Did Raja Rammohun Roy Go to Tibet? : Another Story Behind a Tale Repeated for Centuries

Abstract: This article critically examines the long-standing prevailing notion regarding Raja Rammohun Roy’s journey to Tibet and unequivocally proves that there is no factual basis to the idea of his Tibetan travel. By analyzing primary colonial records, frontier intelligence, and regional history, this investigation challenges the blind reliance on early biographies—most notably the account by Mary Carpenter. The study confirms that Rammohun’s movement in the Himalayan region, alongside being a thrilling expedition, was part of a pragmatic geopolitical and diplomatic mission undertaken in Bhutan with Krishnakanta Basu. This monograph restores Rammohun Roy to his rightful historical position as an active participant in the secretive statecraft of the East India Company and one of modern India’s earliest frontier envoys.