Icons of Indian Renaissasce

The book explains the processes of social change and social transformation of Indian society from ancient to modern era. It focusses on the factors responsible for the growth and development of renaissance in Indian society. The traditional Indian society was based on values of holism, hierarchy, continuity, and transcendence. The renaissance has taken place on two levels: First, the combination and computation of traditional values which may be called orthogenetic changes, second, Indian society has also been in contact with other societies like Islamic and Christianity, which had great impact on Indian values, culture and style of life, which can be called heterogenetic changes. The intellectuals, activists and social reformers are creators of ideas and act as the causative factor in society. They are the builders of history. The book critically analyses the role of ‘Renaissance Man’ in Indian society. It gives a clear picture of ‘icons’ of renaissance and their role in transforming the society. The origin and meaning of renaissance is explained in historical perspective, with reference to European countries and in Indian traditional society. The book discusses the contribution of various social reformers, i.e. Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Swami Vivekanand, Narayan Guru, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Rammohun Roy, Jyotirao Phule, Erode Venkata Ramasamy Periyar, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Annie Besant, Rabindranath Tagore, Narendra Damodardas Modi and Bindeshwar Pathak. Overall, the book will give a holistic picture of the renaissance and provide readers an understanding of the processes of change and socio-cultural reforms in India.