BRAHMA SAMAJ. Literally " the Congregation of God," a modern theistic church founded at Calcutta in 1S2S by the Hindu reformer, Rammohun Roy (1772-1833). After the death of Rammohun Roy, his successor, Debendranath Tagore (b. 1818), founded another church, " the Truth-teaching Society " (1839-1859), which was afterwards united with the Brahma Samaj. In 1844 the latter was re-organised as the Adi Brahma Samaj, the First Congregation. The members of this took an oath, and were guided by a president and minister. A schism was nearly caused in the Church by a difference of opinion regarding the infallibility and authority of the Vedas. The movement, however, spread, and in 1850 Samajas were in existence in other provinces. In 1S5S Keshub Chunder Sen joined the Brahma Samaj, and soon began to advocate far-reaching reforms, such as the abolition of caste, child-marriages, and polyandry. Failing in his purpose here, in 1866 he founded a new church, the Brahma Samaj of India as distinguished from the Adi Samaj of Calcutta. In this church caste
restrictions and Brahmanism were abolished, but the religion was characterised by much emotionalism and ecstatic fervour. Sen. himself, though he denied that he made any claim to divine honours, came to receive divine honours. He certainly claimed to be divinely inspired, and assumed the power of a pope among his followers. His glory suffered an eclipse when in 1877 his young daughter (16) was engaged to a boy-prince (16). In 1880 he proclaimed Christianity to be the only true religion; but the Christianity he had in mind was hardly that of the Christian Churches, for be afterwards professed to find the true religion in an amalgamation of Christianity, Hinduism, and Mohammedanism. In 1878 Sen's opponents started another new church or society, and now there are said to be many such congregations in India. Cp. ARYA SAMAJ, and see E. W. Hopkins: Monier-Williams; J. C. Oman, B.T.M.I.; and R. V. Russell.