Shuddhi
Encyclopedia
Shuddhi is Sanskrit
for purification
. In Hinduism
it is a part of worship. It also sometimes refers to reverting to Hinduism after converting from Hinduism to another religion.
, and its founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati and his followers like Swami Shraddhanand
, who also worked on the Sangathan consolidation aspect of Hinduism, in North India
, especially Punjab in early 1900s, though it gradually spread across India . Shuddhi had a social reform agenda behind its belligerent rationale and was aimed at abolishing the practise of untouchability
by converting outcasts from other religions to Hinduism
and integrating them into the mainstream community by elevating their position, and instilling self-confidence and self-determination in them.The movement strove to reduce the conversions of Hindus to Islam and Christianity, which were underway at the time .
In 1923, Swami Shraddhanand
founded the 'Bhartiya Hindu Shuddhi Mahasabha' (Indian Hindu Purification Council) and pushed the agenda of reconversion peacefully, but ultimately created a flashpoint between Hindus and Muslims as it offended Muslim exceptionalists, who argued that Hindus, being dhimmi
s, do not have any rights to convert others to their faith unlike the Muslims, who are munim. The main point of contention was the reconversion Malkana Rajputs in western United Province Subsequently the movement became controversial and antagonized the Muslims populace to no end and also led to the martyrdom of the leader of the movement, Swami Shraddhanand
in 1926. Gradually the movement faded away especially with the rise of nationalistic fervor during the Civil Disobedience movement of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1930s .
On 23 February 1928, many Catholic Gaude
s in Goa were re-converted to Hinduism notwithstanding the opposition of the Church and the Portuguese government. This was carried out by an Hindu religious institution from Mumbai known as Masurashram, the converts were given Hindu names, but the Portuguese government put impediments in their way to get legal sanction to their new Hindu names. 4851 Catholic Gaudes from Tiswadi
, 2174 from Ponda
, 250 from Bicholim
and 329 from Sattari
were re-converted to Hinduism after nearly 400 years. The total number of the converts to Hinduism was 7815.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
for purification
Ritual purification
Ritual purification is a feature of many religions. The aim of these rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type of activity, and especially prior to the worship of a deity...
. In Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
it is a part of worship. It also sometimes refers to reverting to Hinduism after converting from Hinduism to another religion.
Shuddhi movement
The socio-political movement, derived from ancient rite of shuddhikaran , or purification was started Arya SamajArya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
, and its founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati and his followers like Swami Shraddhanand
Swami Shraddhanand
Swami Shraddhanand was an Indian educationist and an Arya Samaj missionary who propagated the teachings of Swami Dayanand. This included the establishment of educational institutions, like the Gurukul Kangri University, and played a key role on the Sangathan and the Shuddhi a Hindu reform...
, who also worked on the Sangathan consolidation aspect of Hinduism, in North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
, especially Punjab in early 1900s, though it gradually spread across India . Shuddhi had a social reform agenda behind its belligerent rationale and was aimed at abolishing the practise of untouchability
Untouchability
Untouchability is the social practice of ostracizing a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers...
by converting outcasts from other religions to Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and integrating them into the mainstream community by elevating their position, and instilling self-confidence and self-determination in them.The movement strove to reduce the conversions of Hindus to Islam and Christianity, which were underway at the time .
In 1923, Swami Shraddhanand
Swami Shraddhanand
Swami Shraddhanand was an Indian educationist and an Arya Samaj missionary who propagated the teachings of Swami Dayanand. This included the establishment of educational institutions, like the Gurukul Kangri University, and played a key role on the Sangathan and the Shuddhi a Hindu reform...
founded the 'Bhartiya Hindu Shuddhi Mahasabha' (Indian Hindu Purification Council) and pushed the agenda of reconversion peacefully, but ultimately created a flashpoint between Hindus and Muslims as it offended Muslim exceptionalists, who argued that Hindus, being dhimmi
Dhimmi
A , is a non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia law. Linguistically, the word means "one whose responsibility has been taken". This has to be understood in the context of the definition of state in Islam...
s, do not have any rights to convert others to their faith unlike the Muslims, who are munim. The main point of contention was the reconversion Malkana Rajputs in western United Province Subsequently the movement became controversial and antagonized the Muslims populace to no end and also led to the martyrdom of the leader of the movement, Swami Shraddhanand
Swami Shraddhanand
Swami Shraddhanand was an Indian educationist and an Arya Samaj missionary who propagated the teachings of Swami Dayanand. This included the establishment of educational institutions, like the Gurukul Kangri University, and played a key role on the Sangathan and the Shuddhi a Hindu reform...
in 1926. Gradually the movement faded away especially with the rise of nationalistic fervor during the Civil Disobedience movement of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1930s .
On 23 February 1928, many Catholic Gaude
Gauda and Kunbi
Gaudas and Kunbis are aboriginal people residing in the coastal Indian state of Goa. They are of Proto-Australoid stock and are believed to be the original inhabitants of Konkan...
s in Goa were re-converted to Hinduism notwithstanding the opposition of the Church and the Portuguese government. This was carried out by an Hindu religious institution from Mumbai known as Masurashram, the converts were given Hindu names, but the Portuguese government put impediments in their way to get legal sanction to their new Hindu names. 4851 Catholic Gaudes from Tiswadi
Tiswadi
Tiswadi is a taluka of North Goa district of the state of Goa, India.The word Tiswadi itself means thirty settlements. It refers to the thirty settlements in which the Goud Saraswat Brahmins settled when they migrated to Goa. It is geographically an Island with the Mandovi river forming its...
, 2174 from Ponda
Ponda, India
Ponda is a city and a municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It is located in the central part of Goa. Ponda lies about 29 km south-east of Panaji and 18 km north-east of Margao and is also the capital of Ponda taluk. Ponda is well connected by road to the...
, 250 from Bicholim
Bicholim
Bicholim is a city and a municipal council in North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. It is a town in the territory of Goa, and the headquarters of the concelho of the same name; the Concelho of Bicholim, located in the north-east quarter is one of the seven that make up the Novas...
and 329 from Sattari
Sattari
Sattari is a taluka on North East side of Goa known for its greenary and dense forest. Its headquarters is Valpoi . It is the 'Fenny capital' of Goa. The Western Ghats form the eastern part of the Sattari Taluka. The Mhadei River is considered to be the lifeline of Sattari. It has a...
were re-converted to Hinduism after nearly 400 years. The total number of the converts to Hinduism was 7815.
Further reading
- Socio-Religious Reform Movements in British India: Socio-Religious Reform Movements in British India, Volume III-I, by Kenneth W. Jones. Published by Cambridge University Press, 1987. ISBN 0521249864.
- Shuddhi Movement in India: A Study of Its Socio-political Dimensions, by R. K. Ghai. Published by Commonwealth Publishers, 1990.
- Hindu Nationalism: Origins, Ideologies and Modern Myths, by Chetan Bhatt. Published by Berg Publishers, 2001. ISBN 1859733484.
- Religion in South Asia: Religious Conversion and Revival Movements in South Asia in Medieval and Modern Times, by Geoffrey A. Oddie. Published by Manohar, 1991. Chapter 10: Reconversion to Hinduism: The Shuddhi of the Arya Samaj. Page 215.