(Redirected from Raja Ram Mohan Roy)
'Ram Mohan Roy', also written as 'Rammohun Roy', or 'Raja Ram Mohun Roy' (
Bangla: রাজা রামমোহন রায়,
''Raja Rammohon Rae''), (
May 22,
1772 –
September 27,
1833) was the founder of the
Brahmo Samaj, one of the first
Indian socio-religious reform movements. His remarkable influence was apparent in the fields of
politics,
public administration and
education as well as
religion. He is most known for his efforts to abolish the practice of
sati, a Hindu funeral custom in which the widow sacrifices herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. It was he who first introduced the word "Hinduism" (or "Hindooism") into the English language in 1816.
In 1828, prior to his departure to
England, Rammohan founded, with
Dwarkanath Tagore, the
Brahmo Samaj, which came to be an important spiritual and reformist religious movement that has given birth to a number of stalwarts of the Bengali social and intellectual reforms. For these contributions to society, Raja Ram Mohan Roy is regarded as one of the most important figures in the
Bengal Renaissance.
Early life and education
Roy was born in
Radhanagore,
Bengal, in 1772. His family background displayed an interesting religious diversity. His father Ramkant was a
Vaishnavite, while his mother Tarini was from a
Shakta background. Rammohan learnt successively
Bangla,
Persian,
Arabic and
Sanskrit by the age of fifteen.
As a teenager, Roy became dissatisfied with the practices of his family, and travelled widely, before returning to manage his family property. He then worked as a moneylender in Calcutta, and from
1803 to
1814 was employed by the
British East India Company.
Reformer
Religious Reformer
★ Roy advocated monotheism, or the worship of one God.
★ He denounced rituals, which he deemed meaningless and giving rise to superstitions.
★ He published Bengali translations of the Vedas to prove his points.
★ In 1814, with the help of young Indians, he set up the Amitya Sabha to propagate rational religious ideas.
Social Reformer
★ Crusaded against social evils like sati and polygamy.
★ Demanded property inheritance rights for women.
★ In 1828, he set up the Brahmo Sabha to campaign against social evils.
★ Due to his efforts, Governor General William Bentinck made sati illegal through an act in 1829.
Educationist
★ Roy believed education to be an implement for social reform.
★ In 1817, in collaboration with David Hare and Alexander Duff, he set up the Hindu College at Calcutta.
★ In 1830, he helped Alexander Duff in establishing the General Assembly's Institution, by organizing the venue and getting the first batch of students.
★ He supported induction of western learning into Indian education.
★ He also set up the Vedanta College, offering courses as a synthesis of Western and Indian learning.
★ He was a polyglot and was well versed in many world languages.
Journalist
★ Roy published journals in English, Hindi, Persian and Bengali.
★ His most popular journal was the ''Samvad Kaumudi''. It covered topics like freedom of press, induction of Indians into higher ranks of service, and separation of the executive and judiciary.
In the social, legal and religious reforms that he advocated, Roy was moved primarily by considerations of humanity. He took pains to show that his aim was not to destroy the best traditions of the country, but merely to brush away some of the impurities that had gathered on them in the days of decadence. He respected the
Upanishads and studied the
Sutras. He condemned idolatry in the strongest terms. He stated that the best means of achieving bliss was through pure spiritual contemplation and worship of the Supreme Being, and that sacrificial rites were intended only for persons of less subtle intellect.
Roy campaigned for the rights of women, including the right of widows to remarry and the right of women to hold property. As mentioned above, he actively opposed polygamy, a system in which he had grown up.
He also supported education, particularly of women. He believed that
English-language education was superior to the traditional Indian education system, and he opposed the use of government funds to support schools teaching
Sanskrit. In 1822, he founded a school based on English education.
To overcome the social and religious evils, as he perceived them, he started a religious group known as the
Brahmo Samaj. The Samaj borrowed beliefs and practices from several religions, and was eclectic in its philosophy.
Late Life
Blue plaque in Bedford Square, London
In
1831 Ram Mohan Roy travelled to the
United Kingdom as an ambassador of the
Mughal Empire to ensure that that Lord Bentick's law banning the practise of Sati was not overturned
[1]. He also visited
France.
He died at
Stapleton then a village to the north east of
Bristol (now a suburb) on the 27
th September 1833 of
meningitis and is buried in
Arnos Vale Cemetery in southern Bristol. A statue of him was erected in
College Green, Bristol in
1997. There is also a
blue plaque commemorating him on his house in
Bedford Square, London.
Tomb
The tomb built in 1843, located in the Arnos Vale Cemetery on the outskirts of Bristol, is in need of considerable restoration and repair. It was built by
Dwarkanath Tagore in 1843, 10 years after Rammohun Roy's death due to meningitis in Bristol on Sep 27, 1833.
In September 2006 representatives from the Indian High Commission came to Bristol to mark the anniversary of Ram Mohan Roy's death, during the ceremony Hindu, Muslim and Sikh women sang Sanskrit prayers of thanks
[2].
Following on from this visit the Mayor of Kolkata,
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya (who was amongst the representatives from the India High Commission) decided to raise funds to restore the tomb.
In June 2007 businessman Aditya Poddar donated £50,000 towards the restoration of his grave after being approached by the Mayor of Kolkata for funding.
[3].
Epitaph
The epitaph on the late 19th century stone at the tomb reads: "Beneath this stone rest the remains of Raja Rammohun Roy Bahadur, a conscientious and steadfast believer in the unity of Godhead, he consecrated his life with entire devotion to the worship of the Divine Spirit alone.
"To great natural talents, he united through mastery of many languages and distinguished himself as one of the greatest scholars of his day. His unwearied labour to promote the social, moral and physical condition of the people of India, his earnest endeavours to suppress idolatry and the rite of suttie and his constant zealous advocacy of whatever tended to advance the glory of God and the welfare of man live in the grateful remembrance of his countrymen."
Some opinions
Rabindranath Tagore
[4]
Epitaph for Ram Mohun Roy on his tomb
See also
★
Brahmo Samaj
★
Alexander Duff
★
Hindu School, Kolkata
★
Presidency College, Kolkata
★
Scottish Church College, Calcutta
★
Satyajit Ray
References
1. The Telegraph (Calcutta) - New life for Raja’s tomb
2. BBC News - City service honours humanitarian
3. BBC News - £50k restoration for Indian tomb
4. ''Charitra Puja: Rammohun Roy (in Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore.
5. Address delivered on the occasion of the death anniversary of Raja Rammohun Roy, held at Bangalore on 27th September 1924.
6. ''Rammohun to Ramakrishna by F. Max Muller.
External links
★
A Unitarian biography of Roy
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