RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY

Structure
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Roy as a Religious Reformer
4.2.1 Influences that Shaped Him
4.2.2 Reinterpreting Hinduism
4.3 Roy as a Social Reformer
4.3.1 on Caste System
4.3.2 on Women's Rights
4.3.3 on Sati
4.4 Roy's Political Liberalism
4.4.1 on Liberty
4.4.2 on Rights of the Individual
4.4.3 on Law and Judicial Administration
4.4.4 on Sphere of State Action
4.4.5 on Education
4.4.6 on International Co-existence

4.1 INTRODUCTION
Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833) was one of the makers of modem India. He is generally hailed as "the father of
Modern India". Though Roy was modernist in his approach, he always tried to link modernity with tradition. He
attempted the creative combination of secularism and spirituality, of Western and Eastern philosophy. His attitude
towards religion was eclectic. He wanted to present the concept of universal, Religion by combining the best
features of all leading religions of the world.

4.2 ROY AS A RELIGIOUS REFORMER

A review and revaluation of religion was Roy's primary concern. He was of the opinion that rationality and
modernity needed to be introduced in the field of religion and that "irrational religion" was at the root of many social
evils. The sociopolitical progress of this country, according to him, depended mainly on the
'Successful revolution in the religious thought and behavior. He was interested not only in reforming the Hindu
religion, but also tried to remove the discrepancies among the various religions of the world. He undertook a serious
study of comparative religions and realized in due course that true Hinduism, true Islam and True Christianity is not
fundamentally different from each other. He hoped that the universal religion for mankind could be established by
combining the best elements of all religions. This concept of universal religion meant not merely religious tolerance,
but also transcending all the sectarian barriers of separate religion. Roy thus attempted a spiritual synthesis, stressing
the unity of all religious experience. Ht became a confirmed monotheist. In 1828 he established the Brahmo Samaj.
The Samaj acted as a forum for religious and philosophical contemplation and Discussion. Roy's criticism of
religious antagonized the priestly classes of all organized religions. Time has, however, proved beyond doubt the
relevance or Roy's thoughts and deeds.

4.2.1 Influences that Shaped Him

Besides Bengali and Sanskrit, Roy had mastered Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and 17 other leading
languages spoken in the world. Roy's familiarity with such diverse languages exposed him to a variety of cultural,
philosophical and religious experiences. He studied Islam thoroughly. The rationality and the logical consistency of
Arabic literature in general and the mutajjil in particular impressed Roy greatly. The Sufi poets like Saddi and
Haafiz made a deep impact on Roy's mind. The Quaranic concept of Tauhid or Unity of God fascinated Roy.
Thus, in this context, when Roy examined the Hindu religious texts and practices, he was greatly disturbed. He
found polytheism, idolatry and irrational superstitions absolutely intolerable. He decided to fight against these age-
old evils. A Sanskrit scholar, Ram Mohan had studied the Hindu scriptures in depth and thus he got the inspiration
to free the orthodox Hinduism from its obscurantist elements. Roy also had .studied the teachings of the Buddha
Dharma. It is said that in the course of his travels he reached Tibet. There he was pained to see how the principles
Of Buddhism were blatantly violated and how idol-worship, which had no place in the Dharma of Lord Buddha, had
come to be accepted. He strongly criticized t h e practices. As a Dewan in the revenue department, when the Raja
was required to go to Rangpur, he got an opportunity to study the Tantrik literature as well as the Jaina's Kalpasutras
and other scriptures. He also mastered the English language and acquainted himself with political developments and
ideas like rationalism and liberation in England and Europe. The knowledge of English not only facilitated Roy's
contacts with Englishmen but also opened up a whole new world to him. In Roy's own words, he now gave up his
initial prejudices against the British and realized that it was better to seek help from these enlightened rulers in
ameliorating the condition of the ignorant and superstitious masses. He became a strong advocate of English
education and a supporter of British rule. Roy admired the Bible as much as he did the Vedanta and the Quran.
Many of his critics thought that two major features of Roy's Brahmo Samaj, namely, the opposition to idol-worship,
and the practice of collective prayer were borrowed from Christianity. Roy was charged of Christianizing Hindustan
in a surreptitious manner. It is true that Roy advised Indians to imbibe Christ's ethical teachings. Roy himself
admitted, "I found the doctrine of Christ more conductive to moral principles and Better adopted for the use of
rational beings than any other which have come to my knowledge?" He also compiled "The Precepts of Jesus" with
a view to proving how the teachings of Christ could be better adapted to rational man's use. At the same time it has
to be noted that he was no blind admirer of the Christian faith. He rejected the doctrine of Christ's divinity (arguing
that if Christ is divine, so is Rama) and the doctrine of Trinity preached by the missionaries. From what has been
said above, it should be clear that it is unfair to charge Roy With seeking to Christianize Hinduism. Rather it was
Roy's ardent desire to revive Ideology of Socio- Hinduism in its pristine, pure and universal form. He pleaded for
an Advaita Political Reform in philosophy which rejected caste, idolatry and superstitions and rituals. Thus, Roy
was someone who had gone beyond narrow divisions of religious faiths. He embraced all that was the most valuable
and the most inspiring in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

