The Arya Samaj was a significant Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Its primary aim was to revive Vedic values and practices, advocating for a return to the original teachings of the Vedas while rejecting idolatry, the caste system, child marriage, and other social evils prevalent in Hinduism at the time.
The correct answer is 1875. Swami Dayananda Saraswati officially established the Arya Samaj on April 10, 1875, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. This date marks the formal beginning of a movement that profoundly impacted Hindu society and contributed to the Indian nationalist awakening.
The other options are incorrect: 1874, 1877, and 1878 are close but do not correspond to the actual founding year of the Arya Samaj. While the movement gained momentum and expanded its influence in the years following its establishment, its foundational year remains unequivocally 1875.