UPSC Prelims 2007 Q58: Modern History – Social & Religious Reform Movements
Who among the following started the newspaper "Shome Prakash"?
- (a) Dayanand Saraswati
- (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
- (c) Raja Rammohun Roy
- (d) Surendranath Banerjee
Answer: (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Explanation
Somprakash (Shome Prakash) — Vidyasagar's weekly
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Started | 1858 (Bengali weekly) |
| Founder | Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar |
| Editor | Dwarkanath Vidyabhushan |
| Significance | One of the papers targeted by the Vernacular Press Act, 1878 |
Who started what:
| Reformer | Paper |
|---|---|
| Raja Rammohun Roy | Sambad Kaumudi (Bengali), Mirat-ul-Akhbar (Persian) |
| Surendranath Banerjee | The Bengalee |
| Dayanand Saraswati | No newspaper; wrote Satyarth Prakash (a book) |
Answer: (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Dayanand wrote Satyarth Prakash — a book, not a newspaper. The name similarity is a trap.
- (b) CORRECT. Vidyasagar started Somprakash (1858), edited by Dwarkanath Vidyabhushan.
- (c) Incorrect. Rammohun Roy ran Sambad Kaumudi and Mirat-ul-Akhbar.
- (d) Incorrect. Surendranath Banerjee ran The Bengalee.
Key point
Somprakash (1858) = Vidyasagar; Sambad Kaumudi = Rammohun Roy; The Bengalee = Surendranath Banerjee.
Remember
Somprakash was started by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in 1858.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Somprakash (newspaper) with Satyarth Prakash (Dayanand's book).
- Thinking Rammohun Roy started every early Bengali paper.
- Forgetting Somprakash was among the papers hit by the Vernacular Press Act (1878).
Exam tip
Prakash trap: Som-prakash = Vidyasagar (paper). Satyarth Prakash = Dayanand (book).
Sources
- Spectrum — A Brief History of Modern India (Rajiv Ahir), Ch on Press
- Bipan Chandra — History of Modern India
- NCERT Class VIII — Our Pasts III, Ch 8