Dayanada and Arya Samaj
9
little effect unless it was delivered in the language of the people. He went to Bombay, where shortly afterwards his sect, following the example of the
Brahmo Samaj but with a better genius of organisation proceeded to take root in the social life of India. On April 7, 1875 he founded at Bombay his first Arya Samaj, or Association of the Aryans of
India, the pure Indians, the descendants of the old conquering-race of the
Indus and the Ganges,
(These italic words express that the author is influenced by the speculated historical elements which were imposed upon our history by foreigners.
Swamiji did not really take this view of Arya in any of his writings—Editor) and it was exactly in those
districts…show more content… The instinct for self-preservation revolted. Dayananda's generation had watched, as he had done. Not without anxiety, suffering and irritation, the gradual infiltration into the veins of
India of superficial European rationalism on the one hand, whose ironic arrogance unserstood nothing of the depths of the Indian spirit, and on the other hand, of a Christianity, which when it entered family life fulfilled only too well Christ's prophecy he had come to bring division between father and son.
The enthusiastic reception accorded to the thunderous champion of the Vedas, a Vedist belonging to a great race and penetrated with the sacred writings of ancient India and with her heroic spirit, is then easily explained. He alone hurled the defiance of India against her invaders. Dayananda declared war on Christianity and his heavy massive sword cleft it as under with scant reference to the scope of exactitude of his blows.
Nevertheless as Glasenapp rightly remarks, they are of paramount interest for European
Christianity of which ought to know what is the