The Greatest Hindu Global Celebrity and The first ideologue to inspire freedom fighters and revolutionaries across the globe to free nations from Colonialism

 

Celebrating 250^th Birth Anniversary of Rajarshi Rammohan Roy

 The Greatest Hindu Global Celebrity and The first ideologue to inspire freedom fighters and revolutionaries across the globe to free nations from Colonialism

Who was Rajarshi Rammohan Roy? Part 1 of 6

2^nd Edition - January 2, 2023, by Sri Bandyo

 

Highlights:

•       The first Internationalist and greatest ever Hindu/Indian celebrity
•       The first ideologue to inspire freedom fighters and revolutionaries across the globe to free nations from Colonialism
•       The First Indian to oppose slavery globally
•      The Indian to dismiss socialism.
•      His writings changed the psyche of American Intellectuals
•      Father of Inter Religious Studies in the world

Rajarshi Rammohan Roy was the first Internationalist and greatest ever Hindu/Indian celebrity who advocated greater political and economic cooperation among states and nations.

He was a toast of London, Philadelphia, and Boston. Rammohan Ray was an international celebrity, a world-class statesman known to President Thomas Jefferson’s inner circle, President John Quincy Adams, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Schopenhauer, Jeremy Bentham, and the movers and shakers of Parliament. His portrait would be painted in London by the two greatest painters in America, Gilbert Stuart Newton of Boston and Rembrandt Peale of Baltimore, former court painter to Napoleon Bonaparte.

Dr. Kirkland,the president of Harvard University, came to London to invite Rajarshi. He said, "All America is waiting for you. "

"When Roy stopped at Manchester on his way to London, the welcome he received from the workers in the factories there was also unexpected. Men, women and children rushed to meet the ‘King of Ingee’ and shake hands with him. He had to be provided police escort to help make his way to the factories and factory gates had to be closed to keep the crowd out.

James Sutherland, later the principal of the Hooghly College, who accompanied Roy to his European tour, recollected the scenes after their arrival in London.

As soon as it was known in London that the great Brahman Philosopher had arrived, the most distinguished men in the country crowded to pay their respects to him; and he had scarcely got into his lodgings in Regent Street, when his door was besieged with carriages from eleven in the morning till four in the afternoon; until this constant state of excitement (for he caught the tone of the day and vehemently discussed politics with every one) actually made him ill…when his physicians gave positive orders to his footman not to admit visitors.

It helped to have powerful friends in London who had in one way or another connected with India. Roy was received well by the royal family too. He was introduced to the House of Lords by Duke of Cumberland, the King’s brother, and he spent a day with the Duke of Sussex. He was also received by the king William IV at the St James’s Palace. The Court Circular recorded that the ‘Rajah wore the costume of a Brahman, viz., the turban and kabah. The latter was composed of purple velvet, embroidered in gold.’

Roy’s fame had spread not only in England but in the US and in France too. In fact, Roy was extremely keen to visit France. However, his reaction to the fact that as a foreigner he would require a passport from the French ambassador in London provides some insight into the working of his mind. He wrote to the French authorities that “such restrictions against foreigners are not observed even among the nations of Asia”, and therefore he was “at a loss to conceive how it should exist among a people so famed as the French are for courtesy and liberality in all other matters”. Quite ahead of his time, Roy also wrote to the Foreign Minister of France, arguing for the need of a ‘Congress’ for amicable settlement of political and commercial disputes between ‘civilised countries with constitutional governments.’ Roy’s desire to visit Paris was finally fulfilled." [1]

“The numerous nations and tribes existing are only various branches. Hence enlightened men in all countries must feel a wish to encourage and facilitate human intercourse in every manner, by removing as far as possible all impediments to it, in order to promote the reciprocal advantage and enjoyment of the whole human race.”

~ Rajarshi Rammohun Roy (1774-1833), father of Internationalism and Globalism  and first ever proponent of World is one family  (vasudhaiva kutukbakam) in modern era.

 

 

The first ideologue to inspire freedom fighters and revolutionaries across the globe to free nations from Colonialism

He was the first ideologue to inspire freedom fighters and revolutionaries across the globe to free nations from Colonialism for which he received tremendous respect, for example when Spain became free, the Spaniards dedicated their constitution to Rammohan Roy (the fight for constitutional government in Spain, the struggle of the Italians for emancipation from the Austrian yoke, the agitation for good government of Ireland etc).

