Dharma Sabha was an organisation that started against the sati campaign led by Brahmo Samaj.
Dharma Sabha is an example of :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Counter movement
Option (1) Social movement — Incorrect. Social movements seek to bring in social change, as Raja Rammohun Roy’s campaign against sati did. The Dharma Sabha did the opposite: it wanted the old practice kept.
Option (2) Revolutionary movement — Incorrect. Revolutionary social movements attempt to radically transform social relations, often by capturing state power, like the Bolshevik revolution in Russia or the Naxalite movement in India. The Dharma Sabha wanted no change at all, let alone a radical one.
Option (3) Redemptive movement — Incorrect. A redemptive movement aims to change the personal consciousness and actions of its own members, as Narayana Guru led the Ezhava community in Kerala to change their social practices. The Dharma Sabha did not try to change its members; it petitioned the government.
Option (4) Counter movement — Correct. Counter movements arise in defence of the status quo. When Raja Rammohun Roy campaigned against sati and formed the Brahmo Samaj, the defenders of sati formed the Dharma Sabha and petitioned the British not to legislate against sati.
NCERT (2025-26): “8.1 Features of a Social Movement … While social movements seek to bring in social change, counter movements sometimes arise in defence of status quo. There are many instances of such counter movements. When Raja Rammohun Roy campaigned against sati and formed the Brahmo Samaj, defenders of sati formed Dharma Sabha and petitioned the British not to legislate against sati.…” “8.3 Types of Social Movements … There are different kinds of social movements. They can be classified as: (i) redemptive or transformatory; (ii) reformist; and (iii) revolutionary. A redemptive social movement aims to bring about a change in the personal consciousness and actions of its individual members. For instance, people in the Ezhava community in Kerala were led by Narayana Guru to change their social practices. Reformist social movements strive to change the existing social and political arrangements through gradual, incremental steps. The 1960s movement for the reorganisation of Indian states on the basis of language and the recent Right to Information campaign are examples of reformist movements. Revolutionary social movements attempt to radically transform social relations, often by capturing state power. The Bolshevik revolution in Russia that deposed the Tsar to create a communist state and the Naxalite movement in India that seeks to remove oppressive landlords and state officials can be described as revolutionary movements.…” |