In the 19th century, many social and religious movements started in India. These movements tried to remove the evils of social and religious fields Indian life system. Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj, Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj, Swami Vivekanand founded the Ramakrishna Mission and Smt. Annie Besant founded the Theosophical Society.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy stressed the need of modern education to abolish social evils, Swami Dayanand Saraswati awakened tl.j nation through the Arya Samaj. He stressed the need of using swadeshi goods and the need of struggl to attain swaraj. Annie Besant admired Hindu religion and Hindu culture. In 1893, Swami Vivekananda, in the conference of world religions at Chicago, preached the teachings of the Vedas.

He stressed the need for political independence and the revival of ancient pride of India. He held that-service of mother India – is the only religion of India. All these religious and social reform movements gave impetus to nationalism in India.