4.2.2 Reinterpreting Hinduism

Roy devoted all his energies to fighting sectarianism and other medieval tendencies prevailing in the Hindu society,
such as polytheism, idolatry and superstitions. He was a firm believer of the Advaita philosophy which left no scope
for such tendencies. Roy was quite sure that unless the Hindu society underwent a religious and social
transformation, it would not become fit for political progress. According to him, the then prevailing religious system
of the Hindus was ill-suited for the, promotion of their political interests. The multitude of religious rites and
ceremonies and the unnatural distinctions of caste and laws of purification, Roy argued, had deprived the Hindus of
any kind of common political feeling. Hindus must accept some changes in their religion at least for the sake of their
political advantage and social comfort. Reinterpretation of Hinduism, to Roy, was thus the starting point for the
programme of socio-political reform. Roy sought to combine the deep experiences of spiritual life with the basic
principle of social democracy. He denounced all superstitions and the evil practices based on them because he was
convinced that these longstanding customary practices really did not form the core of their religious faith. They, in
fact, had no place or support in the religious texts of the Hindus. Roy wanted to draw the attention of his countrymen
to the ancient purity of their religion. To him, this purity was well reflected in the Vedas and the Upanishads. In
order to prove that blind faith and superstitious beliefs and practices had no basis in the pure Hindu religion, Roy
undertook the difficult task of translating the Upanishads into English and Bengali. He gave elaborate notes and
comments with these translations and distributed them free of cost amongst the people. - At the age of 16, Roy wrote
a book challenging the validity of the practice of idol worship, which according to him was the root cause of many
other social evils. It led to the multiplication of deities and also a multitude of modes of worship. This, in
Turn, had resulted in dividing the society into innumerable castes and groups, each worshiping an idol different from
others. The process of division and subdivision was unending. Roy considered idolatry to be opposed to reason and
common sense. Besides, it had no sanction in the ancient religious texts. Roy preached monotheism And a collective
prayer from the platform of the Brahmo Samaj. Roy fought against the superstitions which had resulted in evolving
many inhuman and cruel customs and traditions in Hindu society. He tried. To convince the people that the
superstitions had nothing to do with the teachings of original Hinduism. Roy not only preached but also practiced
what he preached. Travelling across the ocean was considered to be a sin by the orthodox Hindus. Roy was the first
Hindu to break this superstition. He himself undertook overseas travel. This courage of conviction on his part made
Roy's efforts more effective.

