On the 250th birthday of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, remember the legacy of The father of modern indian renaissance

By Sallie Anderson

One of most influential social and religious reformers of Nineteenth century Ram Mohan Roy was born on May 22 1772 in What was then Radhanagar in the Bengal Presidency in Hooghly District, today it would have been 250 years old. As India increasingly struggles with changing social and religious conditions, Roy work in the field of women’s emancipation and modernization of education and pursuit changes To religious belief finds new Relevance in this time.

in makers of Modern India (Penguin Books, 2010), a book that summarizes “work and words of The men And women who argue the republic of India to Being,” wrote its editor, historian Ramachandra Guha, “Roy was undoubtedly first Person on Indian subcontinent to participate seriously with The challenges posed by modernity for traditional social Structures and roads of user. It was also one of The first Indians who thought and practice It was not restricted of Kinship, sect, and religion.”

early life

Born into a prosperous upper class Brahmin family, Roy grew up up within framework of The practices of the orthodox class of His time: Child marriage, polygamy, and dowry were prevalent among higher sects and he had married himself more from time in his childhood. The family affluence also made The best in Education is within reach.

Roy was a polyglot, knew Bengali and Persian, but also Arabic, Sanskrit and later English. His exposure to literature and culture of all of These languages ​​are born in He is suspicious of religious beliefs and social restrictions. In particular, he was enraged by practices such as Sati, which forced widows to sacrifice on They are husband’s funeral pyre. Rui’s sister-in-law was one This victim is after him elder brother’o death and the wound was standing with for him.

decay of The Mughals and the Rise of East India Company in Bengal is near the end of eighteen century It was also The time when Roy was slowly coming into his own world. His education stirred his appetite for philosophy and theology, and spent a great deal of time studying the Vedas and Upanishads, but also religious texts of Islam and Christianity. He was particularly fascinated by the Unitarian faction of Christianity was drawn by principles of Monotheism which he believes lies in his essence of All religious texts.

large area books on various issues of Theology, political system and human rights, its translation and made Sanskrit texts accessible to Bengali. Reformers did not fully distinguish between the religious and the secular. He believed that religion is the site of Everything is basic changes. What fought was not religion but what he believed to be a misrepresentation of him… in Basic Soul Person of The soul of Indian civilization of Pluralism, tolerance and universal respect for all forms of life,” says Historian Amiya P Sen, Sivadasani Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Oxford, UK, Rammohon Roy: A Critical Biography (Penguin, Viking, 2012), remains ultimate work on the man who It was key the shape in India’s Journey to Modernity.

Roy, first among the liberals

Although British unification of power It was still in its infancy stage in India at the time, Roy felt that change was in full swing. confident in strength of Among his legacy and openness to imbibing from other cultures were what he believed to be ameliorative practices, and he was among the first liberals. In the introduction to his autobiography of Roy Sen writes, “…his mind also wide reveals range of Interests, rarely parallel in The history of Indian thought. He was interested at the same time in Religion, politics, law, jurisprudence, commerce, agribusiness, constitutions, civil rights and unfair treatment of women And the horrific situation of Poor Indians… He didn’t study things in Abstract or in But academic isolation with practical goal of Securing human happiness and freedom. who – which made He is a modern man.”

In 1814, Atmiya Sabha (Society of Friends), to take care of philosophical discussions on The idea of Monotheism in Vedanta and campaign against Idol worship, caste, child marriage, etc social ills. Obscurity Sebha will be made way for Brahmo Sabha in 1828, set up with Deependranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore father.

Cancellation of Sati and educational and religious reforms

during the course of its time in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), period of About 15 years old, Roy became prominent public mental. campaigned for Update of education, in special introduction of Western curriculum, started several educational institutions in The city.

In 1817, he collaborated with Scottish philanthropist David Hare set up The Hindu College (now, Presidency University). followed him up with Anglo Hindu School in 1822 and, in 1830 with the assistance of Alexander Duff’s set up The Foundation of the General Assembly, which later became the Scottish Church College.

It was his relentless advocacy along with his contemporaries such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar that ultimately led to his cancellation. of I will come under the command of the Governor General of William Bentinck in 1829. Roy argued for The property rights of womenand petitioned the British for Freedom of the press (in 1829 and 1830).

The owner of the Brahmo Sabha, who later became Brahmo Samaj, evolved as a reaction against The suffocating fist of the upper class on social customs and rituals. During the Bengal Renaissance, ushered in sweep social changes She was born Brahmo, a Hindu spiritual believer in Unity and Unity of everyone menRegardless of class, class or creed.

the dangers of non-conformity

As many contemporary liberals discover they are endangered, disobedience brings about it with It’s her own share of shame. Roy, who got the address of Raja by Mughal Emperor Akbar II, was no exception. between the first Indians to get recognition in UK and in USA for his extreme thoughts, in His life, he was Roy also He is often attacked by his countrymen who He felt threatened by his reformist agenda, and by the reformists and British officials, whose opinions differed from his.

Will it be Roy’s reform agenda? met with equal if not more resistance in Contemporary India? After all, in In 2019, actor Payal Rohatgi launched a profile offensive against Roy on Twitter accuses him of Being a British doll who It was used to “discredit” sati. Sin says Roy’s legacy is not celebrated enough for Many historical reasons, of Any partisan reading of the Hindu right onebut “his life and message are vastly separate from the soul of Contemporary Hinduism or Exclusionary Political Hinduism”.

parties

It will mark the 250th anniversary of Roy’s birth yearLong celebrations in different parts of Country. In West Bengal, the unveiling of Statue at Raja Ramohon Roy Library Foundation, Salt Lake, by JK Reddy, Minister of culture; tourism ; and evolution of Northeast region, will celebrate the opening of Center celebration plans. West Bengal government Oversee the repairs of ancestors roy house in Radhanagar, which is set To give it heritage status. Sadhran Brahmo Samaj in Kolkata organized a three-day inaugural program from May 22 to May 24 that will feature musical tributes and talks by MP Rajya Sabha and retired diplomat Gohar Sirkar; Prominent academics and historians such as Surangan Das, Vice-Chancellor of Jadavpur University; Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Chancellor of Ashoka University; professor Arun Bandyopadhyay of Calcutta University, among others.

Philatelic exhibition on The Bengali Revival was organized by Rammohun Library and Free Reading Room, set up in 1904. The organization will also Publish a memorial folder.

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Source: On the 250th birthday of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, remember the legacy of The father of modern indian renaissance

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