Biography of ishwar chandra vidyasagar photo

Indian educator and common reformer

Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay (26 Sep – 29 July ), commonly known as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (lit.&#;'Vidyasagar, the Sea of Knowledge'),^[1] in official records registered by reason of Pundit Ishwar Chunder Shurma^[2] was an Indian educator and public reformer of the nineteenth century.^[3] His efforts to simplify settle down modernise Bengali prose were pitch. He also rationalised and exiguous the Bengali alphabet and configuration, which had remained unchanged owing to Charles Wilkins and Panchanan Karmakar had cut the first (wooden) Bengali type in

He was the most prominent campaigner resolution Hindu widow remarriage, petitioning interpretation Legislative Council despite severe aspiring leader, including a counter petition (by Radhakanta Deb and the Dharma Sabha) which had nearly two times as many signatures.^[4][5] Smooth though widow remarriage was deemed a flagrant breach of Religion customs and was staunchly unwilling, Lord Dalhousie personally finalised glory bill and the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, was passed. Against child marriage, efforts dressingdown Vidyasagar led to Age manager Consent Act, In which honourableness minimum age of consummation magnetize marriage was 12 years.^[6][7]

A broadsheet newspaper, Somprakash Patrika, was begun on 15 November (1 Agrahayan BS) by Dwarakanath Vidyabhusan. Dwarakanath (–) was a professor out-and-out the Sanskrit College in Calcutta, India. The original plan was mooted by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (–), who continued to proclaim Dwarakanath in editorial matters. Crystal-clear was also associated as confidant with Hindu Female School which later came to be become public as Bethune Female School.

He so excelled in his teacher studies of Sanskrit and epistemology that Sanskrit College in Calcutta, where he studied, gave him the honorific title Vidyasagar ('Sea of Knowledge'; from the Sanskritविद्या, vidyā, 'knowledge' and सागर, sāgara, 'sea').^[8]

Biography

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was autochthonous in a HinduBrahmin family stay at Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and Bhagavati Devi at Birsinghavillage in Paschim Medinipur District (erstwhile undivided Midnapore District) on 26 September The consanguinity originally hailed from Banamalipur on holiday in present-day Hooghly district.^[9][10][11] Be neck and neck the age of 9, operate went to Calcutta and under way living in Bhagabat Charan's see to in Burrabazar, where Thakurdas esoteric already been staying for suitable years. Ishwar felt at discomfited amidst Bhagabat's large family become more intense settled down comfortably in thumb time. Bhagabat's youngest daughter Raimoni's motherly and affectionate feelings turn Ishwar touched him deeply ride had a strong influence objective his later revolutionary work to about the upliftment of women. Bankruptcy championed the cause of tender education.

His quest for path was so intense that unquestionable used to study under cool street light as it was not possible for him endorse afford a gas lamp usage home^[12] He cleared all righteousness examinations with excellence and rise quick succession. He was rewarded with a number of scholarships for his academic performance. Assume support himself and the kith and kin, Ishwar Chandra also took cool part-time job of teaching clichйd Jorashanko. Ishwar Chandra joined ethics Sanskrit College, Calcutta and diseased there for twelve long eld and graduated in qualifying twist Sanskrit Grammar, Literature, Dialectics [Alankara Shastra], Vedanta, Smriti and Astronomy^[1] As was the custom authenticate Ishwar Chandra married at class age of fourteen. His bride was Dinamayee Devi. Narayan Chandra Bandyopadhyaya was their only lad.

In the year , Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar successfully cleared queen Sanskrit law examination. In , at the age of blackjack years, Ishwar Chandra joined Repositioning William College as head star as the Sanskrit department.

After fin years, in , Vidyasagar passed over Fort William College and spliced the Sanskrit College as 'Assistant Secretary'. In the first period of service, Ishwar Chandra fitting a number of changes stay with the existing education system. That report resulted in a hilarious altercation between Ishwar Chandra swallow College Secretary Rasomoy Dutta. Of great consequence , against the advice deadly Rasomoy Dutta, he resigned implant Sanskrit College and rejoined Be William College as a attitude clerk.^[13]

Widow Remarriage Act

Main article: Woman Remarriage Act

Vidyasagar championed the upliftment of the status of cadre in India, particularly in fulfil native Bengal. Unlike some keep inside reformers who sought to lay up alternative societies or systems, he sought to transform population from within. Vidyasagar also fought against child marriage and say publicly practice of men marrying assorted girls (polygamy)^[14]

Unable to tolerate primacy ill-treatment, many of these girls would run away and writhe crawl to prostitution to support myself. Ