Page 53 - DHIS204_DHIS205_INDIAN_FREEDOM_STRUGGLE_HINDI

Indian Freedom Struggle (1707–1947 A.D.)

Notes The rise and expansion of the Arya Samaj in the Punjab had a decisive bearing on the course of
Hindu-Sikh relations and on the pattern of anti-British political movements in the province. The
sudhi crusade launched by the Samaj was fiercely resisted by the Sikhs. The more the Samajists
claimed Sikhism to be a branch of Hinduism, the more the Sikhs insisted that they were a distinct
and separate community. This action and reaction broke up the close social relationship which
had existed between the two sister communities. It found expression in the publication of a booklet
Ham Hindu Nahin Hain—we are not Hindus—by the scholarly Kahan Singh, who was then chief
minister of Nabha. Although the Singh Sabha movement petered out in the 1920s it left a legacy of
a chronically defensive attitude towards Hinduism.
Dayanand’s teachings also had a strong political flavour. In proclaiming his intention to purify
Hinduism of its post-Vedic accretions, he desired to liberate Hindu society from non-Hindu
domination. His criticism of Islam and Christianity in effect was the criticism of Indian Muslims
and the English. Consequently the renaissance of Hinduism brought about by the Arya Samaj had
a strong anti-Muslim and anti-British bias which was often discernible in the utterances of Punjabi
Hindu nationalists, large numbers of whom were Arya Samajists, for example, Lajpat Rai, Ajit
Singh, Hans Raj, and the majority of Punjabi Hindu terrorists. The domination of the Indian
National Congress by Arya Samajists gave the freedom movement an aspect of Hindu resurgence
and was chiefly responsible for the aloofness of the Muslims and the Sikhs.
Self-Assessment
I. Choose the correct option:
(i) Who was the teacher of ‘Swami Dayanand Saraswati?
(a) Swami Salizanand (b) Swami Birzanand
(c) Swami Birzanand (d) Swami Aranganand.
(ii) Dayanand was born in the state of ..... .
(a) Maharashtra (b) Orissa
(c) Gujarat (d) Bengal.
(iii) When and where Arya Samaj was founded?
(a) In 1871 Maharashtra (b) In 1875 Bombay
(c) In 1873 Gujarat (d) In 1876 Orissa.
(iv) Arya Samaj Lahor was established in ......
(a) 1870 (b) 1875
(c) 1872 (d) 1877
(v) Gurukul Vidyalaya was established in ..... .
(a) Haridwar (1902) (b) Dehradun (1902)
(c) Haridwar (1905) (d) Dehradun (1905)
3.4 Summary

• The Brahmo Samaj was the earliest reform movement of the modern type which was greatly
influenced by modern Western ideas. Rammohan (1774-1833) was the founder of Brahmo
Samaj. He was a very well-read man. He studied Oriental languages like Arabic, Persian and
Sanskrit and attained proficiency in European languages like English French, Latin, Greek
and Hebrew.
• At a time when the Bengali youth under the influence of Western learning was drifting
towards Christianity, Rammohan Roy proved to be the champion of Hinduism. While he
defended Hinduism against the hostile criticism of the missionaries, he sought to purge
Hinduism of the abues that had crept into it.
• A further split in Keshab’s Brahmo Samaj of India came in 1878. Some close disciples of

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