Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a renowned scholar and an independent thinker who founded the Brahmo Samaj (one of the first Indian socio-religious reform groups). He is renowned as the 'Father of Modern India' or the 'Father of the Bengal Renaissance.' He was a religious and social reformer. This article focuses on the life and ideologies of Raja Ram Mohan Roy which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy - Background

• In May 1772, he was born into an orthodox Bengali Hindu family in Radhanagar, Hooghly District, Bengal Presidency.
• Ram Mohan received his higher education at Patna, where he studied Persian and Arabic. He read the Quran, as well as the Arabic translations of Plato and Aristotle's works, as well as the works of Sufi mystic poets.
• Raja Rammohun Roy had learned Bangla, Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit by the age of fifteen. He could also communicate in Hindi and English.
• He traveled to Varanasi and immersed himself in the Vedas, Upanishads, and Hindu philosophy.
• He also studied Christianity and Islam.
• He wrote a reasonable critique of Hindu idol worship when he was sixteen years old.
• From 1809 to1814, he worked as a personal Diwan to Woodforde and Digby in the East India Company's Revenue Department.
• He committed his life to religious, social, and political reforms from 1814 onwards.
• The Mughal Emperor of Delhi, Akbar II, bestowed upon him the title of 'Raja,' and he presented his grievances to the British king.
• As an emissary for Mughal ruler Akbar Shah II (father of Bahadur Shah), he traveled to England and died of a sickness in September 1833.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy - Ideology

• Ram Mohan Roy was heavily influenced by Western modern ideas, emphasizing rationalism and a scientific attitude to life.
• The religious and social deterioration of Ram Mohan Roy's native Bengal was his urgent challenge.
• Instead of helping to ameliorate society's state, he considered that religious orthodoxies had become sources of injury and detriment to social life, as well as sources of trouble and befuddlement for the people.
• Religious reform, according to Raja Ram Mohan Roy, is both social and political modernization.
• Ram Mohan thought that each offender must atone for his crimes and that this should be accomplished via self-purification and repentance rather than sacrifices and ceremonies.
• He was a passionate opponent of the caste system because he believed in social equality for all human beings.
• Ram Mohan was drawn to Islam because of its monotheism. According to him, Vedanta's essential message is monotheism.
• His concept of a one, unitarian god was a response to orthodox Hinduism's polytheism and Christian trinitarianism. Monotheism, he argued, promoted a single universal model for humanity.
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy believed that Hindu civilization could not grow unless women were freed from inhumane forms of oppression such as illiteracy, child marriage, sati, and purdah.
• He defined sati as the violation of all humanitarian and social feelings, as well as an indicator of a race's moral debasement.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy - Economic and Political Contribution

• The civic liberties granted to citizens under the British System of Constitutional Government impressed and admired Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He intended to bring the benefits of such a governance structure to the Indians.
• Reforms of Taxes:
  • He denounced Bengali zamindars' harsh tactics.
  • He demanded that minimum rent be set.
  • He urged that export levies on Indian commodities be reduced and that taxes on tax-free regions be abolished.
  • He advocated for the East India Company's commercial rights to be abolished.
• He spoke out against the British government's unjust policies, particularly the restrictions on press freedom.
• He backed India's free press movement through his writings and activism.
• Ram Mohan discovered three newspapers after Lord Hastings abolished press regulation in 1819: The Brahmanical Magazine (1821), the Bengali weekly Samvad Kaumudi (1821), and the Persian weekly Mirat-ul-Akbar.
• He demanded that Indians and Europeans be treated equally. He wanted superior services to be Indianized and the executive and judiciary to be separated.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy - Educational Reforms

• He established several schools to teach Indians English in Western scientific education.
• He considered English-language education to be better than the Indian educational system.
• While Roy's English school taught mechanics and Voltaire's philosophy, he supported David Hare's efforts to create the Hindu College in 1817.
• In 1822, he established an English-based school.
• In 1825, he founded Vedanta College, which provided education in both Indian and Western social and physical sciences.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy - Religious Reforms

• Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhiddin (a gift to deists), Raja Ram Mohan Roy's first published work, was published in 1803 and revealed irrational Hindu religious beliefs and immoral practices such as believing in revelations, prophets, and miracles.
• In Calcutta, he established the Atmiya Sabha in 1814 to fight idolatry, caste rigidities, useless rituals, and other societal problems.
• He chastised Christianity's ritualism and rejected Christ as God's incarnation.
• He attempted to separate the moral and philosophical message of the New Testament, which he commended, from its miracle stories in Precepts of Jesus.
• He wrote Bengali translations of the Vedas and five Upanishads.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy - Social Contributions

• He saw reforming religious organizations as vehicles for social and political change.
• In 1814, he founded the Atmiya Sabha, 1821, the Calcutta Unitarian Association, and in 1828, the Brahmo Sabha or Brahmo Samaj.
• He advocated for women's rights, such as the ability of widows to remarry and the right of women to own property.
• Sati was abolished in 1829 by Lord William Bentinck, the then Governor-General of India, and the practice of polygamy was outlawed due to the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy was an outspoken opponent of the caste system, untouchability, superstitions, and intoxicants.
• He railed against child marriage, polygamy, female illiteracy, and widows' plight. He emphasized the importance of rationalism and a modern scientific approach.
• He campaigned against what he saw as the faults of Hindu society at the time.
• He founded the Bengali monthly journal Sambad Kaumudi, which consistently criticized Sati as barbarous and incompatible with Hinduism's teachings.