4.3 ROY AS A SOCIAL REFORMER

Next to religious backwardness, according to Roy, the factor responsible for the political deterioration of India was
her social decadence. He had no doubts that here the social reform was an essential precondition of political
liberation. He did pioneering work in the field of social reform. Roy started his public life in 1815 with the
establishment of the Atmiya Sabha. This sabha vehemently protested against the prevalent practice of selling young
girls to prospective husbands due to some pecuniary interests, in the name of the Kuleen tradition. It also opposed
polygamy and worked for the removal of caste disabilities. Roy believed in, the progressive role of the British rule
in India and sought government held in the matter of social reforms, especially in the form of socially
Progressive legislations. For instance, Roy was convinced that without the active support of the government it would
be almost impossible to eradicate the inhuman practices of sati. Roy's aim was the creation of a new society based
on the principles of tolerance, sympathy and reason, where the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity would
Be accepted by all, and where man would be free from the traditional shackles which had enslaved him for ages. He
yearned for a new society which would be cosmopolitan and modern. Roy's methods of social reform were
multifaceted. He combined all possible means, including even those which were commonly believed to be
incompatible. He appealed to the rational faculty of his compatriots, and often quoted from the scriptures, lines
And verses in support of the proposed reforms. I the great scholar of Sanskrit that he was, Roy could easily counter
the objections of the advocates of status quo by quoting elaborately from the original Sanskrit texts. For instance,
while condemning polygamy, Roy cited Yagnavalkya who permitted a I second wife only on 8 specific grounds viz.
if she had the habit of drinking, suffered from incurable disease, barrenness etc. Nevertheless, he maintained that no
book was a work of God and hence infallible. He wrote scholarly essays on topics of social reform and also
translated and reinterpreted the important religious texts. He sent memoranda and appeals to the rulers inviting their
attention to the social evils. From the platforms of the organized forums, he presented before the people the models
of exemplary behavior in religious and social matters. He took keen interest in and supported each and every
movement aimed at human liberation anywhere in the world. He even had the courage of conviction to declare that
he would renounce his connection with English, if a particular reform bill pending before the Parliament in England
was not passed by it. He established or helped in several ways the social organizations catering to the needs of
destitute widows and penniless students.

4.3.1 on Caste System

Raja Ram Mohan Roy's strongest objection to the caste system was on the grounds that it fragmented society into
many divisions and subdivisions. Caste divisions destroyed social homogeneity and the integrated texture of society
and weakened it politically. Caste divisions deprived the people completely of political feeling, i.e. the feeling of
commonality, of solidarity. A people so divided become incapable of undertaking any great task. Besides the
divisive role of caste system, Roy was also critical about its discriminatory nature. He was against the inequities
inherent in the traditional caste hierarchy. He thought it to be illogical to assess the worth of an individual on the
basis of birth and not on his, merits. He was in favor of intercast and inter-racial marriages, which he thought, could
effectively break the barriers of the caste divisions.

4.3.2 on Women's Rights

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a champion of women's rights in India. He laid the foundations of the women's liberation
movement in this country. He revolted against the subjection of women and pleaded for the restoration of their
rights. The condition of the Hindu women in those days was very pitiable. They were subjected to different kinds of
injustices and deprivations. According to Roy, the root cause of the all-round deterioration of Hindu women was the
complete denial of their property rights. The Hindu girl was not given the traditional right to share with her
Brothers the property of her deceased father. The married Hindu woman was refused the right to share with her sons
the property left by her deceased husband. In 1822, Roy wrote a book entitled Brief Remarks Regarding Modern
Encroachments on the Ancient Right of Females. He pointed out that the ancient Hindu lawgivers gave the mother
the right to have an equal share with her sons in the property left by her husband; and the daughter to have 114 part
of the portion which a son could inherit in the property left by the father. Roy indicated how these rights were
gradually taken away by the modern lawgivers. He tried to prove that all these deprivations were blatant violations
of the provisions in the ancient texts written by the authorities such as Yagnyawalakya, Narad, Katyayana,
Brihaspati and others. The utter helplessness and humiliation of the Hindu widow was one of the major reasons that
prompted the inhuman practice of Sati. Women completely robbed of their property rights quite naturally lost their
independence and became the slaves of the male members of the family. They were thought to have less intellectual
capabilities than the males. They were supposed to have an existence only at a physical level. Men were free to
marry as many women as they thought fit for the satisfaction of their lust. Women however were not allowed to
marry a second time. As equality of sexes was an article of faith for Roy, he could not accept that women were
inferior to men in any respect. He believed that they were even superior to men in some respects. Whatever
inferiority seemed to be on their part was the result, Roy argued, of keeping them away for generations from the
sources of knowledge and the opportunities to shoulder different responsibilities in life. Roy vehemently opposed
polygamy and with utmost vigor brought to light, its shameful evil consequences. He pleaded for an enactment
allowing a Hindu male to marry second wife only after getting a clearance from the magistrate. Roy was in
Favor of the remarriage of women under certain circumstances. Brahmo Samaj which he founded paid special
attention to women's education.
4.3.3 On Sati
Perhaps$ the greatest social reform with which Roy's name will be permanently associated is the abolition of the
cruel practice of sati. Roy used all the means at his disposal to stop this inhuman practice, which forced the helpless
widow to burn herself alive on the funeral pyre of her husband. In 1818, Roy wrote his first essay on sati in which he
argued that the woman had an existence independent of her husband and hence, she had no reason to end her life
On the demise of her husband. The society had no right over her life. Right to life of both man and women was
equally important. That the practice of sati was centuries ' old could be no argument to make it just. All that comes
through centuries need not always be right. All customs need to be adjusted to the changing circumstances, if
They are to survive. According to Roy, Sati was nothing short of murder and was therefore a punishable offence
under the law. Roy fought against the practice of sati on three fronts: The first and the most important was that of
public opinion. Roy through writings, speeches, agitation and discussions prepared the minds of the people in favor
of the abolition of sati and explained how the practice had no support in any of the religious texts and hence
Governmental action in the matter could not be interference in religious affairs. Secondly, he tried to convince the
rulers that it was their responsibility as civilized I rulers to put an end to the cruel custom. The third front was the
inquiry into the causes that led a Hindu widow to commit Sati and to make arrangements to I eliminate those causes.
Roy found that ignorance of the women about their legitimate rights, their illiteracy, customary denial of the
property rights to the widow and the consequent helplessness, dependence, misery and humiliation were Some of the
causes behind this practice. Roy pleaded strongly for the restoration of property rights of the women as well as for
facilities for women's education.

