A tribute to a raja

Follow us on a trail through Bristol as we explore the life of a great social reformer, Raja Ram Mohan Roy - a man who arrived here from a land far away

Words, photos, video: M H Haider

"Which religion then is the best and highest?" his wife once asked him.

Ram Mohan Roy answered, "Cows are of different colours but the colour of the milk they give is the same. Different teachers have different opinions but the essence of every religion is to adopt the true faith and to live the faithful life."

This anecdote, narrated by F B Bradley-Birt (in his book Twelve Men of Bengal in the Nineteenth Century) and many other historians - puts Roy's life in a nutshell.

His quest was for truth and he devoted his life to free people from superstitions and injustice. He was a social reformer and wrote about faiths and the dogmas surrounding them. He led a campaign against suttee, a funerary custom where widows were burnt to death along with their deceased husbands.

And he spent his last years in England, drawing his last breath in Bristol in 1833.

A master of many languages

Roy was born in this month - on 22 May, 1774 - in the Bengal district of Hooghly. Back then, the Indian subcontinent was under the colonisation of the British Empire.

He mentioned in his autobiography that he learned Arabic and Persian. He was also taught Sanskrit, which allowed him to study Hindu scriptures. "I devoted myself to the study of Sanskrit and the theological works written in it, which contain the body of Hindu literature, law and religion," he wrote.

The tiny autobiography is essentially a letter. One of his biographers and contemporaries, Mary Carpenter, wrote in her book The Last Days in England of the Rajah Ram Mohan Roy that it was probably for someone who had requested him for it.

While the autobiography indeed gives a rare glance of his life through his own eyes, it really does not provide the reader much detail; as Roy himself admitted:

"I hope you will excuse the brevity of this sketch, as I have no leisure at present to enter into particulars..."

Other than Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian, he also knew Bengali and English. The volumes of works he produced reflect his multilingualism.

A Gift to Monotheists

One of his works was a pamphlet, Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin, meaning 'A Gift to Monotheists'. It was written in Persian - albeit the preface in Arabic. He argued through this work against idolatry and the dogmas prevalent in religions.

Sophia Dobson Collet had aptly summarised the virtue of the pamphlet in her book, The Life and Letters of Raja Ram Mohan Roy. According to her, he argued that although all religions were based on the common premise of God and divinity, they differ in the details which were rather irrational and came 'solely from the imagination of men'.

Roy founded Brahmo Samaj, a society advocating these religious beliefs. The organisation also campaigned against suttee.

Revolt against suttee

The act of a widow burning alive in the funeral pyre of her husband was unfortunately not uncommon during his time. For example, just in Kolkata and Dhaka, there were 253 and and 31 cases respectively in 1815, according to a table Collet provided in her book.

Even Roy had to bear the horrors of the suttee of his brother's wife.

According to Bradley-Birt's book, the widow decided to commit suttee, and despite his protests, she stood firm in her resolution.

"But when the torch had been applied and the flames leapt up," Bradley-Birt wrote, "her courage forsook her and she tried to escape from the burning logs."

However, the priests and relatives thrust her back whilst the drums and musical instruments muted her shrieks. And Roy stood as a 'reluctant spectator of this heart-rending scene'.

This charred him enough to vow that he would campaign for against suttee, Bradley-Birt further wrote.

But some historians have debated whether Roy was actually present in that funeral. To illustrate, Carpenter wrote that he was in Rangpur (a city in Bangladesh where Roy worked for East India Company) at the time and 'could have heard of the event some time after its occurrence'.

Details aside, he campaigned against the heinous practice. So much so, it was the subject of one of his works, with a rather lengthy title: A Conference between an Advocate for, and an Opponent of, the Practise of Burning Widows Alive.

He wrote it in a conversation format - between two people holding opposite views - as a mode to educate people regarding extremism and providing logic against suttee.

And his campaign did not go in vain: in 1829, suttee was officially banned.

How Roy became a raja

'Raja' essentially means 'king' - traditionally conferred to influential people by emperors of the subcontinent.

Before he set off to England, a Mughal emperor titled Roy as a raja.

The Mughals, who ruled for several generations, saw their authority and wealth squashed by British rulers during the colonial period. Roy's contemporary was Akbar II, the Mughal 'emperor ' who at the dominance of the British had little pension and influence.

"Having possibly heard of his intended visit to England, he decided to appoint Ram Mohan as his envoy to the British King, to plead for measures of substantial redress," Collet said in Life and Letters. "At the same time - apparently about the beginning of August 1829 - he conferred him the title of Raja."

A raja arrives in England

"I now felt a strong wish to visit Europe, and obtain, by personal observation, a more thorough insight into its manners, customs, religion, and political institutions," the raja wrote in his biography.

He further wrote about his agendas in the UK, such as discussing the future of his countrymen under the British rule.

And hence he set sail, in a ship named Albion. He arrived in Liverpool in (circa) 1831.

And he was well received in political, religious, and elite circles. The trip was doted with numerous invitations and proceedings in the House of Commons. Rising above the overwhelming details and anecdotes that overpopulate his biographies, Bradley-Birt wrote, "He in his own person won a new respect for his race among Englishmen."

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery houses this enormous painting of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, by Henry Perronet Briggs. Source: Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Less than a 10-minute walk from the museum is College Green. This bust is at the foyer of the City Hall building in College Green.

This majestic monument is located outside the City Hall.

Another view of the monument. Bristol Cathedral and other magnificent buildings set a beautiful backdrop.

Bristol memories

Other than Liverpool, he also visited Manchester and London. His final stay was at Bristol, until he died in 1833.

His residence was in Stapleton Grove, which was then in the outskirts of Bristol. "After his exciting life in London, the Raja was doubtless glad of the quiet of a country life," Carpenter wrote.

He suffered from meningitis and was bedridden in his last days.

Carpenter quoted in her book the funeral proceedings written by an eye witness:

"We all followed the coffin along the broad gravel path and through a winding path between the trees, which led to the beautiful spot selected... The two Hindu attendants, who closed the funeral procession, stood leaning against the trees and sobbed aloud as they took their last look at the grave of their late kind master."

He was buried near his residence, but a decade later, the raja's remains were transferred to Arnos Vale Cemetery. According to Carpenter, this was undertaken by his friend Dwarkanath Tagore (it was this man whose grandson, Rabindranath Tagore, many years later would become the first non-European to win a Nobel Prize in Literature).

Today, the remains of the raja lie in a beautiful tomb in the cemetery.

Janine Marriott, public engagement manager at Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, said that being a heritage listed monument the tomb adds to the value of the cemetery.

"The tomb is architecturally very interesting and unique," she said. "It is highlighted on a number of tours and talks and is a teaching resource during school visits."

She further said the cemetery holds an event to mark the death anniversary of the raja, where activities such as singing hymns and delivering speeches take place.

It is not easy to find Beech House, the raja's residence in Barkleys Hill. Search for Linden House on Google Maps (BS16 1FB). Beech House is opposite to it. Can you spot a commemorative plaque between two windows?

The original burial site

This is near his house and original grave. Walk the walk!

The tomb at Arnos Vale Cemetery. By taxi, it could take 15-20 minutes from the raja's residence

Raja Ram Mohan Roy has not been forgotten.

On this month, more than two centuries ago, a man was born who touched upon the lives of many - from his countrymen to those in a distant land. His bold ideas and campaigns for social reforms made him revered even in a land faraway from his own.

And hence, even though the final resting place in Bristol is thousands of miles away from his birthplace, the city cherishes his memories and celebrates his life.