Vishnubuva Brahmachari (1825 – 71 CE) was a revivalist and
reformer of Hinduism in Maharashtra. He believed in the superiority of Hindu
culture over all other cultures. Along with the British came Protestant
missionaries to preach the Christian gospel in India. The intelligentsia behind
British rule, like Macaulay, Mill and Bentham, wanted to inculcate Western
ideals and values among the Indians. Consequently, the advent of the British
became a religious, cultural and political invasion. The Indians felt the need
to protect their culture, religion and society from this onslaught.
Two types of movements emerged at this time in Maharashtra –
reformist and revivalist. The former welcomed the advent of the British as an
opportunity to transform Indian society into a progressive, democratic one; the
latter, on the other hand, felt the need to protect the Indian tradition and Western
attacks and to revive its past glory and worth that had decayed with the passage
of time.
Vishnubuva Brahmachari attempted to establish the worth and
richness of Hinduism and Indian philosophy. He defended Hinduism from the
onslaughts of Christian missionaries. He wrote articles and books Bhavartha
Sindu (Ocean of Meanings), Vedokta Dharmaprakasha (Light on Dharma according to
Vedas) and others.
Vishnubuva Brahmachari emphasized the need to revive Vedic religion.
He criticized mere mechanical observance of rituals, the hypocrisy of the
purohit (priests) and the complacency of the lower classes in the matter of
challenging the dominance of Brahmins. He favored a society in which there was
collective ownership of land and equal distribution of production among the
masses. He agreed that some of the socio-political values of the West were
necessary for the development of Indian society. His plan for a “Beneficent
Government” embodies these values. His aim was to evoke a sense of national
pride by eliminating the shortcomings of traditional value and practices.