UPSC Prelims 2007 Q65: Modern History – Social & Religious Reform Movements
Who among the following wrote the book "Bahubivah"?
- (a) Raja Rammohun Roy
- (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
- (c) Pandita Rambai
- (d) Rabindranath Tagore
Answer: (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Explanation
"Bahubivah" — Vidyasagar against polygamy
| Work / Campaign | Author | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Bahubivah (1871) | Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar | Against polygamy among Kulin Brahmins |
| Widow remarriage | Vidyasagar | Led to the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 |
| Barna Parichay | Vidyasagar | Bengali primer |
| Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin | Raja Rammohun Roy | Monotheism (Persian) |
| The High-Caste Hindu Woman | Pandita Ramabai | Condition of upper-caste women |
| Gitanjali | Rabindranath Tagore | Poems — Nobel 1913 |
Bahu = many, bivah = marriage → "many marriages".
Answer: (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Rammohun Roy campaigned against Sati; his key work is Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin.
- (b) CORRECT. Vidyasagar wrote Bahubivah against polygamy.
- (c) Incorrect. Pandita Ramabai wrote The High-Caste Hindu Woman (1887).
- (d) Incorrect. Tagore is known for Gitanjali, not reform tracts on polygamy.
Key point
Bahubivah = Vidyasagar's attack on polygamy; he also drove the Widow Remarriage Act 1856.
Remember
Bahubivah (against polygamy) was written by Vidyasagar.
Common mistakes
- Picking Rammohun Roy for every early Bengal reform. His focus was Sati and monotheism.
- Not breaking the word: Bahu-bivah = many marriages points to polygamy.
- Confusing Pandita Ramabai's writings with Vidyasagar's.
Exam tip
Vidyasagar = widows (1856 Act) + polygamy (Bahubivah) + Somprakash + Barna Parichay.
Sources
- NCERT Class VIII — Our Pasts III, Ch 8 (Women, Caste and Reform)
- Spectrum — A Brief History of Modern India, Ch on Socio-Religious Reform
- Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856