Which of the following statements about the Arya Samaj is/are correct?
- 1. It did not support idol worship.
- 2. It was against hereditary trans-mission of caste.
- 3. It actively worked for the passage of the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, 1856.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
2 only
1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CBI DSP LDCE – 2023
1. It did not support idol worship: Correct. Swami Dayanand Saraswati and the Arya Samaj were staunch opponents of idol worship, ritualism, and polytheism, advocating a return to the pure monotheistic teachings of the Vedas.
2. It was against hereditary trans-mission of caste: Correct. Arya Samaj rejected the caste system based on birth and advocated for a varna system based on merit and actions, opposing the rigid hereditary caste distinctions.
3. It actively worked for the passage of the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, 1856: Incorrect. The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act was passed in 1856, while the Arya Samaj was founded much later in 1875. Although the Arya Samaj later championed social reforms including widow remarriage, it did not work for the passage of this specific Act. Prominent figures like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar were instrumental in the efforts leading to the 1856 Act.
– Arya Samaj was founded in 1875, after the 1856 Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act.