Arya Samaj: The Movement That Wanted to Undo Centuries of Hindu Practice

He argued that Hindu society had drifted from its own oldest scripture, and that going back to it would dissolve caste, idolatry, and child marriage in one stroke. The movement he founded still runs hundreds of schools today.

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Back to the Vedas

A 19th-century reform movement that is still running schools today

1875

Founded in Bombay

Dayananda Saraswati founds the Arya Samaj, calling for a return to Vedic teaching.

1877

Ten Principles Set in Lahore

The movement’s headquarters shift, and its doctrinal core is finalised.

1883

Dayananda Dies, Poisoned

He falls ill in Jodhpur, and dies in Ajmer, on Diwali.

1902

Gurukul Kangri Founded

Disciple Swami Shraddhanand revives the ancient gurukula system near Haridwar.

The throughline: Dayananda argued Hindu society had strayed from its own oldest text. His followers turned that argument into schools, colleges, and a reconversion movement that outlived him by over a century.

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Timeline

• 1875: Swami Dayananda Saraswati founds the Arya Samaj in Bombay, on 10 April.
• 1877: The movement’s headquarters move to Lahore, where its Ten Principles are finalised.
• 1883: Dayananda dies in Ajmer on 30 October, after being poisoned in Jodhpur.
• 1902: His disciple Swami Shraddhanand founds Gurukul Kangri near Haridwar.

Dayananda and the Return to the Vedas Need to Know

• The Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement, founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
• Dayananda was born in 1824, in Tankara, in present-day Gujarat.
• He founded the Arya Samaj on 10 April 1875, in Bombay.
• The same year, he published his major work, Satyarth Prakash, later revised in 1882.
• Dayananda argued that the four Vedas were the true, infallible word of God.
• He held that later Hindu practices contradicting the Vedas were later corruptions, not original teaching.

A Reform Agenda for Hindu Society Good to Know

• In 1877, the Arya Samaj’s headquarters moved to Lahore.
• There, Dayananda finalised the movement’s Ten Principles, still its doctrinal core today.
• The Arya Samaj rejected idol worship, caste-based discrimination, and untouchability.
• It also opposed child marriage, and promoted both widow remarriage and women’s education.
• The Samaj ran a Shuddhi, or purification, movement. It formally reconverted Hindus who had converted to other religions.
• These positions put it at odds with orthodox Hindu leaders as well as Christian missionaries.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. In which city did Swami Dayananda Saraswati found the Arya Samaj in 1875?

Bombay

Lahore

Ajmer

Haridwar

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Poison, and a Lasting Institutional Legacy Great to Know

• In 1883, Dayananda fell ill after being poisoned while staying at the Jodhpur royal palace.
• He was moved to Ajmer for treatment, and died there on 30 October 1883.
• His death fell on Diwali, still marked as a significant day by Arya Samaj members.
• In 1886, followers founded the first Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) school in Lahore, in his memory.
• The DAV network has since grown to over 800 schools.
• In 1902, his disciple Swami Shraddhanand founded Gurukul Kangri near Haridwar, reviving the ancient gurukula system.

Legacy

• The Arya Samaj is widely seen as one of the most influential Hindu reform movements of the 19th century.
• Its rejection of caste and idol worship made it controversial among orthodox Hindus at the time.
• Its assertive Vedic nationalism also shaped early Indian nationalist thought.
• The movement remains active worldwide today, with an estimated following of around 10 million.