CHANAKYA

NATIONAL

LAW

UNIVERSITY
LEGAL HISTORY
TOPIC: ARYA SAMAJ

SUBMITTED TO
Dr Priyadarshini,
Faculty of LEGAL HISTORY

SUBMITTED BY
Tanu Priya
2nd Semester
1059

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
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Doing this project is one of the most significant academic challenges I have ever faced.
Though this project has been presented by me but there are many people who gave their full
support and also helped me to complete this project.
First of all I m very grateful to my subject teacher Dr Priyadarshini as without his
support it would have been very difficult for me to complete this project. It was very kind of
him to donate his valuable time from his busy schedule in order to help me to complete this
project. He also suggested me that from where am I going to collect the data for my project.
I am very thankful to the librarian who provided me several books related to my topic which
proved very much beneficial for me to complete this project. I also acknowledge some of my
friends who gave their valuable advice as well as helped me in collecting certain data
regarding my project which proved very much beneficial for me and also could not be
ignored in writing this project.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

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The main aim and objective of this project is to throw light upon the purpose of creating of
the Arya Samaj, its foundation and also the views of arya samaj.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:
The research methodology used in this project is doctrinal.
In doctrinal method we solve any problem with the help of law. Only with the help of legal
resoucre, we see legal provision. It is only based on the legal provision. In which researcher
analyse any problem with thw help of law and it is based on the only the written material.

HYPOTHESIS:
Swami Dayanand Saraswati, one of the greatest leaders ever to emerge from India, founded
the Arya Samaj. Arya Samaj is a revolutionary movement. That there is only one God and
one alone (monotheism) is a fundamental doctrine of the Arya Samaj.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
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CHAPTER-(1)
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER-(2)
FOUNDATION OF ARYA SAMAJ
CHAPTER-(3)
CONTRIBUTIONS OF ARYA SAMAJ
CHAPTER-(4)
CHANGING ROLE:NEW WAYS OF THINKING
CHAPTER-(5)
VIEWS OF ARYA SAMAJ
CHAPTER-(6)
IS THE ARYA SAMAJ A RELIGION?
CHAPTER-(7)
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER-(8)
BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION:
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Swami Dayanand Saraswati, one of the greatest leaders ever to emerge from India, founded
the Arya Samaj in 1875. The most unique of his many contributions was to make a powerful
and original commentary on the Vedas, which exposed serious errors in previous translations
and interpretations of its Sanskrit texts. The Arya Samaj (movement) was begun to revive the
study of the Vedas and to worship one God. Dayanand defined Aryas as those who are true
in word, deed and thought, promote public good and are learned.
In that it upholds the primacy of the Vedas as its only authoritative scriptures, the Arya Samaj
is related to orthodox Hinduism. In many other ways, however, the Arya Samaj is a
revolutionary movement. That there is only one God and one alone (monotheism) is a
fundamental doctrine of the Arya Samaj. God is formless; hence you can make no picture,
idol or image of him. Thus the Arya Samaj is vehemently against idolatry, statues and the
worship of animals (e.g. cows) and humans because God is unchangeable (he cannot
incarnate). Therefore Rama, Krishna and all other great prophets were men and not God and
should not be worshipped as God.
Truth (truth in the soul, truth in the vision, truth in the intention and truth in the act) and
morality (dharma) are the other fundamental bedrocks of Vedic teaching.
The Arya Samaj also focuses greatly on the welfare of all humanity through altruism and
charity (the Samaj opened the first non-Christian orphanages in India) and by teaching that all
should be treated with love, justice and on their merits. Dayanand, therefore, was `heretical
in his total rejection of the caste system or any form of discrimination based on social class. 1

FOUNDATION OF ARYA SAMAJ:

