Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

News: The 250th Birth Anniversary of Raja Ram Mohan Roy was celebrated on May 22nd this year.

About:
• Popularly remembered as the Father of Indian Renaissance
• He represented Akbar II in England where he pleaded for his pension and allowances. Akbar II was the one who awarded him the title ‘Raja’.

Organisations he is associated with:
• Started Atmiya Sabha in 1814 in order to crusade against idol worship, meaningless rituals and superstitious beliefs. He spreaded the monotheistic ideals.
• Founded the Hindu College at Calcutta in 1817.
• The Calcutta Unitarian Committee
• He created the ‘Brahma Sabha’ in 1828
• Setup the Anglo-Hindu school which taught mechanics and Voltaire’s philosophy
• Started the Vedanta College where Indian learning, as well as the Western social and physical sciences, were taught.
• In 1830, he assisted Alexander Duff to set up the General Assembly’s institution, which later became the Scottish Church College.

Social Contributions:
• He stood against the practice of Sati. The Abolition of Sati Act, 1829, was a result of R.R Mohan Roy’s efforts.
• He pleaded for the right of inheritance and property for women.
• He fought against polygamy and child marriage which were prevalent back then.
• He supported women education as he believed that only education would fetch women equal social status with men.

Literary works:
• Brahmanical Magazine (1821)
• Sambad Kaumudi
• Mirat-ul-Akbar, a Persian Journal
• Tuhfat-ul-Muwahiddin
• Vedanta Gantha
• Kenopanishads
• Ishopanishad
• Kathopanishad