4.4 ROY'S POLITICAL LIBERALISM

Roy can be described as the earliest advocate of liberalism and the precursor of the liberal movement in India.
Liberalism had emerged as the most valuable product of renaissance and reformation in Europe. It captured some of
the best brains in the 19th century Europe and America. It became the dominant ideology of the first Phase of
religious and social reform in' India. Liberalism, in brief, stands for the value and dignity of the individual
personality; the central position of Man in the historical development; and the faith that people are the ultimate
source of all power. Quite naturally liberalism insists on the inviolability of certain rights of the individual without
which no human development can be thought of; it insists on human equality and also on the tenet that the
individual should not be sacrificed for the sake of society. In liberalism, there is no scope for arbitrary and despotic
use of authority in any field whether it is religious, social, political or economic. Roy advocated liberal principles in
all walks of life. In the religious field Roy stood for tolerance, a non-communal approach to all problems and
secularism. He valued the freedom of the individual to follow the dictates of his conscience and even to Defy the
commands of t h b e s t l y class. Politically, Roy was a supporter of the impersonal authority of law and opposed all
kinds of arbitrary and despotic power. He was convinced that the existence of constitutional government is the best
guarantee of human freedom. He insisted on the use of constitutional means as when Required to safeguard the
rights. He preferred the gradual improvements of the condition of this country because, to him, such improvements
were more lasting and profound. True to the liberal principles in the economic sphere, Roy believed in the sanctity
of right to property. Similarly, he believed that a strong middle class had an important Role to play in socio-political
dynamics. He was for the emancipation of poor peasants who were exposed to the exploitation of zamindars. He
wanted the government to reduce its demands of landlords. He wanted to preserve the ryotwari system and rural
basis of Indian civilization and also establish modem scientific industry. He however differed from the other western
liberal thinkers in one important respect, viz. role of state and sphere of state activities. In his scheme of things, the
state is expected to bring about social reform, in protecting the rights of the tenants against the landlords etc.

4.4.1 on Liberty
Liberty was a pivot around. Which the entire religion-socio-political thought of Roy revolved. His protest against
idolatry, his agitation against Sati, his demand for modern western education and his insistence on freedom of press,
right of women, and his demands for "separation for powers" and for the codification of laws were all Expressions
of his intense love for liberty. For him, liberty was a priceless possession of mankind. He was the first to deliver the
message of political freedom to India. Although Roy recognized the positive gains India would get from British rule,
he was never in favor of an unending foreign rule in India. He considered the British connection necessary for
India's social emancipation. Political freedom was bound to follow.His lave for liberty however was not limited to
one nation or community. It was universal. He supported all struggles which aimed at human freedom. Freedom for
him was indivisible. He celebrated the establishment of constitutional governments in Spain and Portugal and was
pained when such a government collapsed in Naples in
1821. Freedom was the strongest passion of Roy's mind. He believed equally in the freedom of body and mind, so
also the freedom of action and thought. He shunned all restrictions imposed by consideration of race, religion and
customs on human freedoms.