1 http://www.arya-samaj.org/index.php?site=introduction
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VEDIC SCHOOLS:
Between 1869 and 1873, Swami Dayanada Saraswati, a native of Gujarat, made his first
attempt at reform in India. This attempt took the form of the establishment of "Vedic
Schools" or "gurukuls" which put an emphasis on Vedic values, culture and religion to its
students. The first was established at Farrukhabad in 1869, with 50 students enrolled in its
first year. This initial success led to the founding of four additional schools in rapid
succession at Mirzapur (1870), Kasganj (1870), Chhalesar(Aligarh) (1870) and Varanasi
(1873).
The Vedic Schools represented the first practical application of Swami Dayanands vision of
religious and social reform. They enjoyed a mixed reception. On the one hand, students were
not allowed to perform traditional idol worship (murti puja in Hindi) at the school, and were
instead expected to perform sandhya (a form of meditative prayer using mantras from the
Vedas) and participate in agnihotra twice daily. Disciplinary action was swift and not
infrequently severe. On the other hand, all meals, lodging, clothing and books were given to
the students free of charge, and the study of Sanskrit was opened to non-Brahmins. The most
noteworthy feature of the Schools was that only those texts which accepted the authority of
the Vedas were to be taught. This was critical for the spiritual and social regeneration of
Vedic culture in India.
The Vedic Schools soon ran into difficulties. Swami Dayanand had trouble finding qualified
teachers who agreed with his views on religious reform, and there existed a paucity of
textbooks which he considered suitable for instruction in Vedic culture. Funding was
sporadic, attendance fluctuated considerably, and tangible results in the way of noteworthy
student achievement were not forthcoming.
Consequentially, some of the schools were forced to close shortly after opening. As early as
1874, it had become clear to Swami Dayanand that, without a wide and solid base of support
among the public, setting up schools with the goal of imparting a Vedic education would
prove to be an impossible task. He therefore decided to invest the greater part of his resources
in the formulation and propagation of his ideology of reform. Deprived of the full attention of
Swami Dayanand, the gurukul/Vedic School system collapsed and the last of the schools
(Farrukhabad) was closed down in 1876.2
2 www.vedictemple.org/.../ROLE%20OF%20ARYA%20SAMAJ%20IN%2...
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ADI BRAHMO SAMAJ:

While travelling (18721873), Swami Dayanand came to know of several of the pro-Western
Indian intellectuals of the age, including Navin Chandra Roy, Rajnarayan Basu,
Debendranath Tagore and Hemendranath Tagore all of whom were actively involved in the
Brahmo Samaj. This reform organization, founded in 1828, held many views similar to those
of Swami Dayanand in matters both religious (e.g., a belief in monotheism and the eternality
of the soul) and social (e.g., the need to abolish the hereditary caste or varna system and uplift
the masses through education). Debendranath Tagore had written a book entitled Brahmo
Dharma, which serves as a manual of religion and ethics to the members of that society, and
Swami Dayanand had read it while in Calcutta.
Although Swami Dayanand was persuaded on more than one occasion to join the Brahmo
Samaj, there existed points of contention which the Swami could not overlook, the most
important being the position of the Vedas. Swami Dayanand held the Vedas to be divine
revelation, and refused to accept any suggestions to the contrary. Despite this difference of
opinion, however, it seems that the members of the Brahmo Samaj parted with Swami
Dayanand on good terms, the former having publicly praised the latters visit to Calcutta in
several journals.

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH:

Swami Dayanand made several changes in his approach to the work of reforming Hindu
society after having visited Calcutta. The most significant of these changes was that he began
lecturing in Hindi. Prior to his tour of Bengal, the Swami had always held his discourses and
debates in Sanskrit. While this gained him a certain degree of respect among both the learned
and the common people, it prevented him from spreading his message to the broader masses.
The change to Hindi allowed him to attract increasingly larger following, and as a result his
ideas of reform began to circulate among the lower classes of society as well.
After hearing some of Swami Dayanand's speeches delivered in Hindi at Varanasi, Raj
Jaikishen Das, a native government official there, suggested that the swami publish his ideas
in a book so that they might be distributed among the public. Witnessing the slow collapse of
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the gurukuls/Vedic Schools due to a lack of a clear statement of purpose and the resultant
flagging public support, Swami Dayanand recognized the potential contained in Das's
suggestion and took immediate action.
From June to September 1874, Swami Dayanand dictated a comprehensive series of lectures
to his scribe, Pundit Bhimsen Sharma, which dealt with his views and beliefs regarding a
wide range of subjects including God, the Vedas, Dharma, the soul, science, philosophy, child
rearing, education, government and the possible future of both India and the world. The
resulting manuscript was published under the title Satyarth Prakash or The Light of Meaning
of Truth in 1875 at Varanasi. This voluminous work would prove to play a central role in the
establishment and later growth of the organization which would come to be known as the
Arya Samaj.

