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Q11 (IAS/2025) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › Socio-religious reform movements Answer Verified

Consider the following statements about Raja Ram Mohan Roy : I. He possessed great love and respect for the traditional philosophical systems of the East. II. He desired his countrymen to accept the rational and scientific approach and the principle of human dignity and social equality of all men and women. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

Both statements about Raja Ram Mohan Roy are correct.

He wrote Gift to Monotheists (1809) and translated into Bengali the Vedas and the five Upanishads to prove his conviction that ancient Hindu texts support monotheism.[2] In 1814, he set up the Atmiya Sabha (or Society of Friends) in Calcutta to propagate the monotheistic ideals of the Vedanta[1], demonstrating his love and respect for traditional Eastern philosophical systems. He sought to draw upon these ancient texts while reforming contemporary practices.

Rammohan Roy believed in the modern scientific approach and principles of human dignity and social equality.[2] Raja Rammohan Roy firmly believed in the principle of causality linking the whole phenomenal universe and demonstrability as the sole criterion of truth.[3] He condemned the subjugation of women and opposed the prevailing idea that women were inferior to men in intellect or in a moral sense.[4] This clearly shows he advocated rationalism, scientific thinking, and equality for both men and women.

Therefore, both statements I and II are accurate representations of Raja Ram Mohan Roy's philosophy and reform efforts.

Sources
  1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
  2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
  3. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 8: Socio-Religious Reform Movements: General Features > The Intellectual Criteria > p. 192
  4. [4] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 7: Social and Cultural Awakening in the First Half of the 19th Century > MODERN INDIA > p. 126
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Q. Consider the following statements about Raja Ram Mohan Roy : I. He possessed great love and respect for the traditional philosophical sy…
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10

