The main purpose of suspension is very difficult to put into one sentence, as it has so many. It all has to do with a vehicles handling and stability. This includes turning, braking and pleasurable rides that aren't bumpy and noisy. A heavier vehicle will have better suspension for daily use as the weight of the vehicle pushes the wheels down more. They are a much smoother ride in comparison to a lighter vehicle. Eg. an SUV weighing in at 2000kg is a very smooth ride compared to my coupe that weighs 1100kg, which is actually a pretty bumpy ride, even on stock suspension.
This is because when for example, the wheel hits a speed bump, the wheels are easily pushed upwards, while the weight of the car is pushing downwards. Depending on the suspension set up, you would find that the weight of the car pushing down has more force than the wheels and springs being pushed up. When the heavy vehicle leaves the bump, the wheels are easily pushed down by not only the harder springs (to compensate for the heavy vehicle), but the vehicle is also pushed up, therefore a smoother ride.
But to put it into the shortest way possible, the principle of suspension is to keep the wheels pushed to the road surface as often and as much as possible.
The most important part of suspension to remember is to know the difference between the sprung and un-sprung mass.
The sprung mass is the vehicle components including the body, that does not move along with the wheels movement. The un-sprung mass are the components that move along with the wheels as they move up and down. This includes the hub assembly, control arms,sway bars and linkages, struts, etc.
Every suspension component plays it's part in keeping the wheels stuck to the road as much and as often as possible.
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