Raja Ram Mohan Roy Jayanti 2025, Know About His Life and Contributions

Raja Ram Mohan Roy Jayanti is celebrated every year on 22nd May to remember the birth of a great social reformer. He is called the Father of Bengal Renaissance because he worked hard to bring important changes in education, religion and women’s rights in India. His efforts helped stop many bad customs and started a new way of thinking that shaped modern India.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy Jayanti 2025 – Date

Raja Ram Mohan Roy Jayanti 2025 will be celebrated on 22nd May. This day marks the birth anniversary of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, a great social reformer who changed India’s society with his ideas on education, religion women’s rights. It is an important day to remember his contributions.

Who was Raja Ram Mohan Roy?

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a visionary Indian reformer, scholar and social activist of the 19th century. Born on May 22, 1772, in Radhanagar (now in West Bengal), he played a key role in India’s social, educational and religious transformation during the Bengal Renaissance. Known as the ”Father of Modern India,” Roy worked tirelessly to eradicate social evils, champion women’s rights, promote education and encourage rational religious thinking.

Early Life and Education of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Ram Mohan Roy was born into a well-off Brahmin family. His father, Ramkanta Roy, was a revenue officer in the Mughal empire, and his mother, Tarinidevi, was a devout and traditional woman. From an early age, Ram Mohan Roy showed a deep interest in religion and philosophy.

He studied Persian and Arabic in Patna, where he read Islamic texts and the writings of Greek philosophers. Later, he went to Varanasi to learn Sanskrit and gained a thorough knowledge of the Vedas and Upanishads. He also mastered English, Bengali and Hindi.

Religious Views and Reforms

Roy believed in monotheism, or the worship of one Supreme God and rejected idol worship. He formed the Atmiya Sabha in 1815 to promote rational religious thinking and later founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828, which became a leading reform movement in India.

He studied Christianity as well, learning Hebrew and Greek to read the Bible in its original languages. In 1820, he published ”Precepts of Jesus,’‘ emphasizing moral teachings over miracles.”

Abolition of Sati and Other Social Reforms

The most notable achievement of Raja Ram Mohan Roy was his campaign against Sati Pratha, the practice where widows were forced to burn themselves on their husband’s funeral pyres. Through persistent efforts, he influenced the British Government, and with the help of Governor Lord William Bentinck, the practice was banned in 1829 by Bengal Sati Regulation XVII.

Roy also opposed:

• Child marriage
• Polygamy
• Caste discrimination
• Denial of property rights to women

He strongly supported widow remarriage, women’s education and equal rights for all.

Educational Reforms

In 1822, he founded the Anglo-Hindu School to teach modern subjects using a blend of Indian and Western knowledge. In 1826, he established Vedanta College to teach both the Upanishads and Western science.

When the British planned a traditional Sanskrit college in 1823, Roy protested, saying it would not Indian youth for the modern world. He advocated for a modern curriculum with science, mathematics and philosophy.

Political Activism and Journalism

In 1823, when the British government imposed censorship on the press, Roy raised his voice for freedom of speech and expression. He started some of India’s earliest weekly newspapers and used them to spread awareness and fight against social evils.

Roy also spoke against the unfair revenue and legal systems in British India and highlighted the need for better administration and laws.

Visit to England and Death

In 1829, Raja Ram Mohan Roy went to England as the representative of the Mughal Emperor Akbar II to lobby for his passion. The emperor gave him the honorary title of Raja.

In England, Roy was warmly welcomed, especially by Unitarians and reformers. Sadly, he died of meningitis on September 27, 1833, in Bristol, where he was buried. His tomb still stands there as a memorial to his global influence.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy – Family Life

Roy had three wives in his lifetime. His first wide died young. From his second wife, he had two sons- Radhaprasad and Ramaprasad. She passed away in 1824. His third wife outlived him.

Major Works and Writings

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a prolific writer and thinker. Some of his important works include:

• Tuhfat-al-Muwahhiddin (A Gift to Monotheists)
• Precepts of Jesus
• Translations of Vedas and Upanishads
• Articles on women’s rights, religious reform and political freedom

Legacy of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy is remembered as:

• The Father of Indian Renaissance
• The Father of Modern India
• A pioneer of social justice and reform
• A bridge between Eastern tradition and Western modernity.

His progressive ideas and fearless activism paved the way for future reformers like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.