Raja Rammohun Roy was a social reformer. He started the Brahmo Samaj in Calcutta.

Rammohun Roy strongly felt that unjust practices against women had to end. He also felt that there were many changes that were necessary for the Indian society to develop.

Rammohun Roy and members of his Samaj felt that the best way to ensure such changes was by persuading people to give up old practices and adopt a new way of life.

He wanted to spread the knowledge of Western education in the country and bring about greater freedom and equality for women.

He wrote about the way women were forced to bear the burden of domestic work, confined to the home and the kitchen, and not allowed to move out and become educated.

Rammohun Roy was well versed in Sanskrit, Persian and several other Indian and European languages. Roy pointed out to the people that ‘sati’ was not practiced during the olden days. Through his writings he condemned the practice of ‘sati’. As the British were also opposed to the practice of ‘sati’ they supported Roy and a law was passed banning ‘sati’ in the year 1829.