SSC
The slogan 'Back to the Vedas' is associated with which reform movement?
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Answer: Option B — Arya Samaj
Detailed Solution
The slogan "Back to the Vedas" ("Go back to the Vedas") is associated with the Arya Samaj, founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
Meaning of the slogan:
- Swami Dayananda believed that the Vedas were the source of all true knowledge, and that they were infallible.
- He argued that the original Vedic religion was pure, and that later practices, such as idol worship, the caste system based on birth, child marriage, and the dominance of priests, were not found in the Vedas.
- He called on Hindus to go "back to the Vedas", to reject these later additions, and to follow the pure Vedic religion.
- He rejected the authority of the Puranas, which he considered to be the source of many superstitions.
About the Arya Samaj:
- It was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in Bombay on 10 April 1875.
- It became very popular in Punjab, the United Provinces and Rajasthan.
- Its "Ten Principles" set out its beliefs, such as the worship of one God, the authority of the Vedas, and the duty of doing good to all.
Its social programme:
- It opposed untouchability and caste discrimination based on birth.
- It supported women's education, widow remarriage and inter-caste marriage, and opposed child marriage.
- It promoted the use of Hindi.
- It set up many schools and colleges, both modern (Anglo-Vedic) and traditional (Gurukuls).
NCERT on the Arya Samaj:
NCERT notes that the Arya Samaj, founded in 1875, attempted to reform Hinduism; it supported widow remarriage.
Split:
After Dayananda's death, the Arya Samaj split into two groups: one favoured modern English education, and the other (led by Swami Shraddhanand) favoured traditional Vedic education in Gurukuls; Shraddhanand founded the Gurukul at Kangri, near Hardwar (1902).
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Brahmo Samaj, Prarthana Samaj and Ramakrishna Mission had other slogans and ideas.
Quick tip
Remember: "Back to the Vedas" = Arya Samaj (Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Bombay, 10 April 1875); Gurukul Kangri (1902, 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.