SSC
Raja Ram Mohan Roy's book 'Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin' (A Gift to Monotheists), which attacked idolatry and superstition, was originally written in:
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Answer: Option B — Persian (with an Arabic preface)
Detailed Solution
Raja Ram Mohan Roy's book "Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin" ("A Gift to Monotheists") was written in Persian, with a preface in Arabic, around 1803-1804.
About the book:
- It was Ram Mohan Roy's first major work.
- He wrote it while he was in Murshidabad.
- In it, he argued that all religions believe in one supreme God (monotheism), but that this original belief had been corrupted by priests and religious leaders through idolatry, rituals and superstitions.
- He criticised the irrational beliefs and practices found in all religions.
- He appealed to reason and conscience as the tests of true religion.
- It shows the influence of Islamic rationalist thought (Mutazila) and Sufi ideas, as well as the Upanishads.
- It was later translated into English in 1884.
About Raja Ram Mohan Roy's education:
- He was born in 1772 at Radhanagar, in the Hooghly district of Bengal.
- He studied Persian and Arabic at Patna, and Sanskrit at Banaras.
- He later learnt English and studied Western philosophy, Christianity and science.
- He also knew Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
His other works:
- He translated the Upanishads and the Vedanta Sutras into Bengali and English, to show that the ancient Hindu scriptures supported monotheism.
- He wrote "The Precepts of Jesus" (1820), presenting the moral teachings of Jesus.
- He wrote many tracts against sati and in support of women's rights.
His reform activities:
- He campaigned against sati, polygamy and the caste system, and for women's rights and modern education.
- He founded religious and social reform organisations in Calcutta.
- He travelled to England in 1830, and died at Bristol in 1833.
Why not the other options?
- ✗He wrote many works in Bengali and English later, but this book was in Persian.
Quick tip
Remember: "Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin" (Gift to Monotheists, about 1803-04) = Ram Mohan Roy's first major work, in Persian with an Arabic preface.
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Socio-Religious Reform Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Socio-Religious Reform Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
In the 19th century, reformers worked to remove social evils and revive Indian society. This topic covers organisations such as the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Theosophical Society, Satyashodhak Samaj and the Aligarh Movement, along with their founders and the social reforms they achieved. Questions usually ask who founded an organisation and when, or which reformer is linked to a reform. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar championed widow remarriage, and Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj. A table of organisation, founder, year and place covers most questions. Practise the socio-religious reform movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.