"The mysterious dedication of the Spanish Constitution of 1812 to ‘Al Liberalismo Del Noble, Sabio, Y Virtuoso Brama Ram-Mohun- Roy’ by the La Compania de Filipinas ‘documents’ that Rammohan Ray’s reputation as a dissenter was known to other revolutionaries around the world."(Bruce C. Robertson :Swami Vivekananda and Rajarshi Rammohan Ray)

“Between 1820 and 1823, Rammohun hosted several public meetings, celebrations at Kolkata in honour of armed rising organised by the freedom fighters of Spain, Portugal, and Spanish colonies of South America from the despotism of Spain. Cadiz was the oldest kingdom in Spain. Around 1820, after long struggle against the oppressive king, the rebellious Cadiz inhabitants, in a successful military revolution forced the King to revive the original Cadiz constitution of 1812. When the news reached Kolkata., Rammohun was overjoyed at the "victory of the people over the king" and organized a huge banquet at his Kolkata residence for the Spaniards living in Kolkata. In that meeting, he spoke on "Religion and political freedom". Among the dignitaries present at that meeting was Abbie Dubois. An account of the party appeared in the Edinburgh magazine and Literary Miscellany, September 1823(pp–350-57) under the title “Rammohun Roy”.  Upon being asked why he had celebrated, he replied, “What! Ought I to be insensible to the sufferings of my fellow–creatures wherever they are, or howsoever unconnected by interests, religion and language?” [Supplementary     Notes S.D.Collet : Raja Rammohun Roy pp– 164–65.] Rammohun's was the only thunderous voice heard throughout the world on the defeat of the Italian freedom struggle. On the day of the executions of Italian freedom fighters Morelli and Silvati, he postponed all his work and back home wrote to his friend J.S. Buckingham with regret, “….my mind is depressed by the late news from Europe……..From the late unhappy news, I am obliged to conclude that I shall not live to see liberty universally restored to the nations of Europe and Asiatic nations, especially those that are European colonies, possessed of a greater degree of the same blessing than what they now enjoy. Under these circumstances I consider the cause of the Neapolitans as my own, and their enemies as ours. Enemies to liberty and friends of despotism have never been and never will be ultimately successful’’ [Rammohun Roy, Raja: English Works, Pt IV, Editors – Kalidas Nag and Debajyoti Burman, p-89] French Revolution of 1830 was another of those events that gave him very high satisfaction. Excited by the liberal moment of the ‘Three Glorious Days’, Rammohun visited two French frigates anchored in Cape Town which flew revolutionary flags. His connection with Iberian liberals, French revolutionaries, British Whigs, Greek and American aboriginals was indicative of a ‘colonial patriot’ in him. Rammohun Roy had plans to visit the United States which did not ultimately happened due to his death in Bristol in 1833. Nevertheless, his image as a liberal reformer served as inspiration for the American aboriginals.

 His involvement with the global liberal movement was reciprocated as well. The people of Cadiz  dedicated a copy of the Cadiz constitution of 1812 to “the liberalissimo (most liberal), noble, sabio (wise), and virtuoso(virtuous) Bramo (Brahmana)Rammohun Roy. Italy reciprocated by paying her tribute of gratitude to the memory of Raja Rammohun Roy, and forever associated his name to those of martyrs Morelli and Silvati.” [2]

The famous German poet Heinrich Heine said that it should written on his Samadhi that ‘Rammohan Roy was a brave soldier in the war of liberation of humanity'.  He was ready to fight in all spheres of life for the liberation of people.

 

 

He was the First Indian to oppose slavery globally.

For example, he protested against slavery of blacks and Irish people.

 

He was the first Indian to dismiss socialism.

Rammohan Roy began to talk with the leading scholars of England. Everyone was surprised to see his knowledge. One day, at a banquet at Mr. Arnott's house, Rammohan Roy met the legendary socialist Robert Owen. Robert Owen is the first promoter of socialism/communism in England. He explained to him his theory of Communism/Socialism. Rammohan Roy was already well aware of the theory. He immediately began to try to show Mr. Owen the error of his opinion. A fierce argument ensued. Miss Carpenter was aware of the account of an eye-witness on the subject which he had published in his biography of Rammoham Roy. It happened that Robert Wayne was completely defeated by Rammohan Roy. After being defeated, he became very angry. But Rammohan Roy's remained calm and was not disturbed at all. [3]

 

His writings changed the psyche of American Intellectuals.

