Brahmoism | |
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Classification | Hinduism |
Scripture | Brahmo Dharma |
Theology | Monotheism |
Pradhanacharya-1 | Raja Ram Mohan Roy |
Pradhanacharya-2 | Dwarkanath Tagore |
Pradhanacharya-3 | Debendranath Tagore |
Associations | Brahmo Samaj (Adi Brahmo Samaj and Sadharan Brahmo Samaj) |
Founder | Ram Mohan Roy |
Origin | 28 August 1828 Calcutta, British India |
Official website | true |
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Brahmoism is a Hindu religious movement which originated from the mid-19th century Bengali Renaissance, the nascent Indian independence movement.[1][2] Adherents, known as Brahmos (singular Brahmo), are mainly of Indian or Bangladeshi origin or nationality.
The Brahmo Samaj, literally the "Society of Brahma", was founded as a movement by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.[3]
The Brahmo articles of faith derive from the Fundamental (Adi) Principles of the Adi Brahmo Samaj religion.[4]
The Articles of faith for Brahmos are:[5]
Adherence to these articles are required only of Adi Brahmos or such Sadharan Brahmos who accept Adi-ism i.e. Trust deed of Brahmo Sabha (1830). Brahmoism is considered a syncretism of Hinduism, Islam and Protestant Christianity.[6][7][8][9][10]
While Raja Ram Mohan Roy aimed at reforming the Hindu religion through Unitarianism, his successor Maharshi Debendranath Tagore in 1850 rejected the infallibility of the Vedas. Tagore tried to retain some Hindu customs, but a series of schisms eventually resulted in the formation of the breakaway Sadharan Brahmo Samaj in 1878.
So, in 1901, a decision of the Privy Council of British India found that "the vast majority of Brahmo religionists are not Hindus and have their own religion".[11]
The Brahma Dharma was first codified by Debendranath Tagore with the formulation of the Brahmo Dharma Beej and publication of the Brahma Dharma, a book of 1848 or 1850 in two parts. The Brahma Dharma is the source of every Brahmo's spiritual faith and reflects Brahmo repudiation of the Hindu Vedas as authority and the shift away from Ram Mohan Roy's Unitary version of God. The traditional seed principles and Debendranath's Brahmo Dharma (or religious and moral law) now stand evolved as the "Fundamental Principles of Brahmoism" and are supplemented by precise evolving rules for adherents, akin to "Articles of Faith" which regulate the Brahmo way of life. In addition the assembly of Brahmos (and also Brahmo Samajists) for meeting or worship is always consonant with the Trust Principles of 1830 or its derivatives.