Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born into a Bengali Brahmin family in West Bengal on May 22, 1772, to Ramakanto Roy and Tarini Devi.

Roy was a founder of the Brahma Sabha in 1828, an influential social-religious reform movement. The Brahma Samaj gave rise to Brahmo Samaj, whose members played a major role in reforming and modernizing the Indian society.

'Father of Modern India', Roy fought to abolish the practice of Sati. He advocated for a legal bill against Sati, for which he travelled to England to see to it that the Bill protecting the Rights of widows was not overturned.

He also fought to eradicate social evils such as polygamy, child marriage, caste system, infanticide and illiteracy. 

Roy also known as the father of Indian renaissance, believed in the existence of One Supreme God, whose worship did not require any fixed place or time. He believed that the fundamental principles of Brahmoism were at the basis of every religion followed by the man.

He firmly believed that social reform was possible only with proper education. In 1817, he set up the Hindu College at Calcutta and later in 1822, he founded the Anglo-Hindu school.

He was a strong supporter of induction of western learning into education in India. He was also the founder of Vedanta College.