Strongly influenced by Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Shraddhanand started working for the Arya Samaj. He spread the social ideals of the Arya Samaj Movement. He strongly condemned Hindu orthodoxy, caste rigidities, untouchability and idolatry and advocated widow remarriage, education of women and adoption of orphans.
In 1902, Swami Shraddhanand established a residential university—Gurukul—at Hardwar to impart education to students in the traditional framework. At Jullundhur, he set up a girls’ college and at Delhi, the Dalit Uddhar Sabha to promote social equality. He also started the weekly, Satya Dharma Pracharak to propagate the views of Swami Dayanand.
Later, he served as the President of the Shuddhi Sabha, an organ of the Arya Samaj to reconvert to the Hindu fold the converts to Christianity and Islam.
Swami Shraddhanand was also involved in the political struggle, especially during agitations against Rowlatt Act. He was made the Chairman of the Reception Committee of the Amritsar session of the Congress in 1919. In 1922, he suffered imprisonment for participating in Guru Ka Bagh Satyagraha.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
He was assassinated by a Muslim fanatic on December 23, 1926.