(i) Born to poor parents in Kerala, Narayana Guru (1854-1928) evolved into a poet and scholar in Malayalam, Tamil, and Sanskrit.
(ii) In his days the people of depressed classes had no access to temples, streets, public tanks and wells, and educational institutions.
(iii) Men and women belonging to lower castes were not allowed to wear the upper garments.
(iv) Disturbed by the terrible caste tyranny, that the lower caste people suffered, he dedicated his whole life for the betterment of the oppressed.
(v) He set up the Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, an organization to work for the uplift of the "depressed classes'. 
(vi) He established a grand temple at Aruvipuram and dedicated it to all.
(vii) His movement inspired a radical transformation of Kerala society, especially among the Ezhavas.
(viii) Thinkers and writers such as Kumaran Asan and Dr. Palpu were influenced by his ideas and carried forward the movement.

The influence of Western ideas and Christianity created a new awakening in 19th century British India.
Raja Rammohan Roy:
i) Raja Rammohan Roy was deeply concerned with the prevailing customs of Sati, Child Marriage and Polygamy.
ii) He published tracts against them and petitioned the government to legislate against them.
iii) He advocated the rights of widows to remarry.
iv) He wanted polygamy to end. Rammohan Roy condemned the subjugation of women and opposed the prevailing ideas 'women were inferior to men'. He strongly advocated education for women.
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar:
i) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar provided evidence from scriptures that there was no sanction for burning of widows or for the prohibition on the remarriage of widows.
ii) He played a leading role in promoting education of girls.
iii) He dedicated his whole life for the betterment of the child widows of the Hindu society.
iv) It resulted in the Widows' Remarriage Reform act of 1856. This act was intended to improve the lot of child widows and save them from perpetual widowhood.
M.G Ranade:
i) M.G Ranade was the founder of the Widow Marriage Association.
ii) He advocated inter-caste marriage, widow remarriage, improvement of woman and depressed classes.
Jyotiba Phule:
i) Jyotiba Phule worked for the cause of women.
ii) He opposed child marriage and supported widow remarriage.
iii) He opened orphanages and homes for widows.
Other Reformers:
i) The leader of the sabha opposed both infant marriage and use of astrology.
ii) Baba Ram Singh considered both men and women equal and accepted widow remarriage. It prohibited the dowry system and child marriage.
iii) Ramalinga established a free feeding house for everyone irrespective of caste at Vadalur (1867), in the wake of a terrible famine in South India in 1866.

Ramakrishna:
i) Ramakrishna was a simple priest of Dakshineswar Kali temple.
ii) He emphasised the spiritual union with God through ecstatic practices such as singing bhajans.
iii) In his view, all religions contain the universal elements which if practised would lead to salvation.
iv) He said, "Jiva is Siva".
v) He said not mercy, but service for man must be regarded as God.
vi) Ramakrishna's primary achievement was his ability to attract educated youth who were dissatisfied with the rational orientation of religious reform organizations such as the Brahmo Samaj.
vii) After his death, his disciples organised themselves as a religious community and undertook the task of making his life and teaching known in India and abroad.
viii) Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Mission. It did not restrict itself to religious activities.
ix) But it was involved in social causes such as education, health care and relief in times of calamities.
Swami Vivekananda:
i) Swami Vivekananda was the prime follower of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
ii) He was dissatisfied with conventional philosophical positions and practices.
iii) He advocated the practical vedanta of service to humanity.
iv) He attacked the tendency to defend every institution simply because it was connected with religion.
v) He made a call to Indian youth to regenerate Hindu society.
vi) His ideas bread a sense of self confidence among Indians.
vii) He became famous for his address on Hinduism at the World Congress of Religions at Chicago.
viii) Many youths were inspired by Vivekananda.

Vaikunda Swamigal criticized the rule of the British and the rule of the Rajah of Travancore as the rule of the white devils and black devils respectively.

Vaikunda Swamikal criticized the rule of the British and the rule of Rajah of Travancore as the rule of White devils and Black devils respectively.

(i) The Namdhari Movement, founded by Baba Ram Singh, was another socio-religious movement among the Sikhs.
(ii) The Namdharis insisted on wearing the symbols of Sikhism except the kirpan (sword).
(iii) Instead, Baba Ram Singh wanted his' followers to carry a lathi. It considered both men and women equal and accepted widow remarriage.
(iv) It prohibited the dowry system and child marriage.

The Zoroastrians who had fled from Iran in the tenth century in the face of religious persecution.

(i) The school curricula shut out English education and western culture.
(ii) The instruction imparted was in original Islamic religion and the aim was moral and religious regeneration of the Muslim community.
(iii) The Deoband School did not prepare its students for government jobs but for the preaching of Islamic faith.

(i) Theosophical Society stimulated a study of the Hindu classics, especially the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
(ii) The Theosophical Society also played an important role in the revival of Buddhism in India.
(iii) Western interest in Hindu scriptures gave educated Hindus great pride in their tradition and culture.