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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Both I and II
Rammohun Roy combined respect for India's philosophical heritage with Western rationalism. He grounded the Brahmo Samaj in the Upanishads and argued against sati from the ancient texts, while pressing for Western education, reason and equality for women.
- ✓ I He valued the Vedantic tradition: the Brahmo Samaj believed in the Upanishads, and he argued that sati had no sanction in ancient texts rather than rejecting those texts.
- ✓ II He wanted Western education spread in India and sought greater freedom and equality for women, appealing to reason and humanitarian ideas.
Remember · Rammohun Roy (1772–1833): Brahmo Sabha 1828; anti-sati campaign (sati banned 1829); blended Western rationality with respect for Indian (Vedantic) tradition.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Indian Society, Ch 5 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Indian Society, Chapter 5 “Rammohun Roy's ideas represented a curious mixture of Western rationality and an assertion of Indian traditionality.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·