Raja Ram Mohan Roy is widely regarded as the founder of the modern Indian Renaissance because of the significant reforms he implemented in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most notable of his endeavours was the abolition of the barbaric and inhumane Sati Pratha. It was thanks to him that the purdah system and child marriage were abolished in the Muslim world. Calcutta Bhramos were formed in Calcutta in 1828 by Ram Mohan Roy, who was opposed to caste and idol worship and formed the Brahmo Samaj. The Mughal emperor Akbar II bestowed the title “Raja” on him in 1831. As an ambassador for the Mughal emperor, Roy travelled to England to see that Bentick’s regulation prohibiting the practise of Sati was not overturned. In 1833, while living in Bristol, England, he succumbed to meningitis.
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Childhood and Schooling of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
On August 14, 1774, in Radhanagar village, Hoogly district, Bengal Presidency, Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born to Ramakanta Roy and Tarini Devi. His father was a well-off Brahmin and a strict adherent to religious observances. His mother vehemently opposed Ram Mohan’s desire to become a monk when he was 14 years old, and he eventually gave up on the idea.
First, Ram Mohan had a child marriage when he was just nine years old, but his first wife died soon after. He had two sons from a second marriage when he was ten. Third wife, after the death of his second wife in 1826, married him again.
Despite Ramakanto’s strict religious beliefs, he encouraged his son to pursue a college degree. The village school was where he learned Bengali and Sanskrit. As a result of this, Ram Mohan was dispatched to Patna, where he attended a Madrasa to learn Persian and Arabic. Because Persian and Arabic remained the official languages of the Mughal court, they were in high demand. He was well-versed in Islamic texts, including the Quran. Sanskrit was the language he studied in Benares after finishing his studies in Patna. The Vedas and Upanishads were among the many sacred texts he studied once he had mastered the language. At the age of 22, he began studying English as a second language. His spiritual and religious sensibilities were shaped by his study of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers like Euclid and Aristotle.
Rammohan began working for the East India Company as a clerk after completing his education. Under the direction of Mr. John Digby, he worked in the Rangpur Collectorate. He rose through the ranks to the position of Dewan, which denoted a native officer tasked with revenue collection.
Social Reforms by Raja Ram Mohan Roy
An array of odious traditions and laws encumbered Bengali society in the late 18th century (the so-called “Dark Age”). Strict moral codes, elaborate rituals, and distorted interpretations of ancient customs were imposed. It was common for women to be victimised by practises such as child marriage, polygamy, and Sati. The Sati Pratha was the most brutal of these rites. Widows would set themselves on fire in front of the funeral pyre after their husbands died. Originally, the custom allowed women to choose whether or not to participate, but as time went on, it became a requirement for families belonging to the Brahmin and upper castes. Young girls were married off to much older men in order to reap the supposed karmic rewards of their wives’ sacrifice as Sati, in exchange for dowry. Most of the time, the women were coerced or even drugged into submission because they had no choice but to submit to such atrocities.
It was Raja Ram Mohan Roy who first spoke out against this inhumane practise. He was unafraid to voice his opinions to East India Company officials. The Governor General, Lord William Bentinck, was eventually made aware of his passionate reasoning and calm perseverance. The Bengal Sati Regulation, also known as Bengal Code Regulation XVII, A.D. 1829, was passed by Lord Bentinck in response to widespread protests from the orthodox religious community. Sati Daha was outlawed in Bengal Province, and anyone caught doing so would be prosecuted. He will always be remembered as a true benefactor of women, not only for his role in abolishing Sati but also for speaking out against child marriage and polygamy and pushing for women’s equality in inheritance rights. As an anti-caste activist, he was also a force to be reckoned with in his own time.
Reforms in the field of education by Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Ram Mohan Roy was raised speaking Sanskrit and Persian as his first two languages. To better his chances of finding work in the United Kingdom, he took up English as a second language much later in life. While reading voraciously, he gleaned as much knowledge as possible from English literature and journals. This realisation made him realise how insufficient his knowledge in rational education was compared to his reverence for traditional texts such as the Vedas and Upanishads. Math, physics, chemistry, and botany were among the many subjects he argued should be taught in an English-language curriculum. After founding Hindu College in 1817 with David Hare, he helped revolutionise Indian education by cultivating some of the country’s brightest minds. Hindu College went on to become one of the country’s best educational institutions. Anglo-Vedic School in 1822, followed by Vedanta College in 1826, were his attempts to combine traditional theological doctrines with more contemporary rational teachings.
