Rammohun Roy was born on 22 May, 1772 in Radhanagar in Bengal. From his early days, Rammohun had a great interest for studies. He learned Sanskrit, Perisian, Arabic, English, Greek and Latin languages from different teachers, and read the literature in those subjects. He studied Hindu philosophy, the Vedas and the Upanisads.
The intelligent, energetic and fairly educated young man noticed that there was a cursed tradition of burning the wife of a dead person along with the corpse in the some funeral pyre. He felt that it was a barbaric practice which should be stopped. He initiated a very strong movement against the orthodox Hindu society, and finally, was able to abolish the system of ‘Sati’ by enacting law passed by the Government.
Rammohun Roy complained many times in writing to the King of England against the injustice done by the agents of the East Indian Company to the Indians. Seeing no hopeful response from that end, he sailed to England to personally take up such cases in the interests of the Indians. There, he found some Europeon friends who introduced him to the elite of the English society, and he was invited by the King of England to his palace. Rammohun worked hard, while in England, for the welfare of his countrymen.
Rammohun was in favour of introducing English education among the Indian students so that they could easily acquire the higher knowledge of science and technology, which the students of other countries were then enjoying. He established a few English medium schools in India with the help of some of his European friends like David Hare and others.
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Rammohun believed in One God. He founded the Brahmo Samaj which worshiped only Brahma, the single god, and not many gods and goddesses, as are believed and worshiped by the Hindus.
Rammohun was a philosopher, educationist, patriot, journalist and author of a high order.