Q. With reference to the Arya Samaj, consider the following statements:
1.Founded in 1875, it rejected the authority of the Puranas and other later scriptures, advocating a “Go Back to the Vedas” philosophy.
2.The Samaj introduced the ‘Shuddhi’ movement for the reconversion of Hindus who had converted to other religions.
3.The movement eventually split into two factions: the ‘Gurukula’ section which promoted traditional Vedic education, and the ‘College’ section which promoted Western-style DAV institutions.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: D
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1: Correct. Dayanand believed the four Vedas to be the only infallible source of truth.
- Statement 2: Correct. This was a controversial proselytizing wing of the Samaj.
- Statement 3: Correct. The split (1893) was over the issue of curriculum—Lala Hansraj led the DAV group, while Swami Shraddhanand led the Gurukula group.
