• Ramalinga Swamigal was born in a modest family near Chidambaram and spent his early life in Madras.
• He never had formal schooling, but exhibited great scholarship.
• Inspired by the Saiva Thevaram and Thiiuvasagam hymns, he began to compose moving poems on his own.
• In his time, Saiva religion was in the grip of Saiva monasteries such as those at Thiruvaduthurai, Dharumapuram and Thiruppanandal

The SNDP Yogam took up several issues such as
Right of admission to public schools
Recruitment to government services.
Access to roads and entry to temples; and
Political representation.

Dayananda's Shuddi (purification) movement i.e., conversion of non-Hindus to Hindus. was controversial and provoked controversies especially with the Ahmadiya movement

• Phule held radical views on social, religious, political and economic issues.
• He considered the caste system as an antithesis of the principle of human equality.
• He sought to raise the morale of the non-Brahmins and united them to revolt against the centuries old inequality and social degradation .
• Towards this end Phule founded the Satya Shodak Samaj (Society for Seeking Truth) in 1875. His most important book is Gulamgiri (Slavery).

• Raja Rammohun Roy, was a man of versatile genius. He established the Brahmo Samaj in August, 1828.
• The Brahmo Samaj was committed to "the worship and adoration of the eternal, unsearchable, immutable. Being who is the Author and Preserver of the Universe".
• His long term agenda was to purify Hinduism and to preach monotheism for which he drew authority from the Vedas.
• He emphasized human dignity, opposed idolatry and social evils such as sati