Question

Gobind Guru in Rajasthan was influenced by which of the following social reformers?
A) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
B) Dayanand Saraswati
C) Vivekanand
D) Narayana Guru

Answer 1

Hint: This person was the founder of the Arya Samaj, which condemned many religious practices like idol worship, animal sacrifice, caste and sex discrimination, etc. This person was also the first one to call ‘Swaraj’ as ‘India for Indians’.

Complete answer:
Gobind Guru was born ‘Govindgiri’ to a Banjara family in the village of Bansiya. He worked to improve the moral character, habits and religious practices of the adivasis. In the political realm, he is known to have popularised the Bhagat movement which had started in the 18th century.

Now let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Raja Ram Mohan Roy – Raja Ram Mohan Roy was an Indian social reformer who was given the title of ‘Raja’ by the Mughal King, Akbar II. He is remembered as one of the founders of the Brahmo Sabha. He died in 1833, i.e. 25 years before Gobind Guru was born. Therefore, he did not have much influence on Gobind Guru and this option is incorrect.
Option B) Dayanand Saraswati – He was an Indian social activist and a reformer who was the first one to call ‘Swaraj’ as “India for Indians”. He also founded the Arya Samaj, which promoted values based on belief in the authority of the Vedas. He had a huge influence on many Indian leaders including Gobind Guru and Lala Lajpat Rai. Hence, this is the correct option.
Option C) Vivekanand – Vivekanand was an Indian Hindu Monk who is credited for raising interfaith awareness and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late 1800s. It is not very evident that Gobind Guru was influenced by Swami Vivekanand. Therefore, this option is wrong.
Option D) Narayan Guru – Narayan Guru was an Indian philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer who led reforms against injustice in caste-ridden societies of Kerala. He promoted spiritual enlightenment and social equality. He is also not known to have influenced Govind Guru. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (B) Dayanand Saraswati.

Note: Other than Govind Guru, Dayanand Saraswati had an influence on major Indian reformers like Madam Cama, Ram Prasad Bismil, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Mahatma Hansraj, Lala Lajpat Rai, etc. He was also known for promoting equal rights for women and the right to education for everyone.