Religious Contributions of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
In contrast to priests, Ram Mohan Roy was adamantly opposed to the superstition and idolatry that were being promoted. He was well-versed in the sacred texts of various faiths and believed that Hindu scriptures like the Upanishads upheld the monotheistic view. To bring ancient Vedic doctrines into the modern world, he set out on a quest for a religious revolution. In 1928, he founded the Atmiya Sabha, and on August 20 of that year, the first meeting of this new religion was held. The Brahma Sabha, a forerunner of the Brahmo Samaj, arose out of the Atmiya Sabha. Monotheism, independence from the scriptures, and abolition of the caste system were among the main tenets of this new movement. The Hindu ceremonialism was stripped from Brahmo religious practises, which were then modelled after Christian or Islamic prayer rituals. Over time, the Brahma Samaj grew to be a powerful progressive force in Bengal, helping to push for social reforms like education for women.
Journalistic Contributions by Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Ram Mohan Roy was a fervent advocate for the right to free speech. He was an advocate for the freedom to publish in the vernacular. A Persian newspaper, “Miratul- Akhbar,” and a Bengali weekly, “Sambad Kaumudi,” were among his other publications (the Moon of Intelligence). Before they could be published, news stories and articles had to be approved by the government. According to Ram Mohan, newspapers should be free to publish what they want, no matter how unpopular a government’s position on a topic may be.
Death of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
While in England in 1830, Raja Ram Mohan Roy asked the Imperial Government to increase the royalty paid to the Mughal Emperor and ensure that Lord Bentick’s Sati Act would not be overturned. Raja Ram Mohan Roy passed away from meningitis on September 27, 1833, while visiting the United Kingdom. He was laid to rest in Bristol’s Arnos Vale Cemetery. In honour of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the British government recently renamed a street in Bristol ‘Raja Rammohan Way.’
Legacy of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
In 1815, Ram Mohan arrived in Calcutta and started an English College with his own savings, which he viewed as a means of implementing social reforms. He opposed the government’s policy of only opening Sanskrit schools because he wanted students to learn the English language and scientific subjects. A lack of modern education, he claims, will cause Indians to fall behind in the global economy. Ram Mohan’s idea was accepted and implemented by the government, but not before his death. Ram Mohan was the first to emphasise the importance of preserving one’s native language. His Bengali prose masterpiece, ‘Gaudiya Byakaran,’ is regarded as his finest work. Both Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra were inspired by Ram Mohan Roy.
Interesting facts about Raja Ram Mohan Roy
- Many historians regard Raja Ram Mohan Roy as the “Father of the Bengal Renaissance.”
- Raksha Bandhu Roy was born in Hooghly District of Bengal Presidency, Radhanagar.
- Ram Mohan Roy had three marriages. His first wife succumbed to cancer at an early age. he had two sons with his second wife, Radhaprasad and Ramaprasad. In 1824, she passed away. Roy’s third wife, whom he married after the death of his second wife, outlived him.
- He tried to combine the best aspects of Western culture with those of his native country.
- Indian education was shifted from Sanskrit-based to English-based by him, and he established several schools to spread the word.
- Ram Mohan Roy was employed by the East India Company as a political agitator during the early years of the company’s rule.
- As a moneylender in Calcutta, Raja Ram Mohan Roy was primarily lending to Englishmen of the British East India Company who were living beyond their means.
- He was able to speak both Greek and Latin.
- He was among the first to make an attempt to estimate the amount of money being smuggled out of India and the destinations to which it was being transported.
- As an ambassador of the Mughal Empire, Raja Ram Mohan Roy visited the United Kingdom in 1830 in an effort to ensure that Lord William Bentinck’s Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829, which banned the practise of Sati, was not overturned.
- He died of meningitis at Stapleton on September 27th, 1833.