Ram Mohan Roy

22 May 1772
Radhanagore, Bengal, British India
August 27, 1833 (aged 61)
Died
Stapleton, Bristol, England
Cause of death Meningitis
Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol,
Resting place
England
Rammohun, Rammohan, or Ram
Other names
Mohan
Ethnicity
Bengali Hindu
Occupation
Social reformer
Employer
Y
Known for
Bengal Renaissance, Brahmo Samaj
Height
1.75 m
Weight
56 kg
Successor
Dwarkanath Tagore
Religion
Unitarian
Spouse(s)
Uma Devi
Born

Ramakanta Roy (father)

Parents

Tarinidevi (Mother)

He was an Indian religious, social, and educational reformer, and humanitarian,

who challenged traditional Hindu culture and indicated the lines of progress for
Indian society under British rule. He is called the "Maker of Modern India," and
also the "Father of Modern India."[1] He is also regarded as the "Father of the
Bengal Renaissance." He, along with Dwarkanath Tagore and other prominent
Bengalis of the early 19th century, founded the Brahmo Sabha in 1828, which
engendered the Brahmo Samaj, an influential Indian socio-religious reform
movement during the Bengal Renaissance. His influence was apparent in the
fields of politics, public administration, and education, as well as religion. He was
described by Rabindranath Tagore as the "Father of Indian Renaissance," and the
"Prophet of Indian Nationalism."
Early life and education (17741792)

Roy was born into a Bengali Hindu family in Radhanagar, Hooghly, Bengal, May 22, 1774,[2]
into the Rarhi Brahmin caste of Sandilya Gotra (family name Bandyopadhyay).[3] His great
grandfather Krishna Chandra Banerjee aquired the title 'Roy'. His family background

displayed unusual religious diversity; his father Ramkanto Roy was a Vaishnavite, while his
mother Tarinidevi was from a Shaivite family. This was unusual, as Vaishanavites did not
commonly marry Shaivites at that time. Thus, one parent dedicated to the laukik, which was
secular public administration.[4] He wandered around the Himalayas and went to Tibet.
Early political and religious career (17921820)

Raja Rammohan Roy's impact on modern Indian history concerned a revival of the ethics
principles of the Vedanta school of philosophy as found in the Upanishads. He preached
about the unity of God, made early translations of Vedic scriptures into English, co-founded
the Calcutta Unitarian Society, founded the Brahmo Samaj, and campaigned against sati. He
sought to integrate Western culture with features of his own country's traditions. He
established schools to modernise a system of education in India.
During these overlapping periods,[when?] Ram Mohan Roy acted as a political agitator and
agent[5] while being employed by the East India Company and simultaneously pursuing his
vocation as a Pandit.
In 1792, the British Baptist shoemaker William Carey published his missionary tract An
Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens.
In the following year, William Carey landed in India to settle. His objective was to translate,
publish and distribute the Bible in Indian languages and propagate Christianity among the
Indian peoples.[6] He believed the "mobile" (i.e. service classes) Brahmins and Pundits were
most able to help him in this endeavour, and he began gathering them. He learned the
Buddhist and Jain religious works as a means of improving his arguments for promoting
Christianity in a cultural context. In 1795, Carey made contact with a Sanskrit scholar, the
Tantric Hariharananda Vidyabagish,[7] who later introduced him to Ram Mohan Roy; Roy
wished to learn English.
In 1799, Carey was joined by missionary Joshua Marshman and the printer William Ward at
the Danish settlement of Serampore.
From 1803 to 1815, Rammohan served in the East India Company's "Writing Service",
commencing as private clerk "munshi" to Thomas Woodforde, Registrar of the Appellate
Court at Murshidabad,[8] whose distant nephew, also a Magistrate, later made a living off the
spurious Maha Nirvana Tantra under the pseudonym Arthur Avalon. In 1815, Raja Ram
Mohan Roy formed "Atmiya Sabhan", and spent many years[when?] at Rangpur and elsewhere
with Digby, where he renewed his contacts with Hariharananda. William Carey had, by this
time, settled at Serampore and the trio renewed their association with one another. William
Carey was also aligned with the English Company, then headquartered at Fort William, and
his religious and political ambitions were increasingly intertwined.
The East India Company was taking money from India at a rate of three million pounds a
year in 1838. Ram Mohan Roy estimated how much money was being driven out of India and

where it was headed towards. He predicted that around half of the total revenue collected in
India was sent out to England, leaving India to pay taxes with the remaining money.[9]
Middle period (18201830)

