Social Reformers of Tamilnadu

Social Reformers of Tamilnadu

Ramalinga Swamigal (1823-1874)

• Birth: October 5, 1823
• Parents: Ramaiah – Chinnamai
• Native: Marudhur, Cuddalore.

Philosophies of Vallalar

• Ramalinga emphasised the bonds of responsibility & compassion between living beings and he called it Jeevakarunya.
• He says “Service to mankind is the path to attain Salvation”.
• He expressed the view that ‘those who lack compassion for suffering beings are hard-hearted, their wisdom clouded.’
  

• Universal Brotherhood 
• Treating all souls as equal
• Creating awareness to individual’s self-disciplines.
• No killing of animals 
• No eating of flesh
• Jeeva Karunya: Showing mercy to the hungry and feeding them 
  

• He established the “Samarasa Vedha Sanmarga Sangam” in 1856 and it was renamed “Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Satya Sanga” in 1865 which means “Society for Pure Truth in Universal selfhood”. 
• In 1870 he established ‘Sathiya Gnana Sabha’
• Ramalinga also established a free feeding house the Satya Dharma Saalai for everyone irrespective of caste at ‘Vadalur‘ (1867), in the wake of a terrible famine in south India in 1866.
• His radical views deeply disturbed Saiva orthodoxy, who condemned his writings as ‘Marutpa‘ (songs of ignorance).
• Ramalinga bore witness to hunger and poverty in the country: “I saw poor people, emaciated with hunger and terribly weary, going to every house, yet their hunger was not removed, and my heart suffered intensely. Those who suffer with relentless disease, I saw them in front of me and my heart trembled. I saw those people, poor and of unmatched honor, their hearts weary, and I grew weak.”
• Bharathiyar praised him as a “Pudhunerikanda Pulavar“.

Books Published by Vallalar

1. Sinmaya Theepigai
2. Olivilodukkam
3. Thondai Mandala Sathagam

Proses Composed by Vallalar

1. Manumurai Kanda Vaasagam
2. Jeevakaarunya Olukkam

  Thiruvarutpa

• The collection of 6000 songs of him is called Thiruvarutpa (Songs of Grace).
• It was classified into Six Thirumurai. First four Thirumurai are published by Tholuvur Velayuthanar‘

Vaikunda Swamikal (1809-1851)

• • Born: Sasthan Koil Vilai, the present Samithoppu, a village near Kanyakumari.
  • Original Name: Mudichudum Perumal
  • It was changed to Muthukutty by his parents due to objection raised by the upper caste Hindus.
  • He preached the ideas of equality and advocated the rights of depressed class people in the face of stiff opposition from upper castes as well as the princely state of Travancore.
  • Vaikunda Swamikal criticised the rule of the British and the rule of Rajah of Travancore as the rule of “White devils and Black devils” respectively.
  • He visited Tiruchendur temple and experienced a new vision.
  • Calling himself ‘Vaikundar‘, he requested the people to give up all the irrelevant rites and rituals in their worship.
  • In 1833, Vaikundar commenced his meditation at Samithoppu for the abolition of caste differences and social integration of the society.
  • When there was prohibition on certain sections on wearing headgear he advocated the wearing of a turban in protest.
  • It gave a sense of honour to the oppressed people and offered a spirit of self-respect.
  • Vaikunda Swamigal condemned the worship of idols.
  • The low caste people had no temples for their gods, they erected small pyramids of mud or bricks in their honor, plastered and white-washed.
  • He condemned these religious customs and campaigned against animal sacrifice.
  • Vaikunda Swamigal founded ‘Samathuva Samajam’ to unite all the people of various castes. He organized inter-dining (Thuvayal Panthi (or) Thuvayal Thavasu) to accomplish it.
  • Even though he was imprisoned by the Maharajah of Travancore, he never gave up his principles.
  • His followers called him respectfully as ‘Ayya’ (father).
  • His cult was also known as ‘Ayya Vazhi’ (The Path of Ayya).

• ‘Nizhal Thangal’ are secondary worship places of the Ayyavazhi. 

Religious works

• Arulnool
• Akila Thirattu Ammanai describes about the life history of Vaikunda Swamigal was compiled by one of his follower ‘Ramagopal’

Iyothee Thassar (1845-1914)

• Original Name: Kaathavarayan
• Pandithar Iyothee Thassar (1845-1914) was a radical Tamil scholar, writer, siddha medicine practitioner, journalist and socio political activist. 
• Born in Chennai, he was fluent in Tamil, English, Sanskrit and Pali languages.
• He married a woman from the Nilgiri Todar tribe and lived in Rangoon for ten years.
• He campaigned for social justice and worked for the emancipation of the “untouchables” from the caste clutches.
• He founded the ‘Advaidananda Sabha’ to raise the voice for the temple entry of the “untouchables”.
• In 1882, John Rathinam and lyothee Thassar established a movement called, ‘Dravida Kazhagam’ and launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian in 1885.
• He founded the ‘Dravida Mahajana Sabha’ in 1891and organised the First Conference of the association at Nilgiris.
• He started a weekly journal, ‘Oru Paisa Tamilan’, in 1907 and published it until his demise in 1914. Later it was renamed into ‘Tamilan’.
• Influenced by the Theosophist organizer, Colonel H.S. Olcott, he went to Sri Lanka in 1898 and converted to Buddhism.
• In the same year, he founded the ‘Sakya Buddhist Society’ at Madras to construct the rational religious philosophy through Buddhist religion.
• He argued that the so-called untouchables were originally Buddhists who were stigmatized by Brahmanism.
• He further constructed an alternative history through the interpretation of Tamil literature and folk traditions of Tamil from a Buddhist standpoint.
• In addition, he stated that the revival of Buddhism could liberate the people from the evil of caste that affected the Hindu society.
• He called the “untouchables” Sathi Petham Atra Dravidar (Casteless Dravidians) and urged them to register as casteless Dravidians in the Census.
• He is considered as the Founder of Tamil Buddhist renaissance movement in Tamil Nadu.

Impact of Social and Religious Movements 

• The Social and religious reform movements brought about remarkable changes in the society & religion. These movements greatly helped to abolish some of the evils like sati, child marriage and untouchability.
• It promoted education, encouraged widow remarriage, inter-caste marriages and inter-dining. It instilled social awakening and sprit of nationalism in the minds of Indians.