4.4.2 on Rights of the Individual

Roy was the first to create awareness for civil rights amongst the Indians. He was grateful to the Britishers because
they made available to Indians all those civil rights which were enjoyed by the Queen's subjects in England. Though
Roy did not specifically enlist the civil rights, he seems to include in it the following rights. Right
To life and liberty, right to have opinions and freedom of expression, Right to property, Right to religion etc.
Roy gave the greatest importance to the right to freedom of opinion and expression. To him it included the freedom
of creativity of mind and intellect, as well as the freedom of expressing one's opinions and thoughts through
different media. According to Roy, freedom of expression was equally useful to the rulers and the ruled. Ignorant
people were more likely to revolt against all that the rulers did, they could turn against authority itself. In contrast an
enlightened public would be opposing only to the abuse of power by authority and not to the existence of authority
itself. The free press, the Raja argued, had never caused a revolution in any part of the world. But many examples
could be cited where, in the absence of a free press, since the grievances of the people remained unrepresented and
unredressed, the situation had become ripe for a violent 'revolutionary' change. A free and independent press alone
could-bring forth the best in the government as well as the people. Roy, however, was not against the reasonable
restrictions on the freedom of press. He even accepted some additional restrictions on the Indian Press, which were
not imposed on the press in England. Such restrictions, he believed, might be necessary here as some Indians were
likely to encourage hatred in the minds of the natives towards the British rulers. Roy also justified the restrictions
imposed with a view to check the seditious attempts of creating hostilities with neighboring friendly states. He,
however, strongly objected to the restrictions imposed by the bureaucracy in India. These restrictions, in his opinion,
were arbitrary and uncalled for by the circumstances in this country.

4.4.3 on Law and Judicial Administration

Law, Roy claimed, was the creation of passionless reason. It was the command of the sovereign. Hence, even the
highest officer in the East India Company did not possess the competence for enacting the laws for India. The king-
in-Parliament alone could have that authority. What is more, Roy argued that the English parliament, before
finalizing every piece of legislation relating to India should take into account the views of the economic and
intellectual elites in this country. Another important Idea that Roy has contributed in the context of law relates to the
Codification of law He thinks that such codification was in the interest of both the rulers and ruled. He suggested
that the codification should be done on the basis of the principles common and agreeable to’ all groups and factions
in the society. In the course of codification, the long-standing customs of this country should not be overlooked. Of
course, only those customs which are reasonable and conducive to general welfare of the people should be picked
up. Codified law should be simple, Clear and exact. Codification would make the interpretations of laws more
Impersonal and its application more uniform. Roy had a clear perception of the distinction between law, custom and
morality. He accepted that evolving customs were an important source of law, but the two could not be identified.
He also made a distinction between law and morality. Some laws, according to Roy, might be legally valid, but
morally indefensible. Conversely, some practices might be morally sound but could not be given legal force.
Principles of morality are relative to the social realities and any law to be effective must take into account these
ethical principles prevalent in a given society. In .his book entitled 'An Exposition of Revenue and Judicial System
in India' Roy presented a profound& discussion on urgent reforms in administrative and judicial matters. He stressed
the point that the administration could not be efficient and effective unless there was official speaking in the
language of the masses. There should also be several channels of communication between the administration and
The people. Roy's suggestions of reform in the judicial field are more numerous because for him an efficient,
impartial and an independent judiciary was the supreme guarantee of liberty. Roy believed that the association of the
natives in the judicial process had to be an essential feature of judicial administration. Other measures advocated by
him included: constant supervision of the judicial proceedings by a vigilant public. opinion, substitution of English
for Persian as the official language to be used in the courts of law, appointment of Indian assessors in civil suits, trial
by jury, separation of judicial from executive functions, and the constant consultation of the native interests before
the enactment of any law that concerned them. He also suggested the revival of the age-old Panchayat system of
adjudication. Roy thus urged several - reforms and. corrections in the Indian Judicial system in keeping with
political liberalism.
4.4.4 on Sphere of State Action
Though Roy was a liberal thinker, he did not believe in the policy of laissez-faire. He could never accept that the
sphere of state activity was limited only to the political field. He had appealed repeatedly in his writings to the state
authorities to undertake many social, moral and cultural responsibilities which did not strictly come under the
category of 'political'. He wanted the state to protect the tenants against the landlords, to make arrangements for the
useful and liberal education, to eradicate the ugly practices like Sati and to give equal protection to the lives of-both
males and females, and to make efforts to create a new social order. Based on the principles of liberty, equality,
fraternity and social justice. To Roy, the existence of any government becomes meaningful only if it performs all
these functions for which it originated.