This is a textbook 'Sitter' from Spectrum and Old NCERT. It tests the core ideological definition of the Indian Renaissance—the synthesis of Eastern philosophy and Western rationalism. If you skipped the introductory paragraphs describing the 'nature' of the reform movements to memorize only dates and organizations, you likely struggled.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Was Raja Ram Mohan Roy known to possess great love and respect for the traditional philosophical systems of the East?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
Presence: 4/5
“Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833), often called the the father of Indian Renaissance and the maker of Modern India, was a man of versatile genius. Rammohan Roy believed in the modern scientific approach and principles of human dignity and social equality. He put his faith in monotheism. He wrote Gift to Monotheists (1809) and translated into Bengali the Vedas and the five Upanishads to prove his conviction that ancient Hindu texts support monotheism. In 1814, he set up the Atmiya Sabha (or Society of Friends) in Calcutta to propagate the monotheistic ideals of the Vedanta and to campaign against idolatry, caste rigidities, meaningless rituals and other social ills.”
Why this source?
  • Translated the Vedas and five Upanishads into Bengali to demonstrate that ancient Hindu texts support monotheism.
  • Established the Atmiya Sabha to propagate Vedantic monotheistic ideals and campaign against idolatry and ritual abuses.
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 7: Social and Cultural Awakening in the First Half of the 19th Century > MODERN INDIA > p. 126
Presence: 5/5
“Supercession by Christianity. He vigorously defended Hindu religion and philosophy from the ignorant attacks of the missionaries. At the same time, he adopted an extremely friendly attitude towards other religions. He believed that basically all religions preach a common message and that their followers are all brothers under the skin. All his life Rammohun Roy paid heavily for his daring religious outlook. The orthodox condemned him for criticising idolatry and for his philosophic admiration of Christianity and Islam. They organised a social boycott against him in which even his mother joined. He was branded a heretic and an outcaste. In 1829 he founded a new religious society, the Brahma Sabha, later known as the Brahmo Samai, whose purpose was to purify Hinduism and to preach theism or the worship of one God.”
Why this source?
  • Vigorously defended Hindu religion and philosophy from the ignorant attacks of Christian missionaries.
  • Founded the Brahma Sabha/Brahmo Samaj to purify Hinduism and preach theism, signalling engagement with indigenous philosophical traditions.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 8: Socio-Religious Reform Movements: General Features > The Intellectual Criteria > p. 192
Presence: 4/5
“Reference to the past was to be used only as an aid and an instrument. Neither a revival of the past nor a total break with tradition was envisaged. Though the reformers tried to reform their religions, there was a universalistic aspect to their religious perspective. Raja Rammohan Roy considered different religions as national embodiments of universal theism. He defended the basic and universal principles of all religions—such as the monotheism of the Vedas and unitarianism of Christianity—while attacking”
Why this source?
  • Regarded different religions as embodiments of universal theism and defended core principles such as the monotheism of the Vedas.
  • Used the past as an instrument—defending traditional philosophical principles while critiquing superstitious practices.
Statement 2
Did Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocate that his countrymen adopt a rational and scientific approach?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 8: Socio-Religious Reform Movements: General Features > The Intellectual Criteria > p. 192
Presence: 5/5
“What gave these reform movements an ideological unity were rationalism, religious universalism and humanism. Rationalism was brought to judge social relevance. Raja Rammohan Roy firmly believed in the principle of causality linking the whole phenomenal universe and demonstrability as the sole criterion of truth. Akshay Kumar Dutt, while declaring that "rationalism is our only preceptor", held that all natural and social phenomena could be analysed and understood by purely mechanical processes. They thus used a rational approach to study tradition; they evaluated the contemporary socioreligious practices from the standpoint of social utility and to replace faith with rationality. As a consequence, in the Brahmo Samaj the infallibility of the Vedas was repudiated, while the Aligarh movement emphasised reconciliation of Islamic teachings with the needs of the modern age.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly links Roy to rationalism and describes his belief in causality and demonstrability as criteria of truth.
  • Places him within reform currents that evaluated social and religious practices by reason and social utility.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
Presence: 5/5
“Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833), often called the the father of Indian Renaissance and the maker of Modern India, was a man of versatile genius. Rammohan Roy believed in the modern scientific approach and principles of human dignity and social equality. He put his faith in monotheism. He wrote Gift to Monotheists (1809) and translated into Bengali the Vedas and the five Upanishads to prove his conviction that ancient Hindu texts support monotheism. In 1814, he set up the Atmiya Sabha (or Society of Friends) in Calcutta to propagate the monotheistic ideals of the Vedanta and to campaign against idolatry, caste rigidities, meaningless rituals and other social ills.”
Why this source?
  • Directly describes Roy as believing in a modern scientific approach and in principles of human dignity and equality.
  • Connects his religious reforms (monotheism, anti-idolatry) with a rational critique of rituals and caste.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Raja Rammohan Roy's Efforts at Social Reform > p. 208
Presence: 4/5
“Roy attacked polygamy and the degraded state of widows and demanded the right of inheritance and property for women. Rammohan Roy did much to disseminate the benefits of modern education to his countrymen. He supported David Hare's efforts to found the Hindu College in 1817, while Roy's English school taught mechanics and Voltaire's philosophy. In 1825, he established a Vedanta college where courses in both Indian learning and Western social and physical sciences were offered. He also helped enrich the Bengali language by compiling a Bengali grammar book and evolving a modern elegant prose style.”
Why this source?
  • Documents Roy's practical promotion of modern education, teaching mechanics and Western social and physical sciences.
  • Shows institutional action (English school, Vedanta college) to disseminate scientific knowledge to his countrymen.
Statement 3
Did Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocate the principle of human dignity and social equality for all men and women?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
Presence: 5/5
“Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833), often called the the father of Indian Renaissance and the maker of Modern India, was a man of versatile genius. Rammohan Roy believed in the modern scientific approach and principles of human dignity and social equality. He put his faith in monotheism. He wrote Gift to Monotheists (1809) and translated into Bengali the Vedas and the five Upanishads to prove his conviction that ancient Hindu texts support monotheism. In 1814, he set up the Atmiya Sabha (or Society of Friends) in Calcutta to propagate the monotheistic ideals of the Vedanta and to campaign against idolatry, caste rigidities, meaningless rituals and other social ills.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly described as believing in the principles of human dignity and social equality.
  • Founded Atmiya Sabha to campaign against caste rigidities, idolatry and other social ills, showing a reform agenda grounded in dignity and equality.
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 7: Social and Cultural Awakening in the First Half of the 19th Century > MODERN INDIA > p. 126
Presence: 5/5
“Beginning in 1818 he set out to rouse public opinion on the question. He was a stout champion of women's rights. He condemned the subjugation of women and opposed the prevailing idea that women were inferior to men in intellect or in a moral sense. He attacked polygamy and the degraded state to which widows were often reduced. To raise the status of women he demanded that they be given the right of inheritance and property. Rammohun Roy was one of the earliest propagators of modern education, which he looked upon as a major instrument for the spread of modern ideas in the country.”
Why this source?
  • Called a stout champion of women's rights and condemned the subjugation of women and claims of female inferiority.
  • Attacked polygamy and the degraded state of widows and demanded women's right to inheritance and property, indicating concrete equality claims for women.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Raja Rammohan Roy's Efforts at Social Reform > p. 208
Presence: 5/5
“Roy attacked polygamy and the degraded state of widows and demanded the right of inheritance and property for women. Rammohan Roy did much to disseminate the benefits of modern education to his countrymen. He supported David Hare's efforts to found the Hindu College in 1817, while Roy's English school taught mechanics and Voltaire's philosophy. In 1825, he established a Vedanta college where courses in both Indian learning and Western social and physical sciences were offered. He also helped enrich the Bengali language by compiling a Bengali grammar book and evolving a modern elegant prose style.”
Why this source?
  • Actively sought legal and social reforms for women (inheritance, opposition to polygamy) and promoted modern education as an instrument of social uplift.
  • Established educational institutions combining Indian and Western learning, reflecting a belief in equal access to modern knowledge.
Pattern takeaway: UPSC is moving from 'Event-based' history (dates/battles) to 'Intellectual' history (ideologies/philosophies). Questions now demand you understand the *character* of the reformer, not just their CV.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Directly lifted from the opening paragraphs of the 'Socio-Cultural Reform Movements' chapter in Spectrum (Rajiv Ahir) or Bipin Chandra.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The 'Intellectual Criteria' of 19th-century reformers: Rationalism, Humanism, and Universalism.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the specific duality in RRMR's work: (1) 'Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin' (Gift to Monotheists) in Persian; (2) 'Precepts of Jesus' (accepted ethics, rejected miracles); (3) Vedanta College (1825) which taught BOTH Indian learning and Western physical sciences; (4) Atmiya Sabha (1814); (5) Journals: Sambad Kaumudi (Bengali) and Mirat-ul-Akbar (Persian).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not just memorize 'What' they founded, memorize 'Why' they founded it. UPSC focuses on the *mindset* of personalities. For RRMR, the keyword is 'Synthesis'—he used ancient Hindu scriptures (East) to justify modern social reforms (West).
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Vedantic monotheism as a basis for social reform
💡 The insight

