Ram Mohan Roy Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a founder, along with Dwarkanath Tagore and other

Bengalis, of the Brahmo Sabha in 1828, which engendered the Brahmo Samaj, an influential Indian socio-religious reform movement during the Bengal Renaissance. His influence was apparent in the fields of politics, public administration, and education, as well as religion. He was known for his efforts to abolish the practice of sati, the Hindu funeral practice in which the widow was compelled to sacrifice herself on her husbands funeral pyre. Early life and education Roy was born in Radhanagar, Bengal, in August 1774 or May 22, 1774 into the Rarhi Brahmin caste.[3] His family background displayed religious diversity; his father Ramkanto Roy was a Vaishnavite, while his moth er Tarinidevi was from a Shivaite family. This was unusual for Vaishanavites did not commonly marry Shaivites at that time. Thus, one parent wanted him to be a scholar, a sastrin, while the other wanted him to have a career dedicated to the laukik, which was secular public administration.[4]. He wandered around Himalayas and went to Tibet. Life in England and death (1830 1833) In 1830, Ram Mohan Roy travelled to the United Kingdom as an ambassador of the Mughal emperor Akbar II, who conferred him title of Raja to convince British government for welfare of India and to ensure that the Lord Bentick's regulation banning the practice of Sati was not overturned. Roy also visited France. Roy died at Stapleton, which was then a village to the north east of Bristol but currently a suburb, on September 27, 1833. His cause of death was meningitis; he was buried in Arnos Vale Cemetery in southern Bristol. Personal Ram Mohan Roy was married three times by the time he was ten years old. His first wife died during his childhood. His second wife, who died in 1824, bore him two sons: Radhaprasad in 1800 and Ramaprasad in 1812. Roy's third wife outlived him. Religious reforms The religious reforms of Roy contained in beliefs of the Brahmo Samaj expounded by Rajnarayan Basu[15] are: Brahmos believe that the fundamental doctrines of Brahmoism

are at the basis of every religion, followed by man; Brahmos believe in the existence of One Supreme God, and worship Him alone. Brahmos believe that worship of Him needs no fixed place or time. Social Reforms of Rammohan Roy demanded property inheritance rights for women and, in 1828, set up the Brahmo Sabha, which was a movement of reformist Bengalis formed to fight against social evils. Roys political background influenced his social and religious to reforms of Hinduism. He wrote: "The present system of Hindoos [sic] is not well calculated to promote their political interests. It is necessary that some change should take place in their religion, at least for the sake of their political advantage and social comfort."[16] Rammohan Roys experience working with the British government taught him that Hindu traditions were often not respected or thought as credible by Western standards; this affected his religious reforms. He wanted to legitimize Hindu traditions to his European acquaintances by proving that superstitious practices which deform the Hindoo [sic] religion have nothing to do with the pure spirit of its dictates! [sic][17] The superstitious practices Rammohun Roy objected included sati, caste rigidity, polygamy and child marriages.[18] These practices were often the reasons British officials claimed moral superiority over the Indian nation. Ram Mohan Roys ideas of religion sought to create a fair and just society by implementing humanitarian practices similar to Christian ideals and thus legitimize Hinduism in the modern world. Educationist Roy believed education to be an implement for social reform. In 1817, in collaboration with David Hare, he set up the Hindu College at Calcutta. In 1822, Roy founded the Anglo-Hindu school, followed four years later by the Vendanta College, where he insisted that his teachings of monotheistic doctrines be incorporated with "modern, western curriculum"; Vendanta College offered courses as a synthesis of Western and Indian learning.[19] In 1830, he helped Alexander Duff in establishing the General Assembly's Institution, by providing him the venue vacated by Brahma Sabha and getting the first batch of students. Roy supported induction of western learning into Indian education.He advocated the study of English, Science, Western Medicine and Technology. He spent his money on a college to promote these studies.

Journalist Roy published magazines in English, Hindi, Persian, and Bengali. He published Brahmonical Magazine in English in the year 1821. One notable magazine of his was the Sambad Kaumudi, published in 1821. In 1822, Rammohan published Mirat-ul-Akbar in Persian language. Brahmonical Magazine ceased to exist after publication of few[weasel words] issues. But Sambad Kaumudi, a news weekly, covered topics such as freedom of press, induction of Indians into high ranks of service, and separation of the executive and judiciary. Sambad Kaumudi became bi-weekly in January 1830 and continued for 33 years. He published newspaper in order to register his protest against the introduction of Press Ordinance of 1823. The ordinance stated that a license from the Governor General in council would be mandatory to publish any newspaper. When the English Company censored the press, Rammohan composed two memorials against this in 1829 and 1830 respectively. Being an activist, he steadily opposed social atrocities like Sati and child marriage.