The Paramhansa Mandali was founded in 1840 to work for the abolition of which of the following issues?

Correct option is D

Correct Answer: (D) Caste system
Explanation:
→ The Paramhansa Mandali was a secret socio-religious reform association established in Bombay in 1840.
→ Its primary, foundational objective was the complete abolition of the caste system.
→ Members of the Mandali were required to eat food prepared by lower-caste individuals during meetings to actively break caste taboos.
→ It worked covertly to avoid backlash from orthodox Hindu society, spreading ideas of human equality and monotheism.
Information Booster:
→ The key founders of the Paramhansa Mandali included Dadoba Pandurang and Ram Balkrishna Jayakar.
→ It was heavily influenced by the ideology of the Manav Dharma Sabha established in Surat.
→ Members believed in one God and rejected the worship of multiple deities and complex rituals.
→ The Mandali's activities paved the way for later, open reform groups in Western India like the Prarthana Samaj.
Additional Information:
Option (A) Sati system: This is incorrect because the abolition of the Sati system was primarily championed by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, resulting in the anti-Sati law of 1829.
Option (B) Child marriage: This is incorrect because child marriage reform was targeted later through legislation like the Age of Consent Act (1891) and the Sharda Act (1929).
Option (C) Widow marriage: This is incorrect because the fight for widow remarriage was spearheaded by reform movements led by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, leading to the 1856 Act.