Which of the following statements about the Arya Samaj which emerged in the late 19th century are correct? 1. Had a very strong support base amongst the trading castes 2. Introduced 'shuddhi' or mass purification 3. The moderates in the Arya Samaj were headed by Hand Raj and Lajpat Rai and set up a chain of Dayanand Anglo-Vedic colleges 4. The Arya Samaj had fewer members than the Brahmo Samaj Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The Arya Samaj, founded in 1875, found its strongest support base among the urban mercantile and trading castes, particularly the Khatris in Punjab [2]. A defining feature of the movement was the 'shuddhi' or purification ceremony, which aimed at the mass reconversion of non-Hindus and the upliftment of untouchables into the Hindu fold [3]. Following the death of Dayananda Saraswati, the Samaj split over educational ideology. The moderate 'College Party,' led by figures such as Lala Hansraj and Lala Lajpat Rai, advocated for a synthesis of Western and Vedic education, leading to the establishment of the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (D.A.V.) schools and colleges [5]. Conversely, the Arya Samaj was significantly more successful in mass mobilization than the Brahmo Samaj; by the early 20th century, its membership far exceeded that of the Brahmo Samaj, which remained largely restricted to the intellectual elite of Bengal.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 19: Towards Modernity > Arya Samaj (1875) > p. 301
2. [2] http://etd.lib.jnu.ac.in/TH5420.pdf
3. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Dayananda Saraswati and Arya Samaj > p. 223
4. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Dayananda Saraswati and Arya Samaj > p. 222
5. [5] https://dn790001.ca.archive.org/0/items/aryasamajaccount00lajpuoft/aryasamajaccount00lajpuoft.pdf