ABSTRACT
The new spirit of Hindu unity that he sought would first find its fervent expression among the village masses: later it could spread to the urban intelligentsia. Naturally, these political claims raised the question of the nature of Hindu unity and Hindu nationality. Dharma was to be elevated, and this ‘law’ or ‘truth’ was synonymous with discipline, silence, elevation of mind, fearlessness and simplicity. In addition, the holy places of India should be reformed and protected by the State. It was a Hinduism demanding social improvement, equality, strength, renewal of a kingly past. A century or so later South India too was dominated by Muslim power, and in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the power of the great Mughal dynasty was consolidated. The Sangha was not primarily educational in aim but it undertook extensive schooling projects, especially in rural areas. The Acharya was keen to widen and deepen knowledge, both at home and abroad, of the Hindu heritage.
