Some eighty-seven years ago, a wise man from the East could be seen treading the streets of London with measured gait and dignified mien or driving through provincial towns, in the company of friends and admirers, amidst the curious gazes of interested on-lookers. One wonders if the lookers-on could have even a faint glimmering of an idea whether the venerable-looking oriental was visiting London, in 1830, on a holiday trip or on a mission the import ance of which might disturb the equanimity of a man not so great as he. The Eastern visitor that we are referring to was no other than Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Ram Mohan was given a very warm reception in London by a host of friends, and his lectures on liberal religion were listened to with great interest. He made numerous friends, and the cordiality shown him produced a deep impression on his mind and forged new ties of affection for England.
It might sound incredible, but it is true, neverth- less, that but for a crucial and heart-rending exper ience which Ram Mohan went through in 'Si', about nineteen years previous to his visit to the metropolis of the Empire, this visit would not have materialised at all. Nor could the cruel memories of that tragic experience be ever blotted out of his mind. It is true that he came on an important political mis sion that time, viz., to present the petition entrusted to him by the King of Oudh, to lay Indian grievances before the sympathetic public, and to suggest measures the adoption of which would conduce to the material and moral development of India. It was also true that he came to London as an Indian ambassador from the court of the Moghul Emperor. That he achieved unqualified success in his pleading for the Emperor might be seen from the grant to him, on the completion of negotiations, of a settled per petuity. The Anglo-Indian authorities could not see their way to recognise his status as ambassador, since the King of Oudh was only king in name, political power and control having passed into the hands of the East India Company. The Indian authorities further began to under-rate the value of his mission, by suggesting that the increase of the pension was already recommended, and was simply a matter of time.
But the Raja was an ambassador in a still nobler cause. It was mainly through his efforts and co operation that Lord William Bentinck, Governor- ' General of India, was encouraged to abolish the practice of the self-immolation of Indian widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. And now we might relate the incident that we have already referred to ; the incident that, more than anything else, determined Ram Mohan's visit to England.
On his brother's death, the widow decided to commit suttee. But when the flames actually touched her she wanted to save her life. The priests and orthodox relatives, however, forced her down with bamboo poles, and drums and horns sounded louder and louder to drown her agonising shrieks. This blood-curdling sight enlisted Ram Mohan's sympathy in a crusade against suttee. The cruel custom was made illegal in December, 1828, much to Ram Mohan's relief, even though, to soften the acrimomy of the orthodox opponents, he made a pretence of pleading for a less drastic measure.
On the abolition of suttee, a campaign was set on foot by the conservative section of Hindus demanding the abrogation of the new measure, since the new legislation amounted, according to them, to interference with religious custom and was a violation of the policy of religious neutrality. But Lord William was fortunately quite firm. Ram Mohan had already made ample quotations from the Shastras to show that suttee was voluntary and only secondary in importance to life-long chastity. A
monster petition was, accordingly, addressed to the House of Commons by the conservative Hindus, and Ram Mohan was anxious lest the reactionaries should achieve their object and renew the nefarious custom that was a bar-sinister across India's shield.
Shortly before his visit to England, Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahma Samaj in Calcutta. A building was erected, we understand, by Ram Mohan himself, in Chitpore Road, Calcutta, and opened on the 23rd of January " To be used—" so the wording of the Trust Deed runs—" . . . as a place of public meeting of all sorts and descriptions of people without distinction, as shall behave and conduct themselves in an orderly, sober, religious and devout manner for the worship and adoration of the Eternal, Unsearchable and Immutable Being who is the author and preserver of the Universe, but not under or by any other name, designation or title peculiarly used for and applied to any particular Being or Beings, or by any man or set of men whatsoever, and that no graven image (italics are mine) statue or sculpture, carving, painting, picture, portrait or the likeness of anything shall be admitted within the said building. . . . and that no sacrifice shall ever be permitted therein (italics are throughout ours) and that no animal or living creature shall within or on the said premises be deprived of life . . and that in conducting the said worship and adoration no object animate or inanimate that has been or is . . . recognised as an object of worship by any man or set of men shall be reviled or slightingly or contemptuously spoken of . . . and that no sermon-preaching, discourse, prayer or hymn be delivered, made or used in such worship but such as have a tendency to the promotion of the contemplation of the Author and and Preserver of the Universe to the promotion of charity, morality, piety, benevolence, virtue and the strengthening of the bonds of union between men of all religious persuasions and creeds." These words mark only the first beginnings of religious liberalism, characterised by the abolition of idolatry, animal sacrifice and even the use of " carving, painting, picture, portrait." We have as yet no systematic theology of the newer order, no organisation or definite conditions of membership. The pervasive line of thought is deistic, tinged with a spirit of toleration, and keen moral perception. But even so, it constitutes a fair advance on what had gone before. Prince Dwarka Nath Tagore was his chief supporter during these initial stages. We shall see that whereas the break with idolatry is complete, priesthood still occupies a prominent position. The chanting of selections from the Upanishads was done by Brahmins in a room screened off from the rest and here only Brahmins were admitted. We might here incidentally refer to the strong grip of conservatism even on a bold and progressive mind like Ram Mohan's. During his visit to England he brought two Hindu servants with him, in order that his caste might remain inviolate, even though in India he combated both caste, idolatry and suttee. Then in India, though he freely dined with Muhammadans and Europeans, he would scrupulously use separate tables in the same room. The main thing behind these habits was, no doubt, the honest belief that open and complete break with orthodox usage might lead to complete social ostracism, and in case he lost his standing as a Hindu, his reforming propaganda might be crippled through restricted opportunity.