Essay on Raja Ram Mohan Roy: Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born on 22 May 1772 in Radhanagar, Bengal. He had three marriages; Because unfortunately, his former wives had passed away. At 16, he wrote an essay on the prevailing superstitions. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a staunch opponent of polygamy and child marriage. Today we will write an essay about him.
Essay on Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the earliest social, religious and educational reformer of India. He was born on 22 May 1772 in a Brahmin family in a village called Radhanagar in the Hooghly district of Bengal. His great grandfather Krishna Chandra Roy was in the service of Murshid Quli Khan Subhedar (Governor) of Mughal Bengal. Ramkanto Roy and their mother Tairinidevi were Ram Mohan’s parents.
Ram Mohan loved studying. He was a scholar and knew many languages. He mastered different languages like English, Persian, Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin. He also studied Hindu philosophy, the Vedas, and the Upanishads. He is known as the “Maker of Modern India”. He is also called the βFather of Modern India” and the βFather of the Bengal Renaissanceβ.
The existing social condition in India and the newly established British rule in Bengal created a deep effect on his life and works. He was well aware of the injustice done by the officials of East India Company on the Indian subjects. Many times, he wrote complaints to the King of England. Each time there was no helpful response. Thus, he decided to sail to England so that he could personally describe the miserable condition of the Indians.
In 1821, Raja Ram Mohan Roy started a Bengali paper called ‘Samvad Kaumudiβ. In the following year, he launched a paper βMirat-Ul-Akhbar ‘ in the Persian language. Through these papers, he struggled for the freedom of newspapers.
He was influenced by western education and felt that ancient Sanskrit education would push man into the darkness. Thus, he felt the need for English education. He established a few English medium schools in India with the help of some of his European friends.
In 1818, he witnessed his elder brother Jagmohan’s wife Alakamanjari committing Sati. Screams of his sister-in-law on her husband’s funeral pyre influenced much of his social thinking. This incident changed his life. Distracted with pity and sorrow he took the oath of never resting until the inhuman practice of Sati was abolished from the country.
Due to his efforts and honest pleading, the then Governor-General of India Lord William Bentinck, and his council were convinced that the practice of Sati was not permitted by any Hindu scriptures. Finally, Sati Prohibition Act was passed in 1829. The evil practice of ‘Sati’ was first banned in Bengal and then an entire country.
Ram Mohan Roy believed in One God. Under his guidance, his supporters came together and formed associations called ‘Atmiya Sabha’ in 1814 and ‘Brahmo Samaj’ in 1828 at Kolkata. Brahmo Samaj was a social and religious movement through which Raja Ram Mohan Roy wanted to unite different communities based on all religions. He wanted them to realize that all were the children of one God.
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