The Shuddhi movement, aimed at bringing back into the Hindu fold people who had converted to other religions, was launched by which reformer?

Introduction / Context:
The Shuddhi movement is an important topic in the study of socio religious reforms in modern India. It focused on reconversion or bringing individuals who had left Hinduism back into the Hindu fold. Many general knowledge and history questions ask who launched this movement. The standard answer in exam oriented literature is Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of the Arya Samaj, whose ideas inspired later Shuddhi campaigns.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The movement mentioned is the Shuddhi movement.
• Its purpose was to bring back to the Hindu fold people who had converted to other religions.
• The options list Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and Mahatma Gandhi.
• We assume the exam uses the conventional answer associated with Arya Samaj.

Concept / Approach:
The concept is linking reform movements to their initiators. Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in the nineteenth century and promoted reforms, Vedic principles, and Shuddhi or purification to restore people to Hindu society. Later leaders like Swami Shraddhanand actively carried out Shuddhi campaigns, but the movement is doctrinally rooted in Dayanand's teachings. Hence exams typically credit Swami Dayanand Saraswati as the initiator.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify Shuddhi as a movement for religious reconversion into Hinduism. Step 2: Connect it with the ideology of the Arya Samaj, which emphasised returning to Vedic roots. Step 3: Recall that Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. Step 4: Look at the options and pick Swami Dayanand Saraswati as the name that matches this movement. Step 5: Recognise that Swami Vivekananda focused on spiritual revival but not specifically on Shuddhi campaigns. Step 6: Note that Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Mahatma Gandhi led other reform and freedom movements, not this particular reconversion movement.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this from summaries of socio religious reform movements where the Arya Samaj and Dayanand Saraswati are linked with Shuddhi. Some texts highlight that later leaders implemented Shuddhi more actively, but the intellectual and organisational origin lies with Arya Samaj and its founder. Aligning that information with exam practice confirms that Swami Dayanand Saraswati is the expected answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Swami Vivekananda spread the message of Vedanta and worked through the Ramakrishna Mission, emphasising service and spiritual awakening, not a structured Shuddhi programme. Raja Ram Mohan Roy led the Brahmo Samaj and focused on abolishing practices like Sati and promoting social reforms. Mahatma Gandhi led the freedom struggle and promoted non violence and communal harmony, but he was not the initiator of the Shuddhi movement. These names are present as plausible reformers but do not match this specific movement.

Common Pitfalls:
Common pitfalls include mixing up reformers and their organisations because many worked in overlapping periods and dealt with religious issues. Students sometimes attribute Shuddhi to Swami Vivekananda due to his broad influence or to Gandhi due to his moral leadership. To reduce confusion, keep a chart that clearly matches Arya Samaj and Shuddhi with Swami Dayanand Saraswati and review it together with other reform movements.

Final Answer:
The Shuddhi movement was launched under the inspiration and leadership of Swami Dayanand Saraswati.