The Arya Samaj as a Socio-Religious Reform Movement

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As a Socio-Religious Reform body the Arya Samaj was one of the most successful Movement. It propagated its ideas with greater success than either the Brahmo Samaj or the Prarthana Samaj. Its success was due to the relatively weaker strength of Brahmins in the Punjab but mostly it depended on its success in positioning itself and gaining recognition as a body for reform within mainstream Hindu community. The Arya Samaj tried to establish its authenticity as an Indian movement in inspiration, one that developed from within Indian society and not imposed by or imported from the West. This it did by being sharply critical of other Socio-Reform Movements like the Brahmo Samaj  and Prarthana Samaj  for their refused to accept the infallibility of the Vedas and decrying the perceived influence of Western and Christian sources of inspiration in their teachings. It could well be said that in the fierce competition to gain new converts they actually weakened other reform movements in the Punjab. On the other hand they took care to distance themselves from Hindu orthodoxy by actively advocating and encouraging reforms within Hinduism. They effectively carried the war of propaganda to the missionary camp (through both spirited defense of their faith as well as sometimes crude attacks on that of their opponents) and through their social work reduced the flow of converts to other religions. Reforms were seen not only as an end in themselves but as a most effective means for counter propaganda. Thus by positioning themselves in the middle ground they gained credibility as reformers among those desirous of change and the grudging respect of the orthodoxy as defenders of Hinduism.