Brahmo Samaj (Bengali: ব্রাহ্ম সমাজ, romanized: Brahmô Sômaj [bram.ho ʃɔ.mad͡ʒ]) is the societal component of Brahmoism, which began as a monotheistic reformist movement during the Bengal Renaissance.
[2] It was started at Calcutta on 20 August 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Dwarkanath Tagore as reformation of the prevailing customs of the time (specifically Kulin practices) and began the Bengal Renaissance of the 19th century pioneering all religious, social and educational advance of the Bengali community in the 19th century.
Its Trust Deed was made in 1830 formalising its inception and it was duly and publicly inaugurated in January 1830 by the consecration of the first house of prayer, now known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj.
[3] From the Brahmo Samaj springs Brahmoism, the most recent of legally recognised religions in India and Bangladesh, reflecting its foundation on reformed spiritual Hinduism with vital elements of Judeo-Islamic faith and practice.
[4][5] The Brahmo Samaj literally denotes community (Sanskrit: 'samaj') of men who have knowledge of Brahman, the ultimate reality.
[6] In reality Brahmo Samaj does not discriminate between caste, creed or religion and is an assembly of all sorts and descriptions of people without distinction, meeting publicly for the sober, orderly, religious and devout adoration of "The Nameless, Eternal, Immutable Being who is the Author and Preserver of the Universe.
[10] On 20 August 1828 the first assembly of the Brahmo Sabha was held at the North Calcutta house of Firingi Kamal Bose.
[11][12] On 8 January 1830 influential progressive members of the closely related Kulin Brahmin clan[13] scurrilously[14] described as Pirali Brahmin (i.e. ostracised for service in the Mughal Nizaamat of Bengal) of Tagore (Thakur) and Roy Zameendar family, mutually executed the Trust Deed of Brahmo Sabha for the first Adi Brahmo Samaj (place of worship) on Chitpore Road (now Rabindra Sarani), Kolkata, India with Ram Chandra Vidyabagish as first resident superintendent.
Dwarkanath Tagore provided the funds for the upkeep of the Samaj and Ram Chandra Vidyabagish kept up the flame burning, and arrived each week to perform the divine service as laid out by Rammohun.
Among its first members were the "two giants of Hindu reformation and Bengal Renaissance", Akshay Kumar Datta, who in 1839 emerged from the life of an "anonymous squalor-beset individual", and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the "indigenous modernizer".
The requirement of this declaration was imposed by Henry James Sumner Maine, legal member of Governor General's Council appointed by Britain.
The difference arose due to the autocratic handling of the works of the Brahmo Samaj by Keshub Chandra Sen.