ECONOMIC IDEAS
Ram Mohan Roy regarded the right to property as sacred, natural and inviolable. He justified Zamidari system and other contracts to keep beyond the reach of law. He remains unaware of the evils arising from individual right to property; and consequent inequality. Surely this could not be conducive to the general happiness or democratic principle. His advocacy of the propertied class went to the extend of justifying it on religious basis. Thus, religion was made to stand by the property. He proposed that the government should not interfere with the property relations of the community.
But Roy looked at the economic conditions of India from a sociological angle. Debilitating effects of the Indian climate and dietary habits were not very congenial to physical efficiency. Peasants living in rural areas were innocent, temperate and moral, which he also called as primitive simplicity. The urban centres were in the phase of imbibing the habits and opinions of an alien civilization. Their religious convictions had been shaken without any other principles being implanted in their place. They were, from the view- point of character, inferior to the villagers. The white-collar class was still worse. The rising urban bouregeoisie, if were given opportunities of free trade could improve in its character. But the upper strata were generally dependent upon the demoralized lower strata which was demoralised being the agents of the alien traders. Freedom of trade and enterprise would bring honesty, merit and efficiency. There would be an improvement in the quality of a new urban class.
Wealth had begin to accumulate in the hands of landlords and traders. They formed the new class of bourgeoisie result of Permanent Settlement, extension of cultivation into waste lands and the free flow of trade. In the interest India's economic prosperity, he favoured free trade and enterprise. At least, they should be prevented from further exploitation. Export of rice was lucrative But it aggravated the effect of famine in the country side. On this, he appealed to the government to suspend the rule of free trade. The government was suggested to tap new sources of indirect taxation - transit duties, export duties and excise. The luxury goods could be so tested to compensate for the loss of revenue If the peasant masses were progressively better of, the budgetary source could also increase.
In terms of political economy, Roy thought that if the benefit of Permanent Settlement were extended also to the cultivators, farmers and labourers in every part of the country, the latter would be attached or faithful to the government, as were the landlords to the government. The rulers had created by the Permanent Settlement class of landlords and an upper layer of the middle class which were firmly attached to the government. The government would not need progressively increasing land revenue to support growing standing army if it accepted Roy's suggestion. Roy made a number of other revolutionary proposals. He followed the Benthamite logic of utilitarianism. He had the people's interest in mind. He wanted to protect the poor peasants from the vandalism of the Zamindars and their agents. He looked anti-feudalist. But he also wanted that the government should reduce its demands from the landlords also. He could not see the evil side of the Raj. He had invited the British planters to come and settle in India. He ignored as a the havoc which had been perpetrated by them as well as the Permanent Settlement.
The Revenue System of India and the Indian Peasants
Ram Mohan had a keen perception of the devastating role of the economic abuses consequent upon the Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal by Lord Cornwallis. It would be incorrect, however, to interpret the economic ideas of the Raja as being inspired either wholly by feudalism or by rising capitalism. He had the interests of the people in mind. He wanted the emanicipation of the poor tenants who were exposed to the vandalism of the Zamindars and their agents. Thus Ram Mohan appeared as an anti-feudalist. He, however, also wanted that the government should reduce its demands upon the landlords.
Law of Female Inheritance
As a true liberal, Ram Mohan also believed in the sanctity of the right to property for both men and women. To him every individual should have the right to own the property he inherits or earns. Ram Mohan was of the considered view that the root cause of the subjugation of Indian woman was "the complete denial of their property rights. He was a champion of the right of Hindu females to inheritance. He criticized the grave injustice done to women by the modern law of inheritance. He wrote a learned essay in 1822 entitled Modern Encroachments on the Ancient Rights of Females according to the Hindu law of Inheritance.' Therein he quoted ancient jurists like Yajnavalkya, Narada, Katyayana, Vishnu, and Brihaspati and pointed out that on the basis of the opinion of ancient law- givers in the property left by the husband, the mother was entitled to a share equal to that of her son and the daughter to one-fourth. He wanted to reduce the economic drain of India's money to England. For this he suggested (i) increased tax over luxuries; (ii) reduction of demands on the zamindars; (iii) appointment of Indian Officers (Collector) in place of European officers; (iv) local militia in place of standing army; (v) no tax on exports; (vi) settlement of immigrants here, and (vii) industrial development. Ram Mohan Roy was the earliest Indian liberal. In India he was the predecessor of the liberal movement of the late nineteenth century. He had respect for property and believed in the freedom of contract. However, he was not a believer in the laissez-faire' policy.
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