The Arya Samaj as a Fundamentalist Movement

The Arya Samaj was an important movement in the development of contemporary India. Arya Samajists have been prominent not only in the history of the religions of South Asia, but also in education, politics, social reform, journalism, and even business. Though they have often been seen as progressives, these men and women have understood themselves to be participating in the revival of the ancient religion of the Vedas. Based in part on fieldwork conducted in India from 1985 through 1987, this book offers a new perspective on the Arya Samaj, comparing it with fundamentalist groups in other religious traditions.

In the introduction Llewellyn proposes a definition of fundamentalism, which he then applies to Christian and Islamic groups in the first chapter. The Arya Samaj is analyzed in terms of this same definition in chapter two. The third chapter is a study of scripture in the works of Swami Dayanand Sarasvati, the founder of the Arya Samaj. The context of the Arya Samaj's interpretation of the Vedas is examined in the fourth chapter. The book concludes with a brief discussion of the politics of fundamentalist movements and the politics of studying fundamentalism.

In recent years historians of religions, political scientists, anthropologists, sociologists, historians, and others have turned their attention to the study of fundamentalist movements across cultures. A detailed study of one movement in a broader comparative framework, The Arya Samaj as a Fundamentalist Movement is a substantial contribution to this new field.