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.

English education:
i) English education introduced with the objective of producing clerks also produced a new English educated middle class.
ii) This class came under the influence of western ideas and thoughts.
Role of Christianity:
i) Christianity also had its effect on the newly emerging middle class.
ii) The educated middle class began to take a lead in political as well as in reform movements.
Western ideas:
i) The Indian reformers were quite hesitant to subject their old notions and habits to critical scrutiny. Instead they attempted to harmonize both Indian and western cultures.
ii)Their ideas and their actions helped to mitigate social evils such as sati, female infanticide and child marriage and various superstitious beliefs.
Role of scholars and writers:
i) The scholars and writers were an inspiration for the people towards the reform movements.
ii) As the society was having a number of evil practices like sati, child marriage and polygamy there was an urgent need for reform in the society.
iii) These were the circumstances that led to the reform movement in the 19^th century.