Socio-religious movement in the muslim society of Bengal during the British colonial period: Roles of Titumir (1782-1831)
Abstract
In the Pre-colonial period the extent of religious and social thinking was confined to
the conservation of the age - old beliefs, usage, customs, and traditions. But with the
establishment of British colonial state the conservative tradition had received a rude
shock. Unemployment, poverty and decadence consumed the fading Mughal aristocracy.
Consequently the control of the aristocracy on the society was slackened. An jemerging
middle class, a direct outcome of the colonial rule, was gradually emerging to dominate
both in the urban and rural areas. It was the feeling of that middle class that age-worn social
and religious institutions must be reformed. The first quarter of the nineteenth century had
witnessed the initial phase of the new reformist mind in the persons of Haji Shariatullah,
Titumir, Ram Mohan Roy, Debendranath and others. Reform movements among the Muslims
and Hindus commenced nearly simultaneously.
In Bengal the reform movements began with Haji Shariatullah (1781-1840). He was
influenced mainly by three Islamic thinkers. They were Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahab (1703-
1787) of Arabia, Shah Waliullah (1703-1763) and Syed Ahmed Shaheed (1786-1831). But
Shariatullah initiated his reforms being influenced by unique religious and socio-economic
background.
In the pre or post palashi period the intellectuals of the eroded, infirm and decadent Muslim
society failed to feel the need of immediate reform. As leadership from the educated upper
class was not forthcoming, the vacuum was filled from the grassroot level and the need for
such reforms came from their understanding of life
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