Which of the following ideas was preached by the Kherwar or Sapha Har movement of the 1870s?
- A.Acceptance of the Hindu pantheonic order
- B.Monotheism and internal social reform
- C.Philosophy of Yoga and Mimansa
- D.Polytheism
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, monotheism and internal social reform. The Kherwar or Sapha Har movement of the Santhals in the 1870s called on the tribe to worship one supreme god and to purify its own social life. It arose in the Santhal Parganas some twenty years after the Santhal rebellion of 1855 to 1856 led by Sidhu and Kanhu. Its leader Bhagirath Manjhi, a Santhal who called himself a king, urged followers to give up drinking, eating pork and fowl and old spirit worship, and to lead clean, 'sapha', lives. Alongside this religious reform the movement also spoke against the revenue settlement and the landlords and moneylenders who held Santhal land. Historians such as Sumit Sarkar describe it as a mix of monotheism, internal reform and protest. Option A is wrong because it did not ask the Santhals to accept the Hindu pantheon. Option C is wrong because Yoga and Mimansa are schools of Indian philosophy that played no part in it. Option D is wrong because it preached one god, not many. Exam tip: Kherwar or Sapha Har movement, 1870s, Santhals, led by Bhagirath Manjhi.
Practice Questions
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Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about the Justice Party is not correct?
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Read the full explanation →Which organization was started at the Haridwar Kumbh Mela in 1915?
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Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about the All India Depressed Classes Association is not correct?
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- B.The All India Depressed Classes Association was not attended by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in 1926.
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