Even though India was a British colony for a considerable part of the Modern period, it did not mean that the region did not have a rich and nuanced intellectual history during this time. Even under colonial rule, rigorous thinkers emerged, eager to combine the centuries of Indian thought with the advances of European philosophy and apply both to the problems of the day, whether local or global. One of such prominent figures was Ram Mohan Roy, an Indian philosopher from Bengal often hailed as the father of modern India and the first modern champion of women’s rights (Fatima and Fatima 643). He combined European ideas of liberalism and utilitarianism with a thorough knowledge of Indian – and specifically Hindu – intellectual tradition to arrive at his philosophical ideal. Ram Mohan Roy lived in the late 18 th – early 19 th century Bengal when most of India was already under British rule. As a result, he lived at a time when Western influence was penetrating India in many ways, in cording intellectual fields. Western political and philosophic ideas found their audience among the educated members of the Indian elite. For example, the early 19 th century India had a relatively small but vibrant community of liberal thinkers, one of whom was Ram Mohan Roy. They advocated a constitutional government, whether republican or monarchic, believed in the civic society, and “assigned a critical role to a free press and local forms of representation” (Bayly 26). At the same time, it did not mean that they forgot or rejected Indian intellectual tradition. This historical period of active interaction between Indian and Western thought was a crucial factor in shaping Ram Mohan Roy’s ideas, as it will be shown below. To better understand Ram Mohan Roy’s ethical views, one should remember that he was an ardent advocate for social justice, and this fact is reflected in his philosophical thought as well. He viewed Hinduism as an essentially benevolent religion aiming at promoting the common good – and was “little concerned with issues of caste” (Bayly 29). As a reformer, Ram Mohan Roy insisted on abolishing ancient customs that he considered inhumane and contrary to the benevolent nature of Hinduism – and, as a philosopher, he aimed to provide ample justifications for this position. He made a firm stance on many issues that were clearly progressive, especially for his time. Among other things, he advocated education, inheritance rights for women, and the elimination and persecution of female infanticide (Fatima and Fatima 644). He also insisted on abolishing the practice of sati – a relatively rare but ancient tradition of a widow burning herself at her husband’s funeral (Crawford 101-102). While covering his philosophical position on each of these issues would overextend the scope of this paper, an illustrative example is still in order to showcase some characteristic features of the great Indian philosopher’s thinking. Ram Mohan Roy’s stance on the practice of sati may serve as a suitable and important illustration of his philosophy. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, he was adamantly opposed to the custom and was a key player in enacting the 1829 regulation that banned it in India (Crawford 102). Yet, from