SSC
The 'Shuddhi' movement, which aimed at the reconversion (purification) of those who had been converted from Hinduism to other religions, was begun by:
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Answer: Option A — Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Detailed Solution
The "Shuddhi" ("purification") movement, which aimed at the reconversion of those who had been converted from Hinduism to Islam or Christianity, was begun by Swami Dayananda Saraswati and his followers in the Arya Samaj.
About the Shuddhi movement:
- Swami Dayananda introduced the idea of Shuddhi in the 1870s and 1880s, to bring back into Hinduism those who had converted to other religions.
- It was a response to the conversion activities of Christian missionaries and others.
- It also aimed to "purify" members of the lower castes and Dalits, and to raise their status by allowing them to wear the sacred thread and take part in Vedic rituals.
- The Arya Samaj carried out Shuddhi ceremonies in Punjab and other parts of north India.
Later phase:
- In the 1920s, the Shuddhi movement was revived and expanded by Swami Shraddhanand, along with the "Sangathan" (organisation) movement, to unite and strengthen the Hindu community.
- In 1923, he founded the Bharatiya Hindu Shuddhi Mahasabha.
- This led to tensions with Muslim organisations, which started similar movements (Tabligh and Tanzim).
- Swami Shraddhanand was assassinated in Delhi in December 1926.
About Swami Dayananda Saraswati:
- He was born in Gujarat in 1824.
- He was a great Vedic scholar, who believed in the authority of the Vedas.
- He founded a reform society in Bombay in 1875, which spread especially in Punjab.
- He opposed idol worship, caste based on birth, child marriage and untouchability, and supported women's education and widow remarriage.
- He promoted the use of Hindi.
- He died at Ajmer in 1883.
Criticism:
Some historians have argued that the Shuddhi movement contributed to communal tensions in the early 20th century.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Vivekananda, Ram Mohan Roy and Keshab Chandra Sen were associated with other movements.
Quick tip
Remember: Shuddhi (reconversion/purification) movement = begun by Swami Dayananda Saraswati (Arya Samaj); revived in the 1920s by Swami Shraddhanand.
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Socio-Religious Reform Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Socio-Religious Reform Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
In the 19th century, reformers worked to remove social evils and revive Indian society. This topic covers organisations such as the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Theosophical Society, Satyashodhak Samaj and the Aligarh Movement, along with their founders and the social reforms they achieved. Questions usually ask who founded an organisation and when, or which reformer is linked to a reform. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar championed widow remarriage, and Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj. A table of organisation, founder, year and place covers most questions. Practise the socio-religious reform movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.