Social reformers who worked to eradicate intouchability
Answers
RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY
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.
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
Vivekananda, born to Vishwanath Datta and Bhuveneshwari Devi in Calcutta on 12 January 1863 was an extraordinary man. His childhood name was Narendranath Dutta.
From early childhood Narendra was a very bright student; his memory and reading capabilities were exceptional; Narendra was a voracious reader.
A brilliant student, he was interested in wide range of subjects such as philosophy, Biology, Art, Culture, Music, Social studies etc. Especially he was interested in philosophy and religious texts; he keenly read the works of western philosophers and thinkers such as Kant, Hegal, John Stuart Mill, Auguste Comte, Spenoza, Herbert Spencer and Charles Darwin etc. He was also well-versed with all philosophical and religious texts of Hinduism be it Upanishads, Vedas or Ramayana and Mahabharata.
All these readings made him a very inquisitive person. His quest for truth and knowledge took him to Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Narendranath transformed into Vivekananda.