Keshub Chunder Sen

Born 1838; died 1884. Indian en-lightener.

In 1857, Keshub joined the reformist religious society Brahmo Samaj and during the early 1860’s headed a radical group within the society. In 1866 he and his group left Brahmo Samaj and formed a new reformist religious society, Brahmo Samaj of India. Keshub spoke out against caste distinctions, against the religious ban on marriages between members of different castes and the ban on marriages of widows, and against child marriages. He also advocated higher education for young Indians and the development of women’s education. Keshub had great influence among the progressive strata of India; however, his influence diminished sharply after 1878, when, in violation of the principles of Brahmo Samaj, he gave his underage daughter in marriage to an underage son of the raja of Cooch-Behar.