Question

Which of the following statements about Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj are correct?

(i) Brahmo Samaj was formed in 1828

(ii) Raja Ram Mohan Roy supported the monotheism of the Vedas and criticised the polytheism of Hinduism

(iii) Raja Rammohan Roy started the Newspaper Banga Darsan

(iv) The Brahmo Samaj remained united in the 19th century even after the death of Raja Rammohan Roy.

• A. Only (i) and (ii)
• B. Only (ii) and (iv)
• C. Only (ii), (iii) and (iv)
• D. All the above

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Only (i) and (ii)

Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj

• Establishment of Brahmo Samaj: Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha in August 1828, which was later renamed as the Brahmo Samaj. It was established to worship the eternal, unsearchable, and immutable Author and Preserver of the Universe.
• Religious Philosophy: Raja Rammohan Roy was a strong proponent of monotheism (belief in one God). He wrote 'Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin' (A Gift to Monotheists) in 1803 and translated the Vedas and Upanishads into Bengali to prove that ancient Hindu texts support monotheism and oppose polytheism and idol worship.
• Banga Darshan Newspaper: The newspaper Banga Darshan was not started by Raja Rammohan Roy. It was a famous Bengali literary journal founded by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1872. Raja Rammohan Roy was associated with newspapers like Mirat-ul-Akbar (Persian) and Sambad Kaumudi (Bengali).
• Schism in Brahmo Samaj: The Brahmo Samaj did not remain united after the death of Raja Rammohan Roy in 1833. It suffered its first major split in 1866 when Keshab Chandra Sen formed the Brahmo Samaj of India, while Debendranath Tagore's faction came to be known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj. A second split occurred in 1878, leading to the formation of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.