First attempt at a "New Samaj":

While the manuscript of the "Satyarth Prakash" was being edited at Varanasi, Swami
Dayanand received an invitation to travel to Bombay in order to conduct a debate with some
representatives of the Vallabhacharya sect. Dayanand arrived in Bombay on 20 October 1874.
The debate, though greatly publicized, never materialized. Nonetheless, two members of the
Prarthana Samaj approached Swami Dayanand and invited him to deliver a few lectures at
one of their gatherings, which were received with appreciation by all those present. The
members of the Prarthana Samaj of Bombay recognized in Swami Dayanand an individual in
possession of the knowledge and skills necessary for promoting their aims, the greatest and
most comprehensive of which being the general uplift of Hindu society at large and its
protection from what they perceived to be the advancing threat of Christian and Muslim
efforts to convert Hindus.
After his having spent over a month at Bombay, 60 new-found students of Swami Dayanand
among them, prominent members of the Prarthana Samaj proposed the notion of founding
a "New Samaj" with the Swamis ideas serving as its spiritual and intellectual basis.

Second attempt at Ahmedabad:

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After having received a personal invitation from Gopalrao Hari Deshmukh, Swami Dayanand
left Bombay and traveled to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, arriving on 11 December 1874. Once there,
he conducted a debate with local pundits on the issue of Vedic authority, and emerged
victorious. It is reported that the formation of a Samaj and the founding of a Vedic School at
Ahmedabad were proposed following the success of the debate, yet not enough support for
such a venture could be mustered.

Initial success at Rajkot:

On an invitation from Hargovind Das Dvarkadas, the secretary of the local Prarthana Samaj,
Swami Dayanand traveled to Rajkot, Gujarat, arriving on 31 December 1874. Instead of
delivering his standard program of lectures, he allowed members of the audience to choose
the topics they would like to have him discourse upon. A total of eight topics were chosen,
and Swami Dayanand delivered impromptu lectures on all of them to the satisfaction of all
present. Gifts were bestowed upon the swami as tokens of gratitude for his masterly orations,
and it was announced that the Rajkot Prarthana Samaj was henceforth dissolved and was
ready to be reorganized as a new Samaj under the auspices of Swami Dayanand. The swami,
after much deliberation, chose the name Arya Samaj or Society of Nobles. Swami
Dayanand drafted a list of 28 rules and regulations for the Rajkot Arya Samaj, which he later
had printed for distribution.

Setback at Ahmedabad:
On his way back to Bombay, Swami Dayanand stopped off in Ahmedabad and related the
news of Rajkot, Gujarat, distributing copies of the rules and regulations to those present. A
meeting was held on 27 January 1875 to discuss the proposal of forming an Arya Samaj
there, yet no conclusive decision was reached. Unwilling to wait for the deliberations to come
to an end, Swami Dayanand continued on his way to Bombay.
While traveling, the swami received word that the still fragile Rajkot Arya Samaj had
involved itself in some political dispute that resulted in a government warning issued against
it and its members. Thus, the collapse of the just established society was already looming
large.
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Lasting success at Bombay:

"A meeting of the Arya Samj for investing boys with the sacred thread"3 from R. V. Russell's
1916 "The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India--Volume I".
Swami Dayanand reached Bombay on 29 January 1875, and immediately the appeal to
establish an Arya Samaj there was renewed. However, the swami did not want a protracted
debate to ensue as had occurred at Ahmedabad, bringing with it the possibility of endless
deliberations. Thus, a membership drive was initiated which would circumvent the need for
discussions. Within a short time, 100 individuals enrolled themselves as prospective
members.
On 7 April 1875, the Bombay Arya Samaj was officially established. The membership
amounted to 100 persons, including Swami Dayanand. The members appealed to the swami
that he should serve as either the President or the Guru of the Samaj, but he kindly refused,
and instead requested that he be listed as a regular member. From there onwards Arya Samaj
Sect steadily grew in numbers.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF ARYA SAMAJ:

