Overview
During the Middle Ages of Indian history, many faiths and sects sprang up in religious and social spheres of Hindu society. They drifted away from the teachings of the Vedas and attached greater significance to their founders and their preachings. From then onwards polytheism commenced. Great differences developed among the different sects and divided and weakened Hindu society. The caste system based on birth became strong and gave rise to further fragmentation. Superstition, ignorance and blind faith spread and caused the degradation of the Hindu religion and society.
It was at this time that Swami Dayanand wrote the Satyarth Prakash in order to spread the knowledge of the Vedas and to educate people on the true qualities of God. The Satyarth Prakash contains exposition and clarifications of Vedic principles. Some of the important topics in the Satyarth Prakash are worship of one God, explanation of the main principles of the Vedas, the relationship between religion and science and between devotion and intellect, elimination of the caste system and of different religious beliefs for the strengthening of society, eradication of superstitions, false notions and meaningless customs, shunning narrow-mindedness and promoting the brotherhood of man.
Read more about this topic: Satyarth Prakash