Commenting on his published works, Sivanath Sastri wrote that Roy was part of a second
appeal to the Christian Public. Brahmanical Magazine Parts I, II and III, with Bengali
translation and a new Bengali newspaper called Sambad Kaumudi, was processed in 1821. In
1822, a Persian paper called Mirat-ul-Akbar contained a tract entitled "Brief Remarks on
Ancient Female Rights"; a book in Bengali called Answers to Four Questions was released
the same year. The third and final appeal to the Christian public took place in 1823. Roy
wrote a letter to Rev. H. Ware on the "Prospects of Christianity in India" and an "Appeal for
Famine-Smitten Natives in Southern India" in 1824. A Bengali tract on the qualifications of a
God-loving householder, a tract in Bengali on a controversy with a Kayastha, and a Grammar
of the Bengali language in English were written in 1826. A Sanskrit tract on "Divine Worship
by Gayatri" with an English translation, the edition of a Sanskrit treatise against caste, and the
previously noticed tract called "Answer of a Hindu to the Question" were released in 1827. A
form of divine worship and a collection of hymns were composed by Roy and his friends in
1828. In 1829, "Religious Instructions founded on Sacred Authorities" was published in
English and Sanskrit; a Bengali tract called "Anusthan" was also published that year. A
petition against Suttee also took place in 1829. In 1830, Roy was in charge of a Bengali tract,
a Bengali book concerning the Bengali language, the trust deed of the Brahmo Samaj, an
address to Lord William Bentinck congratulating him for the abolition of Sati, a document in
English of the arguments regarding the burning of widows, and a tract in English on the
disposal of ancestral property by Hindus.[10]
One of the controversial issues that embittered the Bengali community was his stand on
European settlement. He and his followers joined the European mercantile community to
push for abolition of restrictions on land holdings by the Europeans in the mufassal, a stance
which was opposed by the East India Company itself in addition to a large section of the
Bengali community. This proposal was eventually rejected.[11]
Life in England and death (18301833)
Statue in College Green, Bristol, England

In 1830, Ram Mohan Roy travelled to England from the Khejuri Port, then the seaport of
Bengal, which is currently located in East Midnapore, West Bengal.[12] He was the first
educated Indian to sail to England.[13] At the time, Roy was an ambassador of the Mughal
emperor Akbar II, who conferred on him the title of Raja to lobby the British government for
the welfare of India and to ensure that the Lord Bentick's regulation banning the practice of
sati was not overturned. Roy also visited France.
Roy died in Britain at Stapleton, Bristol, on 27 September 1833. The cause of his death was
meningitis; he was cremated in Arnos Vale Cemetery in southern Bristol.

At the annual Commemoration for Raja Rammohun Roy on 22 September 2013 at Arnos
Vale Cemetery, Bristol, England, a previously unknown but magnificent miniature ivory
portrait bust of Roy by the famous English nineteenth-century ivory carver, Benjamin
Cheverton (1796-1876), was unveiled. The commemoration marked the anniversary of the
death of Rammohun Roy, in Bristol in September 1833. This exceptionally rare and
extremely important ivory bust is raised on a Rosso Antico-type marble plinth, the ivory,
including turned socle, is 11 cm (4 21/64 inches) high; 18 cm (7 3/32 inches) high overall
including marble plinth. The best and most accurate three-dimensional likeness of
Rammohun Roy in existence, this ivory bust was made by the famous nineteenth-century
ivory carver Benjamin Cheverton in London in 1832. It is based on a bust of Rammohun Roy
modelled from the life in London by the eminent sculptor George Clarke in 1832 and carved
in marble by him in 1833. Clarke is the only sculptor to whom Rammohun Roy gave sittings.
By use of his famous sculpture reducing machine, and with the sculptors agreement,
Cheverton translated the exact features of Clarkes bust to this reducedsize ivory replica.
Clarkes bust of Rammohun Roy is un-located, presumed lost, but a (damaged) plaster cast of
it survives in India.[14]
Personal

Ram Mohan Roy was married two times before his teens . His third wife, Devi Uma, outlived
him.[citation needed]

