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Keshab Chandra Sen was a well-known Brahma leader and a great intellectual leader of the 19th century from Bengal. He was born into an “affluent” and “modernist” family background with his father’s devotion to Vaishnavism. However, he founded a syncretic new religion “Naba Bidhan” (New Dispensation) in the year 1880. In this blog, you will read about the biography of Keshab Chandra Sen and his role in Brahmo Samaj along with its schism.
Table of Contents
Who was Keshab Chandra Sen?
Born on 19th November 1838 in Calcutta (presently – Kolkata), Keshab Chandra Sen was from an affluent family background.
- He was just ten years old when his father, Peary Mohan died, later he was raised by his uncle.
- In 1854, he joined as the secretary of the Asiatic Society and worked as a bank clerk.
- In 1854, he established the British India Society at the age of 17.
- At the age of 19, i.e. in the year 1857, he joined the Brahmo Samaj (“Society of Brahma” or “Society of God”), which was founded in 1828 by the Hindu social reformer Ram Mohan Roy.
- His grandfather, Ramkamal Sen, was the first Indian Secretary of the Asian Society, created the first English-Bengali Dictionary, and was involved in founding several educational institutions like Hindu College, Sanskrit College, etc
| Overview of Keshab Chandra Sen | |
| Birth Date | 19 November, 1838 |
| Also known as | Keshub Chandra Sen |
| Spouse | Jagonmohini Sen |
| Organizations found | Indian Reform Association, Brahmo Samaj |
| Famous for | Advocating for Women’s Empowerment, Widow Marriage and against Caste Marriage |
| Died | 8 January, 1884 |
- Sen was inspired by Theodore Parker, an American Transcendentalist, and gave speeches on religion and morality.
- He also started a group called the “Goodwill Fraternity” at his house. He built a strong relationship with Debendranath Tagore, who was the leader of the Brahmo Samaj.
- He was also influenced by Christian teachings and aimed to blend them with Hinduism, believing that Christian beliefs could revitalize Hindu society.
- Additionally, he admired the discipline of Christian missionary work and started practising it himself.
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Ideology of Keshab Chandra Sen
Throughout his existence, Keshab Chandra Sen’s beliefs shifted, and he focused on various matters at different times of his life.
- He highlighted religious matters at certain times and shifted his attention to social reforms from time to time.
- In the later years of his life, Keshab Chandra assumed the role of a spiritual leader, spreading his religious philosophy.
- His religious philosophy came to be known as the new Vaishnavism.
- In 1865, his growing Christian beliefs led to a split with Tagore, causing him to leave the Samaj and create the Bharat Barshiya Brahmo Samaj (Brahmo Samaj of India), which became known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj.
- Despite causing numerous divisions within the Brahmo Samaj, including its initial split, he was undeniably one of the most talked about and revered social reformers in Bengal during the colonial era.
Keshab Chandra Sen – Contributions
In his early years, he was active in the initiatives of the British Indian Association. He became a member of the Brahmo Samaj in 1857 and was seen as its youngest member.
- During this time, in 1860, the Sangat Sabha was established – a group of like-minded individuals created to foster spiritual connections among its members.
- This society laid the groundwork for a new form of Brahmoism that blended with Christian beliefs to form a truly global religion.
- Sen spoke out against child marriage and supported the idea of widows getting married again and people from different castes getting married to each other as well as making traditional marriages legal.
- Sen was also the founder member of the Albert College in 1862, the Bethune College for Women, and various other educational institutions.
- He also promoted their philosophy by travelling extensively across India, especially in the south, and through his daily “Dharma Tattwa” and weekly “Indian Mirror.”
- He developed a unique religious philosophy called “The New Dispensation,” which emphasised unity and love while criticizing the prevalent evils and promoting the belief in “God is Conscience.”
- He also established the “Indian Reform Association.” While some members of the Brahmo Samaj opposed it, many others supported it.
- His critics argued that Sen had deviated from the core principles of the Samaj, while his supporters believed he was embodying Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s vision of a universal religion.
- He was also regarded as a close associate of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and adopted many of his concepts.
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Schism between Brahmo Samaj and Keshab Chandra Sena
Upon being appointed as the head of the Brahmo Samaj by Debendranath Tagore shortly after his entry into the organization in 1858, the Brahmo Samaj saw a renewed burst of enthusiasm.
- Keshab Chandra Sen strongly headed the movement, leading to the establishment of Samaj branches across various regions, including the United Provinces, Punjab, Bombay, Madras, and other urban areas.
- However, a rift emerged between Keshab Chandra Sen and his contemporaries due to disagreements over his radical views.
- These included his push for the cosmopolitanization of Samaj gatherings by incorporating teachings from various religions and his staunch opposition to the caste system, including his endorsement of inter-caste marriages.
- In 1865, Keshab Chandra Sen was ousted from his leadership position.
By 1866, Keshab and his loyalists set up the Brahmo Samaj of India, with Debendranath Tagore’s Samaj being renamed the Adi Brahmo Samaj. The division within Keshab’s Brahmo Samaj of India deepened in 1878 when he married his 13-year-old daughter to a minor Hindu Maharaja of Cooch-Behar, conducting the ceremony according to orthodox Hindu rites. This event led to another split within the organization.
- Prior to this, a faction of Keshab’s followers began to view him as a divine being, which caused tension among those who supported his progressive ideologies.
- Additionally, Keshab faced accusations of being authoritarian.
Following the incident in 1878, those who were dissatisfied with Keshab’s leadership went on to form a new group, the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj. This new samaj was established by Ananda Mohan Bose, Sib Chandra Deb, and Umeshchandra Dutta. The Sadharan Brahmo Samaj was founded on the principles of Brahmoism, which included the belief in a Supreme Being, monotheism, the idea that no scripture or individual is infallible, and the reliance on reason, truth, and morality for faith.
He brought back a lot of old traditions from India and sent 12 followers to spread the message under a flag with a crescent, a cross, and a trident. These symbols represent Islam, Christianity, and a branch of Hinduism that worships Shiva as the ultimate reality. Sen took his last breath in Calcutta on 8th January 1884 at the age of 45.
FAQs
Brahmo Samaj of India
In November 1865 he was asked to leave the Brahma Samaj after “an open break with its founder Debendranath Tagore” over Christian practices in Brahmoism.
Indian mirror
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