autobiographical essay on Raja ram mohan Roy in 600 words
Answers
About Raja Ram Mohan Roy
He is a great historical figure, who put laudable efforts to transform the face of India and dared to defy the age-old Hindu traditions. A modernist by virtue, he undertook a lot of social reforms to change the society and worked for the upliftment of the status of women in India. He was also a great scholar who translated many books, religious and philosophical work and scriptures into Bengali and also translated Vedic scriptures into English.
Early Life and Education of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born into an elite Bengali Hindu family on May 22, 1772, in Radhanagar village of Hoogly district, Bengal Presidency. He was born to Ramkanto Roy, his father and Tarinidevi, his mother in the darkest era in the history of India. At that time, The country was suffering from numerous socio-economic and political problems which created disarray in the name of religions.
He did his schooling in Sanskrit and Bengali languages in the village school after which he was sent to Madrasa in Patna where he learned Persian and Arabic. Later on, he moved to Kashi to learn the complexity of Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures like the Vedas and Upanishads. He learned the English language at the age of 22.
Later Life of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
He extensively studied Christianity and the other religions. This made him realize that some Hindu traditions and superstitions were required to be reformed while working for the East India Company. Apart from this, he was born into a family with religious diversity which probably controlled his thinking. Roy was against the idol worship and propagated the idea of oneness of God through Brahmo Samaj.
He was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj at Kolkata in 1828. His efforts actually led to the resumption of the ethical principles of the Vedanta school of philosophy. He co-founded the Calcutta Unitarian Society.
The title ‘Raja’ was bestowed upon him by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar II. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the first educated Indian to travel to England and went on to become an ambassador of the Mughal emperor, Akbar II.
Social Reforms
The Bengal society was weighed down with an array of evil customs and regulations. There was a huge prevalance of intricate rituals and scrupulous moral codes which were largely modified and badly elucidated ancient traditions. He was against traditional Hindu practices and echoed his voice against Sati system, polygamy, caste rigidity and child marriage. His biggest achievement was the prohibition of the “sati pratha”, a practice in which a widow was made to immolate herself at the funeral pyre of her deceased husband. He struggled for years to get this evil legally eradicated.
He established the Brahmo Samaj along with the other enlightened Bengalis. The samaj was a highly influential socio-religious reform movement which raised its voice against evils like caste system, dowry, ill-treatment of women, etc.
Educational contributions
He put remarkable efforts in the education system of India. To modernize the education system, Raja Ram Mohan Roy established many English schools. He revolutionized the education system in India by setting up Hindu College at Calcutta in 1817, which went on to become one of the best educational institutions in the country. Roy promoted and urged teaching of the scientific subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and even Botany. He promoted technology, western medicine and English to be taught at Indian schools.
At the beginning of 19th century, India was plagued by various social evils such as Sati pratha, Caste system, Religious superstitions etc. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the first person who recognized these inhuman practices and decided to fight against the same. He is considered as the architect of Indian Renaissance and father of modern India.
Ram Mohan Roy was born on 22 May 1772 in Radhanagar, Hugli district of Bengal. His father was Ramakant Roy and mother Trivani Devi; father was at a very good position in the court of the then Nawab of Bengal. He got his education at Patna and Varanasi. He also worked in the East India Company from 1803 to 1814. Belonging to a traditional Brahmin family, Roy was married off at a very young age and before attaining the age of ten he was married trice.
He died of meningitis in Bristol, England on 27 September, 1833.
Work and Reforms:
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was very open minded and was of very questioning brains. He was very much influenced by western progressive thoughts. He was also well versed in the teachings of various religions. He was influenced by monotheism of Islam, Mysticism of Sufi philosophy, Ethics and morals of Christianity and Vedanta philosophy of Upanishad.
His main focus was towards the evils which had surrounded the Hindu society of the times, such as:
He criticized idol worship of Hindus and tried to prove his point through the verses of Vedas.
But the main contribution for which Raja Ram Mohan Roy is still remembered was his relentless efforts in abolishing the practice of Sati Pratha.
Ram Mohan Roy got involved in fighting against it when his elder brother died and his sister-in-law was made a Sati. He began a movement to abolish this barbaric custom and for that purpose he persuaded the British Government to pass an Act abolishing Sati Pratha; the Bengal Sati Regulation Act, 1829 was passed by Lord William Bentinck, the then Governor General of Bengal.
On August 20, 1828, Raja Ram Mohan Roy established the Brahma Samaj, which later became the Brahmo Samaj, an organization and a movement with the objectives of promoting monotheism, criticizing idol worshiping; opposing wide spread Brahmanism and uplifting the pitiful condition of women etc.
Other Important Works:
In 1820, he published a book named Percepts of Jesus: The Guide to Peace and Happiness; in this book Ram Mohan Roy explained the simplicity and morality of Christian religion.
He also started publishing two newspapers viz. Samvad Kaumudi and Prgya Chaand in the year 1821 to spread his ideas and views to the common people.
He also started a Persian newspaper viz.
Apart from these, Roy also helped in the establishment of one Vedanta College and the Hindu College in Calcutta.
Contribution to the Society:
Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s work and efforts gave the first touch of modern ideas for India which was reeling under the dual burden of age-old social ills and British exploitation. His spreading of modern ideas was also perhaps the nascent beginning of long struggle of India’s Independence. Thus, his contribution is like a bed-stone in the making of modern Indian.