More formally known as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, he is now regarded as religious, social
Raja Ram Mohan Roy
and educational reformer. Born either on the 22nd May 1774 or in August 1772, Roy was born into the Brahmin caste and therefore into a fairly comfortable upbringing. His parents were notable for their marriage between different groups – his father was a Vaishnavite while his mother was a Shaivite and it was unusual for these Hindu sects to intermarry.
This religious diversity provided Roy with different influences while he was growing up, one parent urging him to become a scholar while the other wanted him to work towards a career in public administration. Ultimately Roy chose neither of these paths; after a period in Tibet and the Himalayas he became an employee of the British East India company, prompted by his desire to learn the English language and integrate certain Western values into Indian culture.
At the same time he became interested in the contemporary revival of the Vedanta school of philosophy and his newly acquired English language skills enabled him to translate older Vedic scriptures into English. Occasionally his passion for Western culture pushed the limits somewhat; in 1996 the Roy, the British Baptist William Carey and Sanskrit scholar Hariharananda Vidyabagish created a tome, the Maha Nirvana Tantra (Book of Great Liberation), that purported to be a precursor of any Hindu texts. The purpose was to persuade Indians that Hinduism was based on Christianity.
Although the work was eventually discredited, notably by British magistrates when it was introduced into court proceedings regarding property law, it was still in circulation for many years and actually made money for the authors.
Roy continued his service with the British East India company, acting as a private clerk to Thomas Woodforde, Registrar of the Murshidabad Appellate Court, until 1815 when he formed the Atmiya Sabha, which attempted to pursue social and religious reforms in Indian society.