Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar — Key Changes

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
Hindu Widow Remarriage Act XV	1856	This Act legalized widow remarriage among Hindus, overturning centuries of orthodox practice that condemned widows to lifelong celibacy and social ostracism. The legislation was largely the result of Vidyasagar's sustained campaign and scriptural arguments presented in his treatise 'Bidhabibaha'.	Established the precedent for colonial intervention in Hindu personal law for social reform purposes, paving the way for subsequent legislation on social issues. It demonstrated the effectiveness of combining traditional scholarship with modern advocacy techniques and marked the beginning of systematic legal reforms in Indian society.