Raja Ram Mohun Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1787 - 1833)

Indian leader and humanitarian

"Falsehood is common to all religions,without distinction."
from Tuhfat' ul muhwahhiddin (A Gift to Monotheists)(1804)

Religious Reformer

• Roy advocated monotheism, or the worship of one God.
• He denounced rituals, which he deemed meaningless and giving rise to superstitions.
• He published Bengali translations of the Vedas to prove his points.
• In 1814, with the help of young Indians, he set up the Amitya Sabha to propagate rational religious ideas.

Social Reformer

• Crusaded against social evils like sati and polygamy.
• Demanded property inheritance rights for women.
• In 1828, he set up the Brahmo Sabha to campaign against social evils.
• Due to his efforts, Governor General William Bentinck made sati illegal through an act in 1829.

Educationist

• Roy believed education to be an implement for social reform.
• In 1817, in collaboration with David Hare and Alexander Duff, he set up the Hindu College at Calcutta.
• In 1830, he helped Alexander Duff in establishing the General Assembly's Institution, by organizing the venue and getting the first batch of students.
• He supported induction of western learning into Indian education.
  He also set up the Vedanta College, offering courses as a synthesis of Western and Indian learning.
• He was a polyglot and was well versed in many world languages.

Journalist

• Roy published journals in English, Hindi, Persian and Bengali.
  His most popular journal was the Samvad Kaumudi. It covered topics like freedom of press, induction of Indians into higher ranks of service, and separation of the executive and judiciary.

(from Wikipedia)

as an ambassador of the Mughal Empire to ensure that that Lord Bentick's law banning the practise of Sati was not overturned.

Why he came to England

Ram Mohan Roy sailed to England in 1831 to

• provide Parliament with a native Indian perspective on judicial and revenue systems in India during the debate over the renewal of the East India Company charter,
• to oppose repeal of the Sati Act,
• to lobby for funds for the Moghul emperor (who granted him the title Raja), and
• to make a pilgrimage to understand the heart of European civilization.

When he arrived in Liverpool, Roy was greeted with great fanfare, and was honored by aristocrats, reformers, and scholars. He made friends with English Unitarians, though he made it a point to visit Christian churches of all denominations

from The Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography by The Unitarian Universalist Historical Society

During his stay he visited Bristol and it was while staying at a house in Stapleton, ,at the age of 61, that he died of meningitis.
He was buried at Arnos Vale cemetery in Brislington on 24th September 1833.
A statue of him was erected in College Green, Bristol in 1997.
There is also a blue plaque commemorating him on his house in Bedford Square, London.

Every year, representatives from the Indian High Commission come to Bristol to mark the anniversary of his death

From the BBC, 27th September 2006: City of Bristol honours humanitarian

What is Unitarian Universalism?

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion that encompasses many faith traditions. Unitarian Universalists include people who identify as Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and others. As there is no official Unitarian Universalist creed, Unitarian Universalists are free to search for truth on many paths.