3 The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India--Volume I by R.V Russells
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Maharishi Swami Dayanand established the Arya Samaj on April 10, 1875 ( Saturday, Chaitra
Shukla 5, S.1932) in Dr Maniks garden near the Prathna Samaj Hall in Girgaun Road at 5:30
P.M..The Arya samaj was based entirely on the authority of the Vedas conditioned by
Rationalism and Utilitarianism. The sixth Principle of the Arya samaj illustrates the main goal
of the samaj. It states The Prime object of the Samaj is to do good to the world, i.e to
ameliorate physical, spiritual and social standards of all persons. Since its establishment, the
Arya samaj movement has made innumerable contributions in the social and spiritual fields.
Some of the contributions are enumerated below:
Religious Field: Polytheism, Idolatry, Iconolatry, Animal sacrifice to please GOD, Avatars
and Incarnation of GOD, Ancestor worship (Sraddha), Pilgrimages, Pantheism and
Priestcraft.
Social Field: Untouchability, Caste System, Child marriage, Polygamy, Widow Marriages,
Sati, Purdah, cow protection and Women Education and Equality.
I shall focus on the major contributions by the Samaj in the Social field.
Untouchability: Swamiji was deeply perturbed by the attitudes of Orthodox Brahmins
towards the depressed class of the Hindus, known as Dalits, Outcaste or Untouchables. They
were not allowed to enter Hindu temples, homes and Brahman rituals. They were prohibited
to fetch water from the village wells. Their children were not allowed to study in the village
school with other children.Swamji was first to declare equal rights for lower caste, the right
for education, right for reciting Ved mantras, right for interdinning, right for marriage and
right to fetch water from common wells. Swami Shraddhanand (formerly known as Lala
Munshi Ram) spent his whole life for the upliftment of the lower class. This cause was taken
up by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Party during freedom movement. Thanks to
Swamji that in 1950, The Indian Constitution adopted to provide equal social, religious and
Cultural rights to the Dalits or Harijans. For the last 30 years Swami Agnivesh has been
fighting an uncompromising fight against untouchability.4

4 http://www.aryasamaj.com/enews/2011/feb/2.html
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Caste System: The Sanskrit word for the caste is Varna or Jati or Jat which means a group of
people having a specific social rank. It also means colour. Some authors believe that the
Aryan (being fair in complexion) wanted to maintain their distinction from Dravidians (dark
complexion) and used the colour to segregate them. According to Dr Karve, Varna is used in
Vedas to denote class or category rather than colour.
The Varna system allows us to see how a system can survive for several million years. With
the evolution of society, in order to maintain law and order and to govern effectively, it
became essential to classify people not only in terms of their different qualities but also with
respect to their different privileges. Each class thus, had a specific role to play in society as
well as a unique function. Thus the four castes developed out of necessity. The Varna of
Brahmins commonly identified with the learned ones. The Varna of Kshatriyas, associated
with Ruler and Warriors. The Varna of Vaishyas, associated with Commercial livelihood. The
Varna of Sudras, associated with Minial Labour. All were interlinked and functioned in close
co-operation. There are thousands of Vedic mantras where we pray to GOD to let all live
together, eat together, enjoy together, pray and progress together, fight the evil together and
work for global peace together. Vedas also teach us that in the sight of GOD, all are equal and
the colour or country makes no difference. There is no such thing as a master race or a
superior or a Nordic race. The Arya Samaj has been propagating and implementing this in
eradicating Caste system based on birth.