Religious reforms
The religious reforms of Roy contained beliefs of the Brahmo Samaj as expounded by
Rajnarayan Basu[15] are: Brahmos believe that the fundamental doctrines of Brahmoism are at
the basis of every religion followed by man; Brahmos believe in the existence of One
Supreme God, and worship him alone. Brahmos believe that worship of Him needs no fixed
place or time.
Social reforms of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Roy demanded property inheritance rights for women and, in 1828, set up the Brahmo Sabha,
which was a movement of reformist Bengali's formed to fight against social evils.
Roy's political background influenced his social and religious approach to reforms of
Hinduism. He wrote: "The present system of Hindus [sic] is not well calculated to promote
their political interests. It is necessary that some change should take place in their religion,
at least for the sake of their political advantage and social comfort."[16]
Rammohan Roy's experience working with the British government taught him that Hindu
traditions were often not respected or considered to be credible by Western standards; this
affected his religious reforms. He wanted to legitimize Hindu traditions to his European
acquaintances by proving that the "superstitious practices which deform the Hindu [sic]
religion have nothing to do with the pure spirit of its dictates! [sic]"[17] The "superstitious
practices" to which Rammohan Roy objected included sati, caste rigidity, polygamy and child
marriages.[18] These practices were often the reasons British officials claimed moral

superiority over the Indian nation. Ram Mohan Roy's ideas of religion sought to create a fair
and just society by implementing humanitarian practices similar to Christian ideals and thus
legitimize Hinduism in the modern world.
Ram Mohan is remembered bringing about for women reform laws, especially law banning
Sati practice. He was stirred by loss of his sister-in-law, who became Sati.[19] When in 1818,
some Hindus objected to guideline restricting Sati, Ram Mohan Roy, produced a counterpetition requesting Government to pass a law banning sati practice.[19] He was at loggerhead
with Raja Radha Kanta Deb, who was against government interference in religious practice.
[20]
Roy risked his personal life and started a campaign against Sati practice, in which he was
later supported by Debendra Nath Tagore.[19][20] He appealed to William Bentick to pass a law
banning Sati practice in British India and his persuation bore fruit and practice was banned by
a law passed in 1829 in Bengal Presidency, which was later extended in 1830 to Madras and
Bombay Presidency.[20][21]
Educationist

Roy believed education to be a means of creating social reform and was advocate of
introduction of English schools in India.[21] In 1817, in collaboration with David Hare, he set
up the Hindu College at Calcutta. In 1822, Roy founded the Anglo-Hindu school, followed
four years later by the Vedanta College, where he insisted that his teachings of monotheistic
doctrines be incorporated with "modern, western curriculum"; Vedanta College offered
courses as a synthesis of Western and Indian learning.[22] In 1830, he helped Alexander Duff
in establishing the General Assembly's Institution, by providing him the venue vacated by
Brahma Sabha and getting the first batch of students. Roy supported the incorporation of
western learning into Indian education. He advocated the study of English, science, western
medicine and technology. He spent his money on a college to promote these studies.
Journalist

Roy was an ardent supported of freedom and speech and press.[21] Roy published magazines
in English, Hindi, Persian, and Bengali to spread modern knowledge and politically educate
the readers.[21] He published the Brahmonical Magazine in English in 1821. Another notable
magazine of his was the Sambad Kaumudi, also published in 1821.[citation needed] In 1822, Ram
Mohan published Mirat-ul-Akbar in the Persian language.
Brahmonical Magazine ceased to exist after publication of a few[weasel words] issues. But Sambad
Kaumudi, a news weekly, covered topics such as freedom of the press, the induction of
Indians into high ranks of service and separation of the executive and judiciary. Sambad
Kaumudi became bi-weekly in January 1830 and continued to be published for 33 years.
He published a newspaper to register his protest against the introduction of Press Ordinance
of 1823. The ordinance stated that a license from the Governor General in council would be
required to publish any newspaper. When the English Company censored the press,
Rammohan composed two memorials against this in 1829 and 1830 respectively. As an
activist, he steadily opposed social issues like Sati and child marriage.[23][24]

