RAS question
Who established the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856?
Correct answer: (B) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's persistent efforts and petitions led to the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act XV of 1856.
Explanation
The 1856 Widow Remarriage Act is linked to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar because the reform directly addressed the social condition of widows. IGNOU eGyanKosh explains that after sati was banned, widows who were not allowed to commit sati faced problems because of lack of education and social acceptance. This was the issue Vidyasagar fought for, and his efforts led to the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856. His persistent efforts and petitions resulted in Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act XV of 1856 during Lord Dalhousie's tenure.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jyotiba Phule worked for girls' education, a school for Dalit girls, and protection for widows' children, not for securing the 1856 Widow Remarriage Act.
- (C) Keshub Chunder Sen does not fit because the Act came in 1856 through Vidyasagar's petitions, while Sen's reform activity came later.
- (D) Raja Ram Mohan Roy is linked to the 1829 ban on sati, and his death in 1833 came before the 1856 Act.
Concept
Nineteenth-century Indian social reform is part of Modern Indian History. RAS often connects reform Acts with named reformers, petitions, and legislative change.