The Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act of 1856 was a landmark social reform legislation in British India that legalized the remarriage of Hindu widows.
Act: Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856.
Champion: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Governor-General: Lord Dalhousie.
Impact: Legally allowed Hindu widows to remarry for the first time.
The primary driving force behind this act was the great Bengali social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820–1891).
Other reformers who supported this cause: Ram Mohan Roy (earlier campaign against Sati).
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was the primary campaigner for widow remarriage in India. His efforts led to the passing of the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act of 1856 by the British government under Lord Dalhousie.
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