Achievements
Raja Ram Mohan Roy is considered as the pioneer of modern Indian Renaissance for the
remarkable reforms he brought in the 18th century India. Among his efforts, the abolition of
the sati-pratha-a practice in which the widow was compelled to sacrifice herself on the
funeral pyre of her husband-was the prominent. His efforts were also instrumental in
eradicating the purdah system and child marriage. In 1828, Ram Mohan Roy formed the
Brahmo Samaj, a group of people, who had no faith in idol-worship and were against the
caste restrictions. The title 'Raja' was awarded to him by Mughal emperor Akbar, the second
in 1831 when Roy visited England as an ambassador of the King to ensure that Bentick's
regulation of banning the practice of Sati was not overturned.
Background
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born on 14 August, 1774 to Ramakanta Roy and Tarini Devi in
Murshidabad district, West Bengal. His father was a wealthy Brahmin and strictly performed
the duties set by the religion. Ram Mohan himself was also devoted to lord Vishnu and in his
14th year, he wanted to become a monk but his mother, Tarini Devi objected to his desire.
Though his father Ramakanto was very orthodox but he wanted his son to have higher
education and after the basic formal education in Sanskrit and Bengali in the village school,
Ram Mohan was sent to Patna to study Persian and Arabic in a madrasa. After that he went to
Benares (Kashi) for learning the intricacies of Sanskrit and Hindu scripture, including the
Vedas and Upanishads. He learnt English language at the age of 22 years.
Father of Renaissance
Ram Mohan viewed education as a medium to implement the social reforms. So, in 1815,
Ram Mohan came to Calcutta and the very next year, started an English College by putting
his own savings. He was well aware that the students should learn the English language and
scientific subjects and that's why he criticized the government's policy of opening only
Sanskrit schools. According to him, Indians would lag behind if they do not get to study
modern subjects like Mathematics, Geography and Latin. Government accepted this idea of
Ram Mohan and also implemented it but not before his death. Ram Mohan was also the first
to give importance to the development of the mother tongue. His 'Gaudiya Byakaran' in
Bengali is the best of his prose works. Rabindranath Tagore and Bankimchandra also
followed the footsteps of Ram Mohan Roy.
Freedom of Press
Ram Mohan Roy was a staunch supporter of free speech and expression and fought for the
rights of vernacular press. He also brought out a newspaper in Persian called 'MiratulAkhbar' (the Mirror of News) and a Bengali weekly called 'Sambad Kaumudi' (the Moon of
Intelligence). In those days, items of news and articles had to be approved by the government
before being published. Ram Mohan protested against this control by arguing that
newspapers should be free and that the truth should not be suppressed simply because the
government did not like it.

His Last Days

Raja Ram Mohan Roy, during his visit to United Kingdom as an ambassador of Akbar- the
second, died of meningitis at Stapleton in Bristol on 27 September, 1833. He went there to
request the British government to increase the royalty, received by the Mughal Emperor and
to ensure that Lord Bentick's regulation of banning the practice of Sati was not overturned.
Recently, the British government has named a street as 'Raja Rammohan Way' in the memory
of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Ideals of Brahmo Samaj
1. The ideals of Brahmo Samaj have their origin in the
synthesis of the Vedic religion and the Christian
humanism.
2. It advocated that there is one God, who is present
everywhere, and is without shape and form. His worship
lies in intense devotion.
3. It believed in the brotherhood of man and treated all men as equal. It started a magazine
entitled Samvad Kaumudi, to teach people love of mankind.
4. It supported the introduction of English in schools with the belief that the study of English
would open the door to modern sciences.
5. It condemned social evils such as casteism, untouchability, child marriage and the Sati
system. It was due to the efforts of Raja Rammohan Roy that Lord William Bentick abolished
Sati system in 1829 by declaring it an offence.
6. It advocated freedom of the press and condemned any restriction imposed on it by the
Government.
7. It supported widow-remarriage and the education of girls. Raja Rammohan Roy was the first
to agitate for getting women their rightful place.
In 1831, Roy visited the United Kingdom to speak on Indian questions. He died in Bristol in 1833. After
the death of Raja Rammohan Roy, the work of the Brahmo Samaj was carried on by great men like
Devender Nath Tagore (father of Rabindra Nath Tagore) and Keshab Chandra Sen. The Brahmo
Samaj, besides reforming the Hindu society, heralded a new era of reform movements such as the
Arya Samaj, the Ramakrishna Mission and the Prarthana Samaj (in Maharashtra).

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