Reforms in North India in 19th Century

Now we are entering North India, where the most influential reform organisation was the Arya Samaj, founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. His approach was distinct from Bengal’s Brahmo Samaj and Maharashtra’s Prarthana Samaj. While those leaned more towards rational humanism inspired by the West, Dayanand looked inward — into India’s own Vedic tradition — and declared that reform must come from a return to the Vedas. Let’s carefully unpack his contributions.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824–1883) and Arya Samaj

Foundation of Arya Samaj

• In 1875, Dayanand founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay.
• Later, in 1877, it spread to Lahore and then across northern India.
• Its core aim: reform Hinduism by going back to its original Vedic roots.

Religious Ideas

Attack on Puranas

• Dayanand declared that the Puranas were full of false stories inserted by selfish priests.
• He argued that these interpolations had corrupted Hinduism and diverted it from its pure Vedic path.

Infallibility of the Vedas

• He regarded the Vedas as infallible — the ultimate authority.
• At first glance, this seemed orthodox, since it meant that reason could not override the Vedas.
• However, his interpretation was rationalist:
  • He rejected literalism, arguing the Vedas should be reinterpreted in light of reason.
  • His conclusions often matched what other reformers advocated: rejection of idol worship, caste rigidity, and superstition.

Back to the Vedas

• His famous slogan: “Go back to the Vedas.”
• He believed ancient Vedic society was ideal — free from caste oppression, untouchability, and gender inequality.
• Thus, he wanted to regenerate society by reviving the original Vedic spirit.

Social Reforms Advocated

• Opposed idolatry, polytheism, and priestly domination.
• Condemned caste discrimination, child marriage, and meaningless rituals.
• Supported:
  • Inter-caste marriages
  • Widow remarriage
  • Female education
  • Study of Western science alongside Vedic knowledge

👉 Though he venerated the Vedas, his reform programme was essentially modern and rational, showing how ancient texts could be reinterpreted for progress.

Progressive Role of Arya Samajists

• Arya Samaj became the most influential reformist movement in North India.
• They:
  • Improved women’s conditions
  • Fought caste discrimination
  • Denounced untouchability
  • Emphasised self-respect and self-reliance

Educational Network

• Followers founded a large system of schools and colleges:
  • Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) College, Lahore (1886) by Lala Hansraj, imparting modern Western-style education.
  • Gurukul Kangri (1902, near Hardwar) by Swami Shraddhanand, offering traditional Vedic-style education.

Political Ideas: Swaraj and Swadeshi

• Dayanand was among the earliest to advocate Swaraj (self-rule) and Swadeshi (use of indigenous goods).
• Arya Samajists like Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Swami Shraddhanand later became prominent in the Indian freedom struggle.

Shuddhi Movement

• Objective: prevent Hindus from converting to other religions and reconvert those who had left Hinduism.
• Called the Shuddhi (“purification”) movement.
• While it strengthened Hindu identity, it also intensified communal tensions in the 20th century, as it was perceived as a crusade against other faiths.

Arya Samaj vs. Brahmo Samaj

• Arya Samaj: Rooted in India’s Vedic Age, more conservative and aggressive in tone.
• Brahmo/Prarthana Samaj: Influenced by Western learning and rational humanism.
• Yet, there were similarities — weekly congregations, focus on reform, and use of religious texts for social change.

Satyarth Prakash (1875, revised 1882)

• Dayanand’s most famous book, originally in Hindi, later translated into 20+ languages.
• Used a rational approach to interpret the Vedas, attacking superstition, ritualism, and priestcraft.
• It became the ideological foundation of the Arya Samaj.

Significance of Arya Samaj

1. Religious reform → Restored confidence in Hinduism through rational reinterpretation.
2. Social reform → Challenged untouchability, caste, and women’s oppression.
3. Educational reform → DAV schools and Gurukul tradition became pillars of North Indian society.
4. Political awakening → Instilled self-respect, Swadeshi, and Swaraj, inspiring nationalist leaders.
5. Communal impact → While it united Hindus, the Shuddhi movement unintentionally deepened Hindu–Muslim divides.

✅ In short: Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Arya Samaj gave North India its most vigorous reform movement. Unlike the Brahmo Samaj (which looked West), Arya Samaj looked back to the Vedas, combining religious revival with rational reform, and linking it to nationalism.

Excellent — now we’ve come to the southern strand of reform movements, where the energy of reform combined with religious revivalism, education, and even political awakening. Compared to Bengal’s rationalist reform or Maharashtra’s social institutionalisation, South India’s reform movements were shaped by the influence of Brahmo ideas, Theosophy, and nationalist leadership. Well, let’s uncover this story in the next section!