Throw light on the contribution of Swami Dayanand and Arya Samaj.

Contribution of Swami Dayanand Saraswati and the Arya Samaj (1875):

Founded on 10 April 1875 in Bombay by Swami Dayanand Saraswati (Mulshankar), the Arya Samaj transformed 19th-century Indian society and anti-colonial consciousness:

• 1. The Clarion Call of "Back to the Vedas" (वेदों की ओर लौटो):
  • Authored the immortal treatise Satyarth Prakash (सत्यार्थ प्रकाश - 1875) in Hindi; defended the infallible rationality of the Vedas while fiercely attacking idolatry, polytheism, animal sacrifice, and priestly corruption.
• 2. Radical Social Reforms & Shuddhi Movement:
  • Rejected birth-based casteism, untouchability, and child marriage; championed widow remarriage, inter-caste marriages, and female education.
  • Initiated the Shuddhi Movement to reconvert Hindus who had converted to other faiths.
• 3. Pioneer of "Swaraj" and Swadeshi:
  • First reformer to declare: "Good government is no substitute for self-government (Swaraj)." Pioneered Hindi as the national language.
• 4. Educational Revolution: Established the DAV (Dayanand Anglo-Vedic) School/College network (Lala Hansraj) and Gurukul Kangri (Haridwar, 1902) by Swami Shraddhanand.