Publications of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Brahmo Samaj

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy created the Brahmo Sabha in 1828, with the primary goal of worshiping the eternal god.
• Priesthood, ceremonies, and sacrifices were all condemned.
• It centered on prayers, meditation, and scripture reading.
• Brahmo Samaj was founded primarily to expose religious hypocrisy.
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy and his Brahmo Samaj were instrumental in bringing Indian society's attention to the serious challenges of the day.

Conclusion

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was one of the few people in his day who fully understood the importance of the modern era. He understood that the objective of human civilization is not independence, but rather a brotherhood and interdependence among persons and nations. His goal was to instill in Indians a thorough understanding of their own cultural identity, as well as to help them appreciate the reality that was unique to their civilizations in the spirit of cooperative cooperation.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which of the following social practices did Raja Ram Mohan Roy actively work to abolish?

A) Child Marriage
B) Sati
C) Dowry
D) Untouchability

2. Which religious reform organization was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy?

A) Arya Samaj
B) Brahmo Samaj
C) Ramakrishna Mission
D) Prarthana Samaj

3. Which of the following newspapers was started by Raja Ram Mohan Roy?

A) Kesari
B) The Hindu
C) Sambad Kaumudi
D) Amrita Bazar Patrika

4. In which year did Raja Ram Mohan Roy pass away?

A) 1831
B) 1833
C) 1835
D) 1837

5. The abolition of Sati was enforced by which colonial administrator influenced by Raja Ram Mohan Roy?

A) Lord Curzon
B) Lord Wellesley
C) Lord William Bentinck
D) Lord Dalhousie

GS Mains Questions and Answers

Q1: Evaluate the role of Raja Ram Mohan Roy in shaping modern Indian society.

Answer: Raja Ram Mohan Roy played a transformative role in shaping modern Indian society by advocating for progressive social reforms, religious rationalism, and educational modernization. His most significant contribution was his campaign to abolish the practice of Sati, which resulted in the enactment of the Sati Regulation Act in 1829. Additionally, he founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828, which sought to reform Hinduism by promoting monotheism and rejecting idol worship. Roy's emphasis on women's rights, including education for women and widow remarriage, laid the foundation for gender equality in India. His support for English language education and modern learning led to the establishment of Hindu College in 1817. Furthermore, his advocacy for the freedom of the press and civil liberties helped promote democratic ideals during the colonial period. Overall, Raja Ram Mohan Roy's contributions are seen as the foundation of modern Indian thought, influencing generations of reformers who followed him.

Q2: Discuss the significance of Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s contribution to Indian education reform.

Answer: Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s contribution to Indian education reform is of paramount importance. He was one of the first advocates of modern education in India, emphasizing the need for scientific, rational, and Western education to help Indians compete in a modern world. In 1817, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of Hindu College (later Presidency College) in Kolkata, which became a center for English education in India. He opposed the traditional emphasis on Sanskrit and religious scriptures, believing that education in English and modern subjects like science and mathematics would empower Indians to challenge British colonialism. His vision was to create a society that embraced enlightenment ideals and rationalism, free from superstition and dogma. Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s advocacy for education reform is considered a foundational step toward India's intellectual awakening during the 19th century.

Q3: Analyze the impact of the Brahmo Samaj movement initiated by Raja Ram Mohan Roy on Indian society and religion.

Answer: The Brahmo Samaj, founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1828, had a profound impact on Indian society and religion. The movement aimed to reform Hinduism by promoting monotheism, discarding idol worship, and encouraging rational thought. It challenged the caste system and worked for the upliftment of marginalized sections of society. The Brahmo Samaj also advocated for women's rights, including education, widow remarriage, and the abolition of practices like Sati. Its emphasis on social equality and moral values laid the groundwork for future reform movements. Furthermore, it fostered inter-religious dialogue and promoted religious harmony. The Brahmo Samaj played a significant role in shaping modern Indian society by challenging orthodoxy and advocating for progressive social and religious reforms. The movement influenced subsequent reformers and helped modernize Indian thought and culture during the 19th century.

Previous Year Questions on Raja Ram Mohan Roy

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2019

Question: Which of the following organizations was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy?

A) Arya Samaj
B) Brahmo Samaj
C) Ramakrishna Mission
D) Theosophical Society

Answer: B

Explanation: Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 to promote the worship of one God, discard idol worship, and propagate rationalism and religious tolerance.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2020 (GS Paper 1)

Question: Evaluate the role of Raja Ram Mohan Roy in the social and religious reform movements of 19th-century India.

Answer: Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a central figure in the social and religious reform movements of 19th-century India. As the founder of the Brahmo Samaj, he sought to rid Hinduism of superstition, idol worship, and caste discrimination, advocating for the worship of one God and promoting rational thought. He was also a staunch advocate for women's rights, particularly in his efforts to abolish the practice of Sati, which led to the passing of the Sati Regulation Act in 1829. Raja Ram Mohan Roy also played a key role in promoting education reform, encouraging the study of modern subjects like science and mathematics over traditional religious texts. His vision of a progressive, modern Indian society made him a trailblazer in the Indian reform movement, influencing future leaders and reformers.