4.4.5 on Education
Roy believed that unless the educational system of this country was overhauled, there was no possibility of the
people coming out of the slumber of so many countries. His ambition was to change the educational system
completely. He was convinced that only a modern, science education could instill new awareness and new
Capabilities in the Indian people. Without this kind of education, social reform in India would be very weak and the
country would always remain backward. Though Roy himself was a great scholar of Sanskrit, he always felt that the
Sanskrit learning was irrelevant to modern India and hence he strongly opposed it. He appealed to the rulers that
instead of perpetuating irrelevant Sanskrit learning, they should help equip the new generations of Indians with
useful modern scientific knowledge. Roy wanted instruction in useful modern sciences like chemistry, mathematics,
anatomy, natural philosophy and not load young minds with grammatical complexities, and speculative or imaginary
knowledge, Roy's views and activities were really pioneering in giving a new turn to the educational system in India.
He was the first eminent advocate of women's education.

4.4.6 on International, Co-existence

Thoughts of Ram Mohan Roy on this subject are the expressions of his future oriented imagination and insight. He
has portrayed a beautiful picture of international coexistence. He was perhaps the first thinker of the 18th century
who had a clear vision of internationalism. This vision might have occurred to him in the course of his search for
universal religion. Roy, the prophet of universalism, argued that all nations of the world must be placed on an equal
footing in order to achieve global unity and a sense of broad fraternity. It is only then that the contradiction between
nationalism and internationalism can be ended. Roy held that the different tribes and nations were merely the
branches of the same family and hence, there must be frequent exchange of views and frequent give and take in all
matters among the enlightened nations of the world. This, according to Roy, was the only way to make the human
race happy and contented. Differences in 1 political perspective could be eliminated by thrashing out the differences
on the common platforms composed of equal number of delegates from each of the consultant countries. Such a
common forum could also be useful for the settlement of all international issues, which would enable mankind to
live in peace for generations together. Roy's ideas in this respect proved prophetic, the League of Nations and the
UNO are in a sense institutional expression of these ideas.

4.5 LET US SUM UP

Raja Ram Mohan Roy is hailed as "the Father of Modern India". He attempted to combine the western and eastern
philosophy. His writings and ideas are an example of a synthesis of ancient Indian ideas with modern Western
Political Principles. A review and revaluation of religion was Roy's primary concern for which he established the
Brahmo Samaj in 1828. The Samaj provided a forum for religious and philosophical contemplation and discussion.
Roy was familiar with diverse languages, cultures and philosophies and all these influences shaped his writing and
ideas. He conducted a deep study and analysis Hinduism in order to re-interpret the basic tenets of religion. In doing
this, ROY wanted to prove that blind faith and superstitious beliefs and practices had no basis in the original Hindu
religion. According to Roy, another factor responsible for the deteriorating political and social milieu was the social
decadence of the Indian society. He wanted to build a new Indian society where principles of tolerance, sympathy,
reason, liberty, equality and fraternity would be honored. In all this, he believed that the support of the British
government was essential. Roy opposed the caste system and the practice of Sati. He was one of the greatest
champions of women's rights. He believed in the efficiency of a clearly limited constitution that could control the
state and safeguard the rights and liberties of the individuals. He was one of the first Indians to accept and
popularize the idea of internationalism. A multi-faceted personality. Roy carried on a relentless crusade against all
kinds of injustices, exploitative practices and superstitions.