For example, he inspired people abroad on Rational spiritual movements - unitarian transcendental etc.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American Unitarian, read Rammohun Roy's translation of the Hindu scriptures, and together with Thoreau, promoted Transcendentalism; Singh (1991: 588) Emerson read Roy's translation of Ishopanishad in 1820 and Thoreau his translation of the principal Vedas in 1850.

Here are some studies on Rammohan and how he influenced the idea of Transcendentalism:

Writes author Adrien Moore: “One afternoon Dr. Arthur Christy, under whom at Columbia (Dept. Of English and Comparative Literature, Faculty of Philosophy,Columbta University) I carried on my research, handed me a slip of paper. On it was a note to the effect that in the voluminous volume of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Letters there was one from Emerson’s aunt, Mary Moody, written while Emerson still in  college. In it she stated that she hoped that Emerson had received the materials about Rammohun Roy which she had sent to him. This letter was written years before there was any evidence of Indian Philosophical influences on Emerson’s life and long before Transcendentalism took New England by storm.

Dr. Christy, who is an authority on the influence of Orientalism on American literature, was at that time engaged in finding the roots of such influence. He suggested that I should endeavor to find a root in Rammohun Roy. He wanted to know what had brought on the flowering of Transcendentalism; how this exotic plant of pantheism and polytheistic monism found root in the cold and bleak soul of New England Puritanism.

.........The controversy over Christianity that Rammohan Roy conducted with the Serampore Missionaries was as avidly followed by American Unitarians as by those in England and by Indians in Bengal. And it must be noted that with a few exceptions, the entire intelligentsia of New England of the day belonged to this religious sect. Unitarianism dominated some of the leading Universities, including Harvard............. In fact, Rammohun Roy was so much a topic of discussion in America that all the major libraries of the day had copies of his works related to the controversy on Christian dogma. Several of his writings were also published in New England.

..........the fact that Rammohun Roy’s controversies with Christian missionaries were so largely circulated is a point of great importance. Only through this door of the mind could the New England intellect be led into the maze of Indian speculative thought. Rammohun Roy’s interpretations and speculations were Westernized enough to make the otherwise too-alien Hindu thought and philosophy palatable to puritanical, personal-god- minded New Englanders. Those who were thus led half-way were thereby given the courage to taste this new and exotic fruit. If the translations of Hindu scriptures only had come to America they have been read and appreciated by but a few erudite scholars. Certainly, in that case Rammohun Roy would not have been a topic of public discussion, he would not have focussed for a time the spotlight of publicity in Oriental thought, and New England Transcendentalism might never have produced what it did.

The dual impact of Romanticism from England and more especially from Germany and Oriental thought – the first consciousness of which, I feel certain, was stirred unwittingly and imperceptibly by Rammohan Roy – produced the flower which is known as American Transcendentalism.

-----------------

Father of Inter-Religious Studies in the world

Rammohan learned Hebrew to understand Old Testament, Greek and Latin to New Testament and Greek Philosophy, Arabic to Islam, Farsi to Sufism and Zoroastrianism, Sanskrit to Vedas and other Hindu scriptures.

Maxmulleur called him the Father of Inter-religious Studies

"The Hindoos seem to have made greater progress in sacred learning than the Jews, at least at

the time when the Upanisads were written. The self-existing alone was living and he willed, the world came into existence, seem to me to give a more sublime idea of the creation than the words of the first chapter of the Bible, 'God said--Let there be light, etc. ‘There appears a degree of childishness in this latter representation.

"If religion consist in the blessings of self-knowledge and of improved notions of God and his attributes, and a system of morality hold a subordinate place, I certainly prefer the Vedas.

" The Vedas teach the only religion which considers toleration to be a duty of man." - Rajarshi Rammohan Roy

 

References:

1: Past Forward: Why We Must Remember Raja Rammohan Roy. A Liberal in Quest for Truth by Chandrachur Ghosh

2. Article on Rammohan posted on SAMAJ by Rajib Gangulee

3. From the book “Mahatma Rammohan Roy” by Sri Nagendranath Chattopadhyay