Consider the following: 1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee 2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation 3. Indian Reform Association Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above?
Contents8
- A1 and 3 only
- B2 and 3 only
- C3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (B) 2 and 3 only
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with establishing the Tabernacle of New Dispensation (Nava Vidhan) and the Indian Reform Association, but NOT the Calcutta Unitarian Committee.
Calcutta Unitarian Committee — NOT established by Keshab Chandra Sen. It was established in 1823 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy along with Dwarkanath Tagore and William Adam. Keshab Chandra Sen had no role in its founding.
Tabernacle of New Dispensation (Nava Vidhan) — YES, established by Keshab Chandra Sen. In 1868, after splitting from the Brahmo Samaj of India, Keshab laid the foundation stone of his new church. He eventually established the 'Church of the New Dispensation' (Nava Vidhan) in 1880, attempting to create a universal religion that harmonized all faiths.
Indian Reform Association — YES, established by Keshab Chandra Sen in 1870. It aimed to promote social reform, including women's education, temperance, and improvement of labor conditions.
Since Keshab Chandra Sen established only items 2 and 3 (not 1), the answer is (b) "2 and 3 only".
Tip: Remember — Raja Ram Mohan Roy = Calcutta Unitarian Committee (1823) and Brahmo Sabha/Samaj. Keshab Chandra Sen = New Dispensation and Indian Reform Association.
Keshab Chandra Sen established two major organizations after his split from the original Brahmo Samaj - the Tabernacle of New Dispensation in 1880 and the Indian Reform Association in 1870.
The trap here is the Calcutta Unitarian Committee, which was actually established by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1823, decades before Keshab Chandra Sen's reform activities.
UPSC tests precise knowledge of which reformer founded which organization, as the Bengal reform movement had overlapping figures and similar-sounding institutions.
Keshab Chandra Sen's Organizations
Modern Indian History Keshab Chandra Sen Tabernacle of New Dispensation Indian Reform Association
Keshab Chandra Sen: Key Organizations & Reform Initiatives
Established Tabernacle of New Dispensation (Nava Vidhan) in 1880 after splitting from Brahmo Samaj
Founded Indian Reform Association in 1870 for social reforms including women's education
NOT associated with Calcutta Unitarian Committee — that was Ram Mohan Roy's creation in 1823
Attempted to create a universal religion harmonizing Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and other faiths
Keshab Chandra Sen was a leading Brahmo reformer who eventually broke away to establish his own organizations focused on religious syncretism and social reform. His two major institutional contributions were religious (New Dispensation) and social (Indian Reform Association).
Keshab's Organizations vs Others
Organization | Founder | Year | Key Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
Tabernacle of New Dispensation | Keshab Chandra Sen | 1880 | Universal religion harmonizing all faiths |
Indian Reform Association | Keshab Chandra Sen | 1870 | Social reform, women's education, temperance |
Calcutta Unitarian Committee | Ram Mohan Roy | 1823 | Unitarian Christian worship, anti-idolatry |
Brahmo Sabha/Samaj | Ram Mohan Roy | 1828 | Monotheistic Hindu reform, social reform |
New Dispensation Details
Nava Vidhan aimed to synthesize Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and other world religions
Established after Keshab's split from Brahmo Samaj of India in 1878
Foundation stone laid in 1868, but formal establishment in 1880
Reflected Keshab's belief in divine inspiration and universal religious truth
Trap: Confusing Ram Mohan Roy (Calcutta Unitarian Committee, 1823) with Keshab Chandra Sen organizations
Trap: Mixing up Brahmo Samaj (Ram Mohan Roy, 1828) with New Dispensation (Keshab, 1880)
Trap: Assuming all Brahmo leaders established the same organizations — each had distinct institutional contributions
Memory Aid: Keshab = New + Reform (New Dispensation + Reform Association)
Calcutta Unitarian Committee
Modern Indian History Calcutta Unitarian Committee
Calcutta Unitarian Committee: Ram Mohan Roy's Christian Reform Initiative
Established in 1823 by Ram Mohan Roy with Dwarkanath Tagore and William Adam
Promoted Unitarian Christianity — belief in one God, rejection of Trinity
Not associated with Keshab Chandra Sen — predates him by decades
The Calcutta Unitarian Committee was Ram Mohan Roy's experiment with Christian reform, established when he was deeply influenced by Unitarian Christianity and its monotheistic principles.
Key Features
Co-founders: Ram Mohan Roy, Dwarkanath Tagore (Rabindranath's grandfather), William Adam (Scottish missionary)
Promoted rational Christianity without Trinity, miracles, or dogma
Influenced Roy's later founding of Brahmo Sabha (1828) with similar monotheistic principles
Part of Roy's broader engagement with multiple religious traditions — Hindu, Islamic, Christian
Common Error: Attributing this 1823 organization to Keshab Chandra Sen who came much later
Timeline Trap: Confusing with Brahmo Samaj (1828) — Unitarian Committee came 5 years earlier
Brahmo Samaj Leadership Evolution
Modern Indian History
Brahmo Samaj: From Ram Mohan Roy to Keshab Chandra Sen
Ram Mohan Roy founded Brahmo Sabha (1828) — the original monotheistic reform movement
Debendranath Tagore led Brahmo Samaj after Roy's death, made it more Hindu-oriented
Keshab Chandra Sen split to form Brahmo Samaj of India (1866), later New Dispensation (1880)
Brahmo Movement Evolution
%%{init: {"flowchart": {"wrappingWidth": 460}}}%%
flowchart TD
s1["`**Brahmo Sabha (1828)**
Ram Mohan Roy establishes monotheistic reform movement`"]
s2["`**Debendranath Takes Over (1843)**
After Roy's death, Debendranath Tagore leads, emphasizes Upanishads`"]
s3["`**Keshab Joins & Conflicts (1857-1865)**
Keshab brings radical social reforms, tensions with conservatives`"]
s4["`**Split: Two Brahmo Samajs (1866)**
Conservative (Debendranath) vs Progressive (Keshab) factions separate`"]
s5["`**Keshab's Final Break (1878-1880)**
Keshab forms independent New Dispensation after marriage controversy`"]
s1 --> s2
s2 --> s3
s3 --> s4
s4 --> s5Three Brahmo Leaders Compared
Leader | Phase | Key Organizations | Distinctive Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
Ram Mohan Roy | 1828-1833 | Brahmo Sabha, Calcutta Unitarian Committee | Monotheism, anti-sati, Christian influence |
Debendranath Tagore | 1843-1866 | Brahmo Samaj (original) | Upanishadic philosophy, Hindu roots |
Keshab Chandra Sen | 1857-1880 | Brahmo Samaj of India, New Dispensation | Social reform, universal religion |
Chronology Trap: Each leader had different organizational phases — don't mix their founding dates
Name Confusion: Brahmo Sabha (Roy, 1828) vs Brahmo Samaj (later evolution) vs New Dispensation (Keshab, 1880)