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India has always been home to some of the greatest minds the world has come across. The importance of education and the understanding of peace through union has been a part of the epistemology of the land. One such great character is Raja Ram Mohan Roy the Father of Modern India’s Renaissance.
Who is Raja Ram Mohan Roy?
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was one of India’s greatest social reformers. Also known as the father of modern India’s Renaissance, he spent most of his life fighting against the perils of the caste system and other Indian cultural practices that affected the women and children of society. The introduction of a new age of enlightenment brought about a liberal reformist movement in the Indian subcontinent that drastically changed how people thought in society.
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Early Life and Education
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born on the 22nd of May, 1774 to Ramakant Roy and Tarini Devi. Born in a rich Brahmin family in the Radhanagar village of the Hooghly district of Bengal Presidency, he spent most of his early days living the orthodox Brahmin life. His keen interest in Indian philosophy motivated him to pursue a monastic life. But these intentions soon ended after being out rightly rejected by his mother.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy married three times in his entire life. He was first married at the age of 9. But his wife didn’t live for very long. After his first wife’s death, he got married again at the age of 10. He had 2 children with his second wife but she also passed away in 1824. He then got married again soon after.
Key Influences and Experiences that Shaped his Worldview
Ram Mohan’s father was a very orthodox Brahmin who believed in various cultural practices. As a child, Ram Mohan spent his days in school learning Bengali and Sanskrit. but since the country was still under Mughal Rule, his father sent him to Patna to learn Persian and Arabic and better his opportunities in the job market. The next few years were spent reading texts like the Quran and other Islamic texts and interpretations of Western philosophers like Aristotle and Plato.
After a few years, Ram Mohan went to Kashi in Varanasi, where he went on to study Indian philosophies, the Vedas and the Upanishads. His grasp of the scriptures widened his intellectual horizons and by the age of 22, he began his English education. It was during this period that Ram Mohan revisited his Western understanding of society and integrated it with the teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads to eventually form the building blocks of his ideology. He believed in the liberalism of cultural practices and looked to provide a greater scientific understanding of life that would counteract the degradation and corruption within societal practices.
Even though Ram Mohan attained an incredible education, his ideologies were also heavily influenced by his life experiences. A 17-year-old Ram Mohan was made to witness the death of his sister-in-law who was burnt alive as a sacrifice after her husband’s demise. This age-old practice of Sati truly traumatised the young lad and etched within him a fire that made him change the course of Indian society.
Social Reforms
Ram Mohan is known as one of the greatest social reformers of his time. His fight against societal norms and age old cultural practices was a result of his life experiences. He was a victim of child marriage and at a very young age was exposed to the horrific sacrificial practice of Sati. Some of the social reforms introduced by Ram Mohan have been mentioned below:
- Fought for the emancipation of women in Indian society.
- Fought against age old practices like child marriage, polygamy and most importantly Sati. Sati was a cultural practice that required the wife to incinerate herself with her dead husband’s body. This practice was originally based on consent and choice of the widow, but over the years through corruption and generational decay became a compulsory inclusion within the Brahmin community.
- Ram Mohan discerned the pain of the lower castes and fought to abolish the caste system and untouchability within India.
- He founded many socialist groups like the Atmiya Sabha, the Brahmo Samaj and the Calcutta Unitarian Association.
Educational Reforms
Roy believed that education would relieve the plight of man. His ideologies looked to spread scientific knowledge that would open the minds of the populous.
- Roy and David Hare set up the Hindu College in 1817.
- In 1822 Roy managed to establish an English curriculum in his school.
- Roy founded the Vedanta College in 1825 that provided courses in Indian philosophies, Western sciences and the social sciences.
Religious Reforms
Ram Mohan was a great advocate of the scientific way of living and his ideologies were a culmination of western and Indian philosophies that provided a more liberal and spiritual outlook towards life. Ram Mohan’s religious reforms:
- Ram Mohan believed in the concept of monotheism much like Islam and propagated Vedantic teachings through the understanding of a unitarian God.