Rammohan Roy used Vedic and Upanishadic teachings to argue for monotheism and to justify reforming Hindu practices.

High-yield for questions about how Indian reformers combined tradition and modernity; connects religious ideas to social reform and the origins of movements like Brahmo Samaj. Useful for essay and prelims questions on ideological foundations of 19th-century reformers.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 8: Socio-Religious Reform Movements: General Features > The Intellectual Criteria > p. 192
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 19: Towards Modernity > Brahmo Samaj (1828) > p. 299
🔗 Anchor: "Was Raja Ram Mohan Roy known to possess great love and respect for the tradition..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Defending indigenous philosophy against missionary critique
💡 The insight

Roy actively defended Hindu philosophy from missionary attacks while maintaining a broad, tolerant stance toward other faiths.

Important for analyzing colonial-era intellectual responses and identity politics; helps answer questions on cultural encounter, religious debate, and indigenous agency in the colonial period.

📚 Reading List :
  • Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 7: Social and Cultural Awakening in the First Half of the 19th Century > MODERN INDIA > p. 126
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 207
🔗 Anchor: "Was Raja Ram Mohan Roy known to possess great love and respect for the tradition..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Purify, not replace — reformers' approach to tradition
💡 The insight

Roy sought to remove social evils from Hinduism while retaining its philosophical core rather than creating a wholly new religion.

Useful to distinguish reformist and revivalist strategies in socio-religious movements; aids in comparing leaders (e.g., Roy vs later reformers) and framing answers on continuity vs change in Indian society.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 207
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Raja Rammohan Roy's Efforts at Social Reform > p. 208
🔗 Anchor: "Was Raja Ram Mohan Roy known to possess great love and respect for the tradition..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Rationalism as the ideological basis of 19th-century Indian reformers
💡 The insight

Raja Ram Mohan Roy adopted rationalism, using causality and demonstrability to judge religious and social practices.

