Rammohun Roy and the ‘Conservative’ Overtones of His Liberal Sociopolitical Agenda

Abstract

Rammohun Roy, the liberal reformer of the early nineteenth century, and perhaps the first Indian to comprehensively embrace the ideal of modernity, encountered a volley of criticisms during his lifetime and beyond. Of all this, the twin charges, that is, his reformist project denigrated India’s ancient sociocultural heritage and he acted as an unconscious tool of the British Empire in India, have recently gathered a new momentum in the context of the changing dynamics of Indian politics. This article seeks to engage with this line of argument by examining the political, social and religious dimensions of Roy’s thought and action. It is accepted that he was inspired by the ideals of Western modernity, which, he believed, held the key to the long-term intellectual, sociocultural, political and economic development of the Indians. He also supported the continuation of British rule at least for a period of time to allow wider dissemination of these progressive values in India and to pave the way for its all-round advance. It is contended, however, that neither did he intend to undermine India’s classical heritage, nor did he favour mindless aping of the West. On the contrary, he took ample care to integrate indigenous sociocultural components into his proposed roadmap for the future. Thus, his liberal agenda had evident ‘conservative’ underpinnings that arguably put a new spin on the idea of modernity.