The travels of Bengalis in the Past
---- Sumana Dam
Pioneer of the new age, Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772 - 1833) traveled extensively during his lifetime. However, he never wrote a travelogue. Still, much information can be gathered from his letters, and his biographers have provided further insights. While complete details of Raja Ram Mohan Roy's travels are not available, some important information is known.
At the age of sixteen, Raja Ram Mohan Roy wrote a book titled "Hinduism's Idolatrous Religion." This led to a conflict with his father, prompting him to leave home and travel to various parts of India. During his travels, he learned different languages to read religious texts from those regions. Before this, he was proficient in Sanskrit and Persian. The exact places he visited in India are not known.
Eventually, as a young man, Ram Mohan crossed the Himalayas and traveled to Tibet. Primarily motivated by his disdain for foreign rulers and his desire to learn about Buddhism, he reached Tibet. It is unimaginable how this penniless teenager endured such hardships, crossing difficult terrains to reach Tibet. Upon arriving, he saw that the Lamas had established places of worship and that Buddhism had become plagued by idolatry and other superstitions. When he protested, he faced hostility from the locals. However, kind-hearted women repeatedly saved him. He later said that their affectionate treatment made him eternally grateful and respectful towards women. He later wrote about his travels in Tibet in his established newspaper 'Samvad Kaumudi,' but unfortunately, these writings have never been found.
Ram Mohan was keen to travel to Britain to observe European religion, politics, and customs firsthand. However, he lacked the necessary funds for the journey. This problem was solved when the Mughal Emperor Akbar Shah II, after being deprived of certain privileges by the East India Company, sent Ram Mohan as a representative to appeal to the British court. Additionally, one of the reasons for his trip was to be present for the East India Company's new charter hearings, which would determine the future treatment of Indians. An appeal regarding the practice of Sati was also supposed to be heard in the Privy Council. Before his journey abroad, his fame had already spread in England, and before leaving, Mughal Emperor Akbar Shah II conferred upon him the title of Raja.
On November 15, 1830, Raja Ram Mohan Roy set sail for England on the ship Albion with his adopted son, 12-year-old Raja Ram, and his servants Ram Ratna Mukhopadhyay and Ram Hari Das. He took two milk cows on board for convenience. Although he did not suffer from seasickness, his companions fell ill. They disembarked at Uttamasha Island during the journey.
After four months and twenty-three days, the ship reached its destination, Liverpool, on April 8, 1831. At the end of April, he traveled by rail from Liverpool to London. He was delighted by the scientific advancements he saw on the way, such as beautiful houses, gardens, bridges, and artificial lakes, and he realized the reason for India's poverty. On his way, he visited Manchester and was impressed by the factories there, where both men and women worked. When the poor men and women heard that the King of India had arrived, they stopped working to gather and see him.
Prominent intellectuals throughout England and London came to meet him. His fame spread even further. The East India Company hosted a banquet in his honor. In the autumn of 1832, he visited France, accompanied by the well-known philanthropist David Hare's brother. The French Emperor Louis Philippe invited him to dine with him.
In September 1833, he arrived in Bristol. He liked the peaceful atmosphere of the city compared to London, but he fell ill and passed away there on September 27, 1833. His body was buried near Stapleton Grove. His friend Dwarkanath Tagore later moved his remains from the poor grave to Arnos Vale and had a beautiful monument built in Indian architectural style.
Source: Mahatma Raja Ram Mohan Roy - Nagendranath Chattopadhyay (1882).
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