Ram Mohan Roy Brahmo Samaj

Raja Ram Mohan Roy is the founder of the Brahmo Samaj Movement. It is considered as the Father of the Indian Renaissance for bringing around a number of social reforms, thereby keeping an end to social evils, inhuman practices, superstitions, and customs.

Beginning with some elements of social and religious life, this awakening has influenced every facet of the country's economic, social, political, and cultural life throughout time. Starting from the late 18th century, numerous Indian and European scholars began ancient India's study of science, philosophy, literature, and religions. These scholars gave the Indians a sense of pride in their civilization.

Also, the philosophical study of ancient India helped the reformers in their struggle against superstitions, social evils, inhuman practices and customs as they have used the authority of the ancient texts to mark an end to these evils. While doing that, the majority of them cited reasons rather than mere faith and belief. The Brahmo Samaj was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and this is the simple answer for the general question - who established the Brahmo samaj.

Achievements of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a person who was born in a well-to-do family in Bengal. His birth year was probably in 1772. He learned Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian at Patna. After that, he learned Greek, Hebrew and English. Also, he knew Latin and French. He also made an in-depth study not only on Hinduism but also on Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

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He has written numerous books in Hindi, Bengali, Persian, English, and Sanskrit. He came up with an idea to start two newspapers, one in Persian and another in Bengali. He was given the title of Raja and have sent to England with the help of the Mughal Emperor as his envoy. In 1831, he reached England, and in 1833, he died there. In India, he supported the introduction of English education that was a necessary element to promote enlightenment and knowledge of science. Also, he was a great believer in the freedom of the press and got campaigned for the restriction removal on the press.

Ram Mohan Roy was convinced to purify the Hindu religion of the evils, which had crept into it; it was quite necessary to bring to the people's knowledge the original texts of their religion. For this particular purpose, he took up the patient and hard job, which is about publishing the Bengali translations of the Upanishads and Vedas.

He advocated belief in the universal religion, which is based on the principle of a supreme God. He also condemned idol worship and rituals and rites. The Brahmo Samaj was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

Brahmo Samaj

Ram Mohan Roy's greatest achievement in the religious field reform was the setting up of the Brahmo Sabha in the year 1828. The Brahmo Samaj was the first essential organization of the religious reforms. It forbade idol worship and discarded meaningless rituals and rites. Also, the Samaj forbade its members from attacking any of the religions.

The eradication of Sati in 1829 was the most significant success in the realm of social reform. He had seen how his elder brother's wife was forced to commit Sati and his campaign against Sati aroused the orthodox's opposition - The Hindus, who attacked him bitterly. Ram Mohan Roy then realized that the Sati practise was due to the Hindu women's extremely low position. He, in turn, advocated the abolition of polygamy and also wanted women to be educated and, thereby, given the right to inherit property.

The influence of the Brahmo Samaj grew, and the Samaj established branches across the country. Keshab Chandra Sen and Debendranath Tagore were believed to be two of Brahmo Samaj's most famous leaders. Sen went throughout the Bombay and Madras prefectures, as well as northern India, to promote the Brahmo Samaj Keshab Chandra message.

In the year 1866, the Brahmo Samaj split because Keshab Chandra Sen and his faction espoused extreme ideas in comparison to the original Brahmo Samajists. They have proclaimed freedom from the bondage of customs and caste and formed the authority of scriptures. They advocated for and have fought the practice of condemned and purdah caste divisions, performing inter-caste weddings and widow remarriages.

They attacked the rigidity of caste, started taking their food and the people of the so-called lower castes, including other religions, opposed restrictions up to drink and food, hey dedicated their life to the promotion of education and denounced the ancient Hindu aversion to maritime journeys. This particular movement influenced the same movements of reforms in the other parts of the country as well. While this specific group rose in prominence, the influence of the other group that showed some little interest in social reforms has declined.

About Brahmo Samaj

Let us learn more about who is the founder of Brahmo Samaj. The Brahmo Samaj was defined as the monotheistic sect of Hinduism. This movement has begun through the meetings of Bengalis in the year 1828, in Calcutta, where Ram Mohan Roy was one of the leading figures. This group was referred to as the Brahmo Sabha. Roy went to England as a reformist ambassador in 1831 and died there in 1833. His funeral sermon was delivered by Lant Carpenter, a Unitarian minister, in Bristol, where he was buried.

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Debendranath Tagore, who was the father of Rabindranath Tagore, was the key member of the Brahmo Sabha. In the year 1843, he was involved in the Brahmo Samaj's creation. Keshub Chunder Sen, a Tagore follower, joined the Samaj in 1857 but left in a formal split in 1866. This schism was known as the Brahmo Samaj of India.

In the year 1870, Sen visited Britain and met with Mary Carpenter, who was the daughter of Lant Carpenter. They co-founded the National Indian Association, an organisation dedicated to social change in India as well as providing a meeting place for British citizens and Indians in the United Kingdom. Sen returned to India and caused a major split in the Brahmo Samaj's reforming society by marrying his 14-year-old daughter to the Maharaja of Cooch Behar in violation of the Brahmo Marriage Act.

However, the Brahmo Samaj of India (in many forms) continued to thrive in India, particularly in Bengal. Visva Bharati University, founded in 1921 by Rabindranath Tagore, is an expression of Brahmo universalism. Ram Mohan Roy's influence and Keshub Chunder Sen in Britain could also be seen into the 20^th century. The National Indian Association held annual remembrances on Sen's death anniversary, and the cemetery where he was buried became a pilgrimage site for Brahmos visiting the United Kingdom.

Brahmo Samaj of India in Bengal today

Because the Samaj's prominence has waned since the late 1800s, most Brahmo members are now those by birth. Nonetheless, there are few contemporary examples of people who have received official initiation in the group. Ketuki Bagchi (wt 67) took up the formal membership of Samaj in the year 2004. She says that her parents were staunch followers of Roy. And thereby, she had been associated with the ideology of Brahmo since her childhood even though she was not a member.

"The Samaj's influence was such that several Bengali households, despite not being formal members, believed and implemented the Brahmoism principles," she stated. Perhaps, she also explains that her parents never joined the Samaj formally because the organization never went in promoting its beliefs or engaged in proselytizing activities. Raja Ram Mohan Roy founder of Brahmo Samaj.

Prasun Ganguly, a fourth-generation Brahmo, says the first step for new members of the Samaj is to abandon idol worship and adhere to Roy's core ideals of rationality and equality. That specific apart, which is the social ceremonies of its members like funerals and marriage, are in stark contrast to those in the Hindu society. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the one who started Brahmo Samaj.

"Imagine a Brahmo wedding when the groom and bride exchange vows in front of the guests. Similarly, at a funeral, the preacher who is officiating the service says a few words about the soul who has passed away first. The other Samaj members then join in to sing some Brahmo sangeet (spiritual songs written by Roy and other important Samaj members)," Ganguly explained.

"In most Bengali households even now, there is a veneration for the Brahmoism owing to the kind of social reforms that they provide," Ganguly added, speaking about what the current political scenario in Bengal means to the Brahmo community. It also believes in a religion-free of Hinduism's harmful superstitions and rituals. In the same sense, Brahmoism is given as the Hinduism's essence".