Ārya Samāj

Ārya Samāj is a living tradition within Hinduism. Also written Arya Samaj.

Origin

Founder named in the sources: Dayānanda Sarasvatī, 1824–1883. Founding date given as 1875. Britannica: 'a vigorous reform movement of modern Hinduism, was founded in 1875 by Dayananda Sarasvati, whose aim was to reestablish the Vedas, the earliest Hindu scriptures, as revealed truth.' Encyclopedia.com (drawing on the Encyclopedia of Religion, Encyclopedia of India and the Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions) gives the founding as 10 April 1875 in Bombay and Dayānanda's dates as 1824–1883. Doctrines: monotheism, rejection of idol worship, opposition to the caste system, women's education, Vedic knowledge accessible to all regardless of social status. The movement practised śuddhi, a 'purification ritual' used initially to 'reclaim' those from lower castes and later extended to 'reconvert Hindus who had become Christians or Muslims'.