Use app×
Join Bloom Tuition
One on One Online Tuition
JEE MAIN 2025 Foundation Course
NEET 2025 Foundation Course
CLASS 12 FOUNDATION COURSE
CLASS 10 FOUNDATION COURSE
CLASS 9 FOUNDATION COURSE
CLASS 8 FOUNDATION COURSE
0 votes
6.0k views
in Important Personalities of National Movement in India by (51.5k points)
closed by

Evaluate Swami Dayanand’s political contemplation.

1 Answer

+1 vote
by (55.8k points)
selected by
 
Best answer

Swami Dayanand Saraswati started social and religious reforms in modern India. He not only tried his best to free Indian society from evil customs and superstitions but, also tried to establish the ancient glory of the country again. Swami ji tried hard to unite the Indian society without discrimination on the basis of co-lour, caste and creed. For the eradication of these evils from the Indian society, he founded Arya Samaj.

He wrote the book ‘Satyarth Prakash’ and called upon the Indians to return to the Vedas. He infused courage, self-dependence and self respect among the Indians. He was a bold and courageous political thinker since the very beginning. He, as a political thinker, did not propound any specific theory, but explained it in the light of the Vedas. 

The main political thoughts of Swami Dayanand Saraswati are given below:

1. State is a welfare Institution : 

A state is a developed and welfare institution. There are four efforts or proper goals (Purushartha) of human life, and they are Dharma (righteousness, moral values), Artha (prosperity, economic values), Kama (pleasure, love, psychological values) and Moksha (salvation, spiritual values). Here, religion is not a machinery, rather it is related to the fulfillment of earthly or temporal, and spiritual means. 

2. State is a community of communities: 

According to Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the state is not a social institution, but a political unit of communities related to arts and science, and a religion and morality – based community. According to Rigveda, these are called as Rajarth Sabha (Assembly of king), Vidyartha Sabha (Assembly of scholars or learned persons) and Dharmarth Sabha (Assembly of religion and morality), and of these assemblies, intelligent, scholarly and pious persons would not be appointed separately rather they would be elected jointly. And hence it would be a mixed form of union and democracy. For execution of the affairs of the state, the support of these three assemblies would be necessary. 

3. Rebuttal of Divine form of Governance: 

Swami Dayanand Saraswati was against the divine rights of a king. He opposed providing all powers of state to a particular person, and supported its institutional form. According to him, ensuring punishment is a symbol of monarchical power.

It gets the capability to protect the people and religion by the power of punishment. When a punishment is given with a view to earthly or temporal and spiritual welfare,the king does public welfare, and when the governance is done without any outlook, then the Disgraced king is killed by self punishment.

4. Importance of union: 

Swami Dayanand Saraswati tried to establish the importance of a republic instead of monarchical machinery. In executing the governance, the final power is given to the public. If governance goes against the Vedas, then the revolt by the public is just and according to religion. It may indicate a political revolution. These thoughts by Swami Dayanand Saraswati are considered as guidelines of Civil Disobedience movement and Non-Co-operation movement conducted by Mahatma Gandhi.

5. Favor of decentralization of governance: 

Swami Dayanand Saraswati supported the decentralization of governance. Favoring Manusmriti, he said, the king and his court should appoint an official for execution of affairs of one, two, three, five, ten and 100 villages. The official of one village would give the reports about crimes, faults and crisis, to the official of 10 villages. He would pass these reports to the official of 20 villages.

This official would report to the official of 100 villages and he would pass these reports to the official of 1000 villages and finally he would transfer these reports to the king. In this way, every information would reach from the lower level to the upper level. There would be an arrangement of spies. They would be checked and monitored. In this way, Swami Dayanand was in favor of a federal governance system and wanted an adjustment and co-operation between the legislature and the executive.

6. Emphasis on the maintenance of Armed Forces: 

Swami Dayanand Saraswati supported the safety and development of a state and its natural resources. For ensuring this, he supported well – formed armed forces. He also wanted to train people like soldiers. 

7. Support to Diplomacy: 

According to Swamiji, morality and truthfulness are the parameters of politics and governance. On the other hand, diplomacy is also essential for internal peace and external safety. He considered that the food and water stocks, etc. belonging to the enemy must be destroyed at once and then and there. Being a saint, his practical thoughts and thinking for the security of the nation is an outstanding concept of his ideology and his patriotism.

Welcome to Sarthaks eConnect: A unique platform where students can interact with teachers/experts/students to get solutions to their queries. Students (upto class 10+2) preparing for All Government Exams, CBSE Board Exam, ICSE Board Exam, State Board Exam, JEE (Mains+Advance) and NEET can ask questions from any subject and get quick answers by subject teachers/ experts/mentors/students.

Categories

...