Why is Raja Ram Mohan Roy famous ?

While the custom in its original form gave choice to the women to do so, it gradually evolved to be a mandatory custom especially for Brahmin and higher caste families.

He struggled for years to get this evil legally eradicated.

oung girls were married to much older men, in return for dowry, so that these men could have the supposed karmic benefits from their wives’ sacrifice as Sati.

He established the Brahmo Samaj along with the other enlightened Bengalis.

More often than not the women did not volunteer for such brutality and had to be forced or even drugged to comply.

The samaj was a highly influential socio-religious reform movement which raised its voice against evils like caste system, dowry, ill-treatment of women, etc.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was abhorred by this cruel practice and he raised his voice against it.

He put remarkable efforts in the education system of India.

To modernize the education system, Raja Ram Mohan Roy established many English schools.

He spoke freely and took his views to the higher ups in the East India Company.

He revolutionized the education system in India by setting up Hindu College at Calcutta in 1817, which went on to become one of the best educational institutions in the country.

His passionate reasoning and calm perseverance filtered through the ranks and ultimately reached the Governor General Lord William Bentinck.

Roy promoted and urged teaching of the scientific subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and even Botany.

Lord Bentinck sympathised with Roy’s sentiments and intentions and amid much outcry from the orthodox religious community, the Bengal Sati Regulation or Regulation XVII, A. D. 1829 of the Bengal Code was passed.

He promoted technology, western medicine and English to be taught at Indian schools.

The act prohibited the practice of Sati Daha in Bengal Province, and any individual caught practicing it would face prosecution.

To politically educate people, Raja Ram Mohan Roy even published magazines in different languages including English, Hindi, Persian, and Bengali. Noticeable magazines published by him were the Brahmanical Magazine, the Sambad Kaumudi, and Mirat-ul-Akbar.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s name is thus etched forever as a true benefactor of women not just for helping abolish the custom of Sati, but also raising his voice against child marriage and polygamy, while demanding equal inheritance rights for women.

His most popular journals covered socio-political issues in India which helped Indians to rise above their current state.

He was also a great opponent of the rigid caste divisions of his time.

The news and articles before being published had to be approved by the government in those days.

Ram Mohan Roy was educated in traditional languages like Sanskrit and Persian.

Raja Ram Mohan was against this idea and protested on the basis of the argument that the newspaper should reflect the truth and the truth should not be suppressed simply on the grounds that the government is not liking it.

He came across English much later in life and learned the language to get better employment with the British.

a voracious reader, he devoured English literature and journals, extracting as much knowledge as he could.