Arya Samaj and Theosophical Society | KPSC KAS Preparation: All subjects - KPSC KAS (Karnataka) PDF Download

 Page 1


 
   
 
  
The Arya Samaj – 1875 
Swami Dayananda Saraswathi started the Arya Samaj in 1875. He was 
born at a small town in Gujarat in a conservative Brahmin family. His 
childhood name was Mul Shankar. He met Swami Vrajanand at Mathura. 
He became the disciple of Vrajanand. There he studied Vedas.  
He devoted his life to the propagation of the Vedas. He wanted to reform 
the Hindu Society. According to Dayananda Saraswathi the Vedas 
contained all the truth. His motto was “Go Back to the Vedas”. His book 
Sathyartha Prakash contains his views about Vedas. 
In the field of religion Arya Samaj opposed idol worship, ritualism, animal 
sacrifice, the idea of heaven and hell and the concept of fatalism.  
Dayananda Saraswathi started Suddhi movement to reconvert the 
Hindus who had been converted to other religions earlier. By his efforts, large number of people 
were taken back within the fold of Hinduism. 
The Arya Samaj provided useful service to Hindu society. It opposed child marriage, polygamy, 
purdah system, casteism and the practice of Sati. 
 
The Samaj insisted the education of the women and upliftment of the depressed classes. Inter 
caste marriages and inter dining were encouraged.  The Samaj established a number of 
educational institutions in India particularly in the 
North.  Gurukulas and Kanya Gurukulas provide 
education mostly on Sanskrit, the Vedas and 
Ayur Vedas. Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) 
Schools and Colleges provide modern education 
in humanities and sciences. 
His followers Lala Lajpat Rai, Lala Hansraj and 
Pandit Guru Dutt propagated the ideas of the 
  
MODERN INDIAN HISTORY
 
   
 
SOCIO RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS
 
Page 2


 
   
 
  
The Arya Samaj – 1875 
Swami Dayananda Saraswathi started the Arya Samaj in 1875. He was 
born at a small town in Gujarat in a conservative Brahmin family. His 
childhood name was Mul Shankar. He met Swami Vrajanand at Mathura. 
He became the disciple of Vrajanand. There he studied Vedas.  
He devoted his life to the propagation of the Vedas. He wanted to reform 
the Hindu Society. According to Dayananda Saraswathi the Vedas 
contained all the truth. His motto was “Go Back to the Vedas”. His book 
Sathyartha Prakash contains his views about Vedas. 
In the field of religion Arya Samaj opposed idol worship, ritualism, animal 
sacrifice, the idea of heaven and hell and the concept of fatalism.  
Dayananda Saraswathi started Suddhi movement to reconvert the 
Hindus who had been converted to other religions earlier. By his efforts, large number of people 
were taken back within the fold of Hinduism. 
The Arya Samaj provided useful service to Hindu society. It opposed child marriage, polygamy, 
purdah system, casteism and the practice of Sati. 
 
The Samaj insisted the education of the women and upliftment of the depressed classes. Inter 
caste marriages and inter dining were encouraged.  The Samaj established a number of 
educational institutions in India particularly in the 
North.  Gurukulas and Kanya Gurukulas provide 
education mostly on Sanskrit, the Vedas and 
Ayur Vedas. Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) 
Schools and Colleges provide modern education 
in humanities and sciences. 
His followers Lala Lajpat Rai, Lala Hansraj and 
Pandit Guru Dutt propagated the ideas of the 
  
MODERN INDIAN HISTORY
 
   
 
SOCIO RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS
 
 
   
 
Arya Samaj.  Many Indian national leaders like Bala Gangadhara Tilak and Gopala Krishna 
Gokhale were deeply influenced by the philosophy and principles of the Arya Samaj. 
Theosophical Society – 1875 
The society was first established by Madame Blavatsky and 
Colonel H.S. Olcott in the United States of America. The 
word theosophy has been coined by combining two Greek 
words Theos and Sophos. Theos means God and Sophos 
means wisdom. Therefore theosophy means knowledge of 
God. They were inspired by Indian thought and culture. Then 
they shifted the headquarters of the society to Adyar in 
Chennai. 
The main principles of the Theosophical Society. They are  
? To form an organization of all people on the basis of fraternity 
? To study ancient religion, philosophy and science  
? To find out the laws of Nature and development of divine powers 
in man 
Mrs. Annie Besant, a prominent member of this Society came to India in 
1893. She became the President of this society from 1907 to 1933. She 
devoted herself to the revival of Hindu religion. Her activities in the field of 
education were more significant.  
She founded the Central Hindu College at Benares which was ultimately 
merged with the Benares Hindu University.  
Her paper “New India” spread the theosophical ideas. Later she started the 
Home Rule Movement in 1916 along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak to give 
momentum to the national movement in India.