Who Was Raja Ram Mohan Roy? All You Need To Know About ‘Father Of The Bengal Renaissance’
Raja Ram Mohan Roy, known as the ‘Father of the Bengal Renaissance,’ is infamous for his tireless efforts to end child marriage and sati in India.
On May 22, the world celebrated the 249th birth anniversary of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, known as “The Father of Bengal Renaissance,” the founder of the “Brahmo Samaj” and a fierce opponent against Indian society’s social ills. India is commemorating the life of this great social reformer and educator, who was a catalyst for modern education during the British colonial period.
Ram Mohan was made Raja by Akbar II, who ruled the Mughal Empire from 1556 until 1605. He wasn’t simply a great social Reformer and educator, but he also had an influence on religion, politics, and public administration. All you need to know about, Who Was Raja Ram Mohan Roy? All You Need To Know About ‘Father Of The Bengal Renaissance’.
Who was Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Ram Mohan Roy was born on May 22, 1772, in the Radhanagar region of Hooghly, West Bengal, to a Hindu Brahmin family. Ramkanto Roy, his father (who was also fluent in Arabic, Latin and Greek), was a Sanskrit, Persian, and English scholar. Shivaites were Tarinidevi’s parents.
Roy was educated in the “Pathshala,” his village’s school, where he studied Bengali. It is generally believed that he traveled throughout Asia and learned Persian, Arabic, and English as well as Sanskit, Bengali, and Hindi. During his education, Roy was influenced by western culture and the educational system.
‘Father of the Bengal Renaissance’
Roy began the Atmiya Sabha (Friendship Association) to translate and discuss the Upanishads. Debendranath Tagore and other members of the “Brahmo Samaj” were formed in 1828 to reform Hinduism as a result of theological disputes among association members. As a youngster, Roy was opposed to idol worship, superstition, blind faith, and black magic.
After successfully defeating the Sati custom in India, Roy went to England as a Mughal ambassador to fight for keeping the prohibition on Sati pratha in place. After battling against the Sati procedure, Roy turned his attention to underage marriages, purdah practices, dowry regulations, and polygamy. Inter-caste weddings, women’s education, and widow remarriage were all issues that he supported.
He started India’s first English-language school in 1816. He also established the country’s first Bengali newspaper, which was also the first in India. In 1822, Roy launched Sambad Koumudi and published Mirat-ul-Akbar, a Persian journal that assisted people in forming judgments on issues affecting their daily lives under British rule.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Death
Raja Ram Mohan Roy died of meningitis on September 27, 1833, while on a trip to Britain. He was interred in Stapleton Groves near Bristol. In 1843, he was re-interred in Arnos Vale Cemetery, where his mausoleum still stands. The British government recently renamed a street in Bristol “Raja Rammohan Way” in his honour.