Swami Shraddhananda

The Story

Born Munshi Ram Vij, he was a brilliant student who practised law and served in the army medical department — until he met Swami Dayananda and the Arya Samaj, and gave up everything for its work. He took the name Shraddhananda and became one of the Samaj's greatest leaders, a powerful speaker who carried its message across the country.

He was a fearless worker for social justice: he opened the doors of the Arya Samaj temples to the untouchables, built orphanages and schools, and worked with Gandhi in the Non-Cooperation movement — he was even chosen to preside over the historic Congress session at Amritsar in 1919. His simple, fiery sermons drew enormous crowds.

His later years were devoted to the cause of Hindu-Muslim unity and the shuddhi movement to bring converts back to the Hindu fold — a cause that enraged a fanatic, who shot him in Delhi in December 1926. The whole nation, including the Congress and Gandhi, mourned him as a martyr, and his death led to a renewed call for communal unity.