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Which of the following statements about the social base of the Arya Samaj in British India is/are correct? 1. It was located mainly in Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh. 2. It mainly comprised the trading castes, 3. It was much more limited than that of the Brahmo Samaj. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
The Arya Samaj, founded by Dayananda Saraswati in 1875, established its headquarters in Lahore and found its most significant social base in the Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh [3]. Its membership primarily consisted of the trading castes, particularly the Khatris in Punjab, who utilized the movement for social mobility and to assert a Vedic Hindu identity. While the Brahmo Samaj was largely restricted to the English-educated elite of Bengal, the Arya Samaj had a much broader and more popular appeal across Northern India due to its revivalist nature and social service [4]. Therefore, statement 3 is incorrect because the Arya Samaj's social base was actually more extensive and less limited than that of the Brahmo Samaj. The movement's influence was further solidified through the establishment of the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) educational network.
Sources
- [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 13: Cultural Setting > THE CASTE SYSTEM > p. 4
- [1] 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. 220
- [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