The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act was passed in which of the following years?

Correct option is C

The Correct Answer is 1856
The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act was passed in the year 1856 during the British rule in India. This significant law legalized the remarriage of Hindu widows, which had previously been considered socially unacceptable and even sinful in orthodox Hindu society.
In traditional Hindu culture, widows were expected to live a life of austerity, isolation, and hardship. They were often denied education, forced into seclusion, and forbidden from remarrying. Many faced lifelong suffering, regardless of their age at the time of widowhood.
The movement for widow remarriage gained momentum due to the efforts of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a leading social reformer, scholar, and principal of Sanskrit College, Calcutta. He worked tirelessly to bring attention to the inhuman conditions faced by widows and advocated for their right to remarry.
Vidyasagar submitted several petitions to the British authorities, supported by thousands of signatures, urging them to pass a law that would legally recognize widow remarriage. His campaign played a crucial role in convincing the colonial administration to take legislative action.
The Act was finally passed on 26 July 1856, and it legalized widow remarriage under certain conditions for Hindus.
Information Booster:
· The Act was passed under the governorship of Lord Dalhousie, shortly before his departure.
· The law applied only to Hindus and did not compel anyone to remarry, but rather gave legal protection to those who chose to.
· It stated that a widow who remarries would forfeit any rights to her deceased husband’s property, which was a controversial clause at the time.
· It was one of the earliest instances of British intervention in Indian social customs in support of progressive reform.
Additional Knowledge:
· The Sati system, another oppressive practice against women, was abolished in 1829 through the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Governor-General Lord William Bentinck.
· The Widow Remarriage Act paved the way for further reforms in women's rights, including education and inheritance.