Status of Women: During the Vedic period, women were greatly honoured and enjoyed
equal status with men. They were active participants in all fields of life. During the postVedic period, women started losing their status in society. Manu, the progenitor of Hindu race
did not treat women at par with men so far as the Vedic rituals were concerned. The women
were not eligible for the study of Vedas, nor for use of mantras in performing sacraments
except marriage. He stated that being tender, women should be protected by father in
childhood, by her husband in young age and by the sons in old age. She lost her identity after
marriage. During the Mughal rule, women suffered further degradation. Since polygamy was
a norm with the Muslims, they picked up any woman they wanted and kept her in their
harems. Indian women started using Purdah a veil to protect themselves. Parents started
marrying their daughters at an early age. Some began to consider a girl as misery and a
burden which has to be shielded and protected from the eyes of intruders and needed extra
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care. On the other hand, a boy did not need any such protection. Thus a viscious circle started
in which the women were at the receiving end. All this culminated into new evils such as
Child marriage, Sati, Jauhar and restriction on girl education.
Maharishi Swami Dayanand was deeply perturbed with this sad plight of Indian women. He
was the first to roar like a lion in public platforms for female education giving evidences of
admirable type women Rishis like Gargi and Maitriya. Around 1870, Swamji opened several
Patashalas (schools) at Farrukabad, Kashi, Kasganj and Challsan. He also initiated a Kanya
Patashala ( a girl school) at Meerut. After Swamjis death, the Arya samaj movement under
the leadership of teachers like Swami Shraddhanand, Lala Dev Raj etc, continued to
establish many girl schools. With the success of Kanya Pathshalas, on June 14, 1896 the
Samaj established the Kanya Mahavidhyalay (Institute of higher education for women). The
students of this institution included a mixture of unmarried, married and widow women.
Since then the Arya Samaj has opened over 500 Institution throughout India. The Institutions
include girl schools, girl colleges, Gurukuls, Orphanges, Industrial schools and Widow
shelter houses.
Indian women are indebted to Swamji and the Arya samaj for restoring their rights so that
they can become the President, the Prime-Minister of India and can compete with men as
equals in every field of life.

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CHANGING ROLE: New Ways of Thinking:

a) Education in Villages, Remote Tribal Areas, Zuggi and Zopadis of Metropolitans: In these
areas open new and support existing Gurukuls. One may at least sponsor/support food and
breakfast expenses of a Gurukul. Food cost in India is 50% of annual income as compared to
7% in the USA.
b) Modernization of Gurukuls: Vocational Training in Gurukuls and to introduce English as
Second language. Those Gurukuls who hate English may undertake other languages such as
French, Spanish, etc. Gurukuls to hire those retired English teachers from the local
community who are motivated to devote time and efforts in this direction.
c) Gurukul Teachers Out Reach Programs: For far distant villages Gurukuls to arrange Yoga
and Religio-Social Camps to educate local population as scouts. These local scouts/residents
will help develop infra structure to prevent coerced conversions, and to train new priests
among locals. These activities can be undertaken easily without any undue cost, only
motivation is needed.
d) Gurukuls to prepare Vedic missionaries: These Vedic missionaries are to provide free
education to the needy people. Gurukuls to reach out various surrounding communities by
arranging free Ayurvedic Treatment in Gurukul catchment areas.
e) Mobile Gurukuls: Gurukuls on Wheels Ox-Carts Gurukuls in remote areas.
f) DAV Schools: It is alright to make money but need to provide free education to the needy
but poor students as catholic schools do. These schools to prepare Vedic
Scholars/Missionaries/journalism students that are fluent in English or other languages who
can take a positive stand to speak/write effective articles in news papers/magazines, etc.5

5 http://www.vedictemple.org/Articles/Articles/Changing%20role%20of%20Arya
%20Samaj%20in%20Modern%20Times.pdf
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VIEWS OF ARYA SAMAJ:

WOMEN:
According to the Vedas, women of all races should be given an equal opportunity to
education as men. At the time of the creation of the Arya Samaj, Hindu women were not
allowed to study religious scriptures; they were not allowed to be priests or preach the word
of God; they were denied access to education; they were treated as second class citizens
below men; widows were treated as outcasts; they had to burn themselves on their husbands
funeral pyre; their families were forced to produce a dowry before a man's family accepted
them into their family; and they were forced into child marriages with older men. The Arya
Samaj fought against all of these injustices then and continues to champion the rights of
women all over the world. In many societies, you will find that only Arya Samaj women are
given the opportunity to become Hindu priests.

