Which of the following statements about the Arya Samaj which emerged i

Which of the following statements about the Arya Samaj which emerged in the late 19th century are correct ?

Had a very strong support base amongst the trading castes
Introduced ‘shuddhi’ or mass purification
The moderates in the Arya Samaj were headed by Hans Raj and Lajpat Rai and set up a chain of Dayanand Anglo-Vedic colleges
The Arya Samaj had fewer members than the Brahmo Samaj

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1 and 2 only

1, 2 and 3

3 and 4 only

1, 3 and 4

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2019

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Let’s evaluate each statement about the Arya Samaj:
1. Had a very strong support base amongst the trading castes: Correct. The Arya Samaj was particularly influential among the commercial and trading castes (like Khatris and Aroras) in Punjab and other parts of North India.
2. Introduced ‘shuddhi’ or mass purification: Correct. The Arya Samaj initiated the Shuddhi movement aimed at reconverting people who had converted from Hinduism to Islam or Christianity, thus purifying them and bringing them back into the Hindu fold.
3. The moderates in the Arya Samaj were headed by Hans Raj and Lajpat Rai and set up a chain of Dayanand Anglo-Vedic colleges: Correct. After Dayanand’s death, the Arya Samaj split into two groups: the ‘College Party’ or moderates, led by Lala Hans Raj and Lala Lajpat Rai, who favoured Western education alongside traditional Hindu teachings and established the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) schools and colleges; and the ‘Gurukul Party’ or traditionalists, led by Swami Shraddhanand, who advocated for traditional Indian education (Gurukul system).
4. The Arya Samaj had fewer members than the Brahmo Samaj: Incorrect. While Brahmo Samaj was a pioneering reform movement, Arya Samaj, with its more assertive and revivalist approach, gained a much wider following, especially in North India, and became significantly larger than Brahmo Samaj.
Therefore, statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct.

– Arya Samaj was a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
– Key aspects include monotheism, rejection of idolatry, caste system rigidity, and opposition to Puranic Hinduism.
– The Shuddhi movement was a significant activity.
– A split occurred based on approach to education.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s slogan “Go back to the Vedas” was central to the Arya Samaj’s philosophy, advocating for a return to the purity of Vedic religion while rejecting later developments. The movement significantly contributed to social reform, education, and a sense of Hindu identity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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