- Ram Mohan was heavily influenced by Sufi poets and prophets which led him to author the book Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin in 1804. The book rejected many Hindu practices and brought to light much of the corruption within Indian society.
- Ram Mohan was completely against rituals and hence expressed this repudiation in his book “The Precepts of Jesus”. The book also shows his admiration of the moral and philosophical stance taken by the New Testament.
- Ram Mohan founded the Atmiya Sabha and the Brahmo Samaj that condemned religious activities and oppressive societal constructs that violated basic human rights and gave way for a new religion that believed in monotheism and also provided a deep understanding of Vedic teachings.
Brahmo Samaj: India’s First Reform Movement
The Brahmo Samaj previously known as the Brahmo Sabha was founded in 1828 with the ideology of monotheism. The understanding of one eternal God was propagated here along with the rejection of rituals, cultural dogmas, sacrifices and priesthood.
The Bahmo Samaj was the first intellectual movement of modern India that rationalised enlightenment through meditation, prayer, discerning scriptures and implementing a scientific approach to life. The Samaj was completely against oppression of the caste system and looked to emancipate women within Indian society. In 1866, the Brahmo Samaj was divided into two parts namely, the Brahmo Samaj of India led by Keshub Chandra Sen and the Adi Brahmo Samaj led by Debendranath Tagore.
Economic and Political Reforms
- Ram Mohan studied the British constitutional system and fought for the extension of civil liberties towards Indian citizens.
- His campaign for the freedom of press in India set forth a change in the censorship protocol introduced by Lord Hastings in 1819.
- Ram Mohan began a movement that opposed the oppressive acts committed by Zamindars in Bengal and demanded tax free lands.
- He fought for equality of all in society and spread his word through his 3 major publications, namely, The Brahmanical Magazine, Samvad Kaumudi (Bengali Journal) and Mirat-ul-Akbar (Persian).
Death
In 1833, Ram Mohan visited Bristol, where he gave a lecture at the Lewins Mead Meeting House about the understanding of Indian philosophies from a monotheistic standpoint. It was during this visit that Roy fell ill and was diagnosed with Meningitis. On September 27, 1833, Roy passed away in Stapleton, Bristol and was buried at Stapleton Grove in October, 1833.
Legacy and Continuing Influence on Future Generations
The Brahmo Samaj split into 2 parts namely, the Brahmo Samaj of India led by Keshub Chandra Sen and the Adi Brahmo Samaj led by Debendranath Tagore. His philosophy of monotheism integrated with Indian cognizance gave rise to a liberal movement that sought to abolish oppressive social constructs and practices.
There are many portraits of Ram Mohan that have been made by some world renowned artists. The Bristol museum hosted an entire exhibition on Roy in 1983 where a portrait of Roy made by Henry Perronet Briggs still hangs. There is a pedestrian path named “Rajah Rammohun Walk” in Stapleton and a Brahmo plaque placed outside Stapleton Grove.
FAQs about Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Q1. What were some of Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s notable literary works or publications?
Ram Mohan was well known for his books and other publications. Some of them have been mentioned below:
- Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin (1804)
- Vedanta Gantha (1815)
- Kenopanishads (1816)
- Ishopanishads (1816)
- A Defence of Hindu Theism (1820)
- The Precepts of Jesus = A guide to Peace and Happiness (1820)
Q2. What was Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s role in advocating against the practice of Sati?
Roy was at forefront against the practice of Sati. His fight finally ended in 1829 when Lord William Bentick abolished the practice of Sati in india.
Q3. What was Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s relationship with British colonial authorities?
Roy joined the East India Company as a clerk after completing his education.
Q4. What are some lesser-known aspects or achievements of Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s life?
- Roy was given the title of Raja by Akbar II.
- Ram Mohan Roy started a bengali publication called the Sambad Kaumudi.
- He is also known as the Herald of the New Age.
Conclusion
In short, Raja Ram Mohan Roy is an iconic figure in Indian history who changed the social construct of Indian society and managed to get certain age-old practices abolished. He set forth a completely different ideology that introduced a renaissance movement in India and gave way to a new religion that was an amalgamation of Indian philosophy, monotheism and western liberal constructs.
