NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 9:Women, Caste and Reform

The social evils that prevailed in the pre-colonial era will be discussed in this chapter. It also brings to the attention of the young minds the then society and its background. The following points are a brief overview of the chapter:

• Differences between men and women were not the only ones in society. In most regions, people were divided along the lines of caste.
• Ram Mohan Roy helped in the abolition of the evil practice of sati. The practise of Sati was seen as evidence of the barbarism of the East.
• Saraswati Dayanand founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, an organisation that attempted to reform Hinduism. Shri Narayana Guru vehemently worked for the upliftment of the depressed class.
• Child marriage was another social evil that the society witnessed then. Jyotirao Phule worked for the spread of awareness of the evils that child marriage possessed. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in Calcutta and many other reformers in Bombay set up schools for girls.
• Tarabai Shinde, a woman from Poona, educated at home, published a book, Stripurushtulna, criticising the social differences between men and women.
• Numerous personalities worked towards eradicating the evils prevailing in the then society. Many revolts and movements took place to overcome the rigid ideology. The British did pass several laws and helped the reformers in this process.