma Sabha strongly opposed social reforms such as the abolition of sati and worked to maintain the existing socio-religious order.<\/p>\r\n

Dharma Sabha Background<\/h2>\r\n

The colonial presence in India sparked a new awareness and desire for social and religious reform in the\u00a0early 19th century.<\/strong>\u00a0As traditional institutions faced challenges from Western culture, a re-evaluation of Indian culture and tradition ensued. As a result, theDharma Sabha was formed by conservative Hindu groups in response to Western-focused reform movements like the\u00a0Brahmo Samaj<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Dharma Sabha Founder<\/h3>\r\n

Radhakanta Deb, a prominent leader of conservative Hindu society in Calcutta, established the\u00a0Dharma Sabha<\/strong>\u00a0in 1830. A strong advocate for education, he promoted English education among Hindus and supported women's education.<\/p>\r\n

Radhakanta Deb served as the\u00a0President of the British Indian Association<\/strong>. He also supported David Hare and aided in the establishment of the\u00a0Hindu College<\/strong>\u00a0in Calcutta.<\/p>\r\n

In December 1829, following the government's ban on sati under Lord William Bentinck<\/strong><\/a>, Radhakanta Deb and other leaders of the Dharma Sabha opposed the legislation, defending traditional Hindu practices.<\/p>\r\n

Dharma Sabha Objectives<\/h2>\r\n

The objectives for forming the Dharma Sabha stemmed from a new law introduced by British colonial rule that banned the practice of\u00a0sati\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(burning of widows alive). The primary focus of the Dharma Sabha was to oppose this law. Some segments of the Hindu community saw it as British interference in their religious practices.<\/p>\r\n