High-yield for questions on socio-religious reform: links intellectual currents (Enlightenment rationalism) to Indian reform movements and helps explain shifts in religious critique and social policy. Connects to topics on Bengal Renaissance, Brahmo Samaj, and emergence of modern Indian public sphere.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 8: Socio-Religious Reform Movements: General Features > The Intellectual Criteria > p. 192
  • History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 19: Towards Modernity > 19.1 Emergence of Reform Movements > p. 299
🔗 Anchor: "Did Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocate that his countrymen adopt a rational and scienti..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Promotion of Western scientific education in reform agenda
💡 The insight

Roy actively promoted modern education, including mechanics and Western social and physical sciences, to reform society.

Important for questions on education and modernization: explains how reformers used curricula and institutions to spread scientific outlook and counter superstition. Links to colonial education policy, social reform, and emergence of modern intelligentsia.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Raja Rammohan Roy's Efforts at Social Reform > p. 208
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
🔗 Anchor: "Did Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocate that his countrymen adopt a rational and scienti..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Brahmo Samaj's critique of ritualism and scriptural infallibility
💡 The insight

Roy's Brahmo Samaj repudiated idol worship, caste rigidities and the infallibility of the Vedas as part of a rational reform program.

Useful for questions on religious reform and social change: shows how doctrinal critique enabled social reforms (women's rights, anti-polygamy) and connects to later reform and revival movements in India.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > View > p. 207
🔗 Anchor: "Did Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocate that his countrymen adopt a rational and scienti..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Human dignity and social equality as pillars of 19th-century reform
💡 The insight

Raja Rammohan Roy's reform agenda emphasised human dignity and opposition to caste rigidities and social evils as core principles.

High-yield for questions on socio-religious reformers and the ideological basis of the Brahmo Samaj; helps compare reform agendas across leaders and assess continuities in social reform. Enables answer framing on principles rather than isolated events.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 206
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders > p. 207
🔗 Anchor: "Did Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocate the principle of human dignity and social equali..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

The 'Next Logical Question' is on the specific controversy regarding his view on Christianity. While he admired Western rationalism, he vigorously defended Hinduism against missionary attacks and rejected the 'Divinity of Jesus' in his book 'Precepts of Jesus', leading to a clash with missionaries like Serampore's Joshua Marshman.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Apply the 'Father of Renaissance' Logic. A 'Renaissance' (rebirth) implies reviving the old (Statement I) while adopting the new (Statement II). If he hated Eastern philosophy, he would be a 'Westernizer' (like Derozio), not a Reformer. If he hated Western science, he would be a 'Revivalist' (like Dharma Sabha). Since he is the 'Father of Modern India', he MUST represent the balance of both. Hence, Both I and II.

🔗 Mains Connection

Connect this to GS IV (Ethics) and Polity (Fundamental Duties). RRMR is the personification of Article 51A(h): 'To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.' Use him as a case study for 'Modernization without Westernization'.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CDS-II · 2009 · Q4 Relevance score: 4.49

Consider the following statements relating to Raja Rammohan Roy: I. He knew that the spread of Western education was necessary to develop a national and scientific attitude in the Indian society. II. He played a pioneering role in the religious and social reform movements of nineteenth century Bengal. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

CDS-I · 2004 · Q40 Relevance score: 3.15

Which of the following statements about the religious ideas of Raja Ram Mohun Roy is not correct?

NDA-II · 2010 · Q21 Relevance score: 2.83

Which among the following statements with regard to Raja Rammohan Roy are correct? I. He started the Atmiya Sabha II. He wrote the Gift of Monotheist III. He published the Precepts of Jesus IV. He founded the Brahmo Sabha Select the correct answer using the code given below

CDS-II · 2014 · Q85 Relevance score: 2.71

Statement I : Ram Mohan Roy in his famous work Gift to Monotheism put forward weighty arguments against belief in many Gods and for the worship of a single God. Statement I : Ram Mohan Roy in his Precepts of Jesus tried to separate the moral and philosophic message of the New Testament.

CDS-II · 2024 · Q97 Relevance score: 2.00

Consider the following statements about the condition of widows in the 18th century India : 1. Raja Sawai Jai Singh of Amber promoted widow remarriage. 2. Maratha General Parshuram Bhau promoted widow remarriage. 3. Raja Ram Mohan Roy opposed Sati. Which of the statements given above are correct ?