SOCIETY:
The Arya Samaj believes that every individual shall be judged by his character and actions
and not by his birthright. Due to the unscrupulous manipulation of the caste system, those of
high caste families were given honour and respect and those of low caste and their children
were deemed "untouchables" and were ill-treated and suppressed. The Arya Samaj fought
against these injustices against the untouchables and embraced them, educated them and
welcomed them in their satsangs and religious gatherings.

EDUCATION:
The Arya Samaj pioneers education for all. In India , many institutions of learning (schools,
colleges, gurukuls) were created for men, women and children. The Arya Samaj is very
vociferous in encouraging the common man to learn and read the scriptures. This society is
against the practice of having only one selected group of individuals indulging in the reading
and preaching from the scriptures.

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SOCIAL WELFARE:
The Arya Samaj plays an active role in the welfare of the needy. Many orphanages, homes for
abused women and widows and homes for the elderly have been established in India and
other parts of the world. The society is also involved in providing relief during times of
famine, drought, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

POLITICS:
The Arya Samaj propagates patriotism and dedication to serving the interest of one's nation
and motherland. In the times of the British Rule in India , the Arya Samaj was one of the
foremost organisations to champion the cause for political freedom and independence.

RELIGION:
The Arya Samaj propagates the motto "Back to the Vedas" and promotes these scriptures as
the one true source of all knowledge. The Arya Samaj holds the Vedic principle of
monotheism - that there is ONE GOD who is formless, ever-existent and all powerful. Due to
the fact that God is all-powerful with many attributes he is referred to by many names such as
Creator (Brahma), Preserver (Vishnu) and Dissolver (Rudra). For hundreds of centuries
Hindu sects and scholars had accepted the Vedas as the original Hindu scriptures but due to
passage of time and destruction of Hindu scriptures and the introduction of other texts and
interpretations, many deviations to the original teachings crept into Hinduism. The Arya
Samaj promotes the Veda as the original scripture of all mankind and teaches that the
acceptance of this will bring about a unity in the religious thinking of Hindus. The Vedas
promote universal peace and its teachings are universal in character and apply to ALL people
at ALL times.
The Arya Samaj rejects the belief of blind faith, animal sacrifices, idolatry, priestcraft and
superstitions brought about by ignorance and fear. It promotes the philosophy of Karma

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(receiving the fruits of one's deeds). Suffering is the logical consequence of one's action (the
law of cause and effect) and hence, superstitious belief does not eradicate suffering.6

IS THE ARYA SAMAJ A RELIGION?

The Arya Samaj is NOT a religion. It is a society that was formed, not as a new religion, but
as a coming together of men and women of noble thoughts and actions who (irrespective of
their social, ethnic or racial origins) believe in the underlying principles of Vaidik Satya
Sanatana Dharma (commonly called "Hinduism"). In simpler terms, the Arya Samaj is a
society of Hindus that propagates selfless action for the development of humanity and
congregates for the common purpose of preserving the pristine values of Hinduism.
As was said by Maharishi Swami Dayanand: "I have not come to preach a new dogma or
religion, nor to establish a new religious order, nor to be proclaimed a new messiah or pontiff.
I have only brought before the people, the light of Vedic Wisdom which has been hidden
during the centuries of India's thraldom."7

6 http://www.aryasamajct.com/about_arya_samaj.html
7 http://www.aryasamajct.com/about_arya_samaj.html
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CONCLUSION:
The Arya Samaj focuses greatly on the welfare of all humanity through altruism and charity
(the Samaj opened the first non-Christian orphanages in India) and by teaching that all should
be treated with love, justice and on their merits. Dayanand, therefore, was `heretical in his
total rejection of the caste system or any form of discrimination based on social class.
The eighth principle of the Arya Samajs creed states that ignorance must be dispelled and
knowledge be disseminated. With this emphasis on education Dayanand argued passionately
that the Vedas do not prohibit education of females (the Arya Samaj was the first to open
girls schools in India) and of the lower castes, but insist on it.
He concluded his best-known book Satyarth Prakash (Light of Truth) by saying that I do not
believe in sectarian wrangling since the clashing between various sectarian creeds has led
people astray and turned them into each others enemies. The sole aim of my life is to help
put an end to this mutual wrangling by preaching universal truths whereby they may cease to
hate each other and instead may firmly love one another, live in peace and work for their
common good and happiness. I believe in a religion based on universal principles which
have always been accepted as true by mankind and will continue to command the allegiance
of mankind in the ages to come, and that is above the hostility of all human creeds
whatsoever.
He saw the degraded and debased condition of the Hindus. His heart bled at the sight of
millions of people, weak, disjointed, deranged and almost chaotic, helpless and hopeless,
ignorant. Deluded, servile and dominated by few proud, parasitical, living in luxury. He
wanted to unite the Hindus into one united people to cast off the artificial and self-imposed
bonds that tied them to their present position. He wanted them to remove from their eyes the
bandage that prevented them from seeing the light of Truth and Liberty. He wanted the
society to arise pure and strong from the prevailing welter and corruption, ignorance and
internal strife and stand on its own feet and take the proper place among the nations of the
world.

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With the above goals in mind, Maharishi Swami Dayanand established the Arya Samaj on
April 10, 1875 ( Saturday, Chaitra Shukla 5, S.1932) in Dr Maniks garden near the Prathna
Samaj Hall in Girgaun Road at 5:30 P.M..The Arya samaj was based entirely on the authority
of the Vedas conditioned by Rationalism and Utilitarianism. The sixth Principle of the Arya
samaj illustrates the main goal of the samaj. It states The Prime object of the Samaj is to do
good to the world, i.e to ameliorate physical, spiritual and social standards of all persons.
Since its establishment, the Arya samaj movement has made innumerable contributions in the
social and spiritual fields. Some of the contributions are enumerated below.
Religious Field: Polytheism, Idolatry, Iconolatry, Animal sacrifice to please GOD, Avatars
and Incarnation of GOD, Ancestor worship (Sraddha), Pilgrimages, Pantheism and
Priestcraft.
Social Field: Untouchability, Caste System, Child marriage, Polygamy, Widow Marriages,
Sati, Purdah, cow protection and Women Education and Equality.
Today, temples set up by Arya Samaj are found all over India. The organization also has
played an important role in spread of education though its network of schools known by
name of Dayanand Anglo Vedic ( DAV ) schools in India. The Samaj is also present in
countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius and other countries where a significant
Hindu diaspora is present. Immigrants to Canada from East Africa and the Caribbean
countries respectively form separate Arya Samaj communities in many Canadian cities
including Toronto. Most major metropolitan areas of United States have chapters of Arya
Samaj.
The belief in only One Supreme Almighty or creator known by name AUM ( as mentioned in
40.17 Yajur Veda), infallible Authority of Vedas, Rejection of idol worship & other forms of
Hypocrisy, equality of all human beings, Women empowerment etc. are some of the principle
beliefs of Arya Samaj. Arya Samaj is also notable for its donation. After the 1905 Kangra
earthquake, large amount of donations had been made by Arya Samaj in relatively small
period, which was largely appreciated by the afflicted population. Other humanitarian
missions of the organization included the support for women right to vote, protection for
widows, etc.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1)
2)
3)
4)

BELIEFS OF ARYA SAMAJ by Mahendra Arya.

ARYA SAMAJ (THE NOBLE SOCIETY) by Sh J.M. Mehta
AN INTRODUCTION TO SATYARTHA PRAKASH by Dr S.N. Sharma
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION AND ETHICS, Part 3 by James Hastings

REFERENCES:
1) http://www.aryasamaj.com/enews/2011/feb/2.html
2) http://www.vedictemple.org/Articles/Articles/Changing%20role%20of%20Arya
%20samaj%20in%20Modern%20Times.pdf
3) http://www.arya-samaj.org/index.php?site=introduction
4) http://www.aryasamajct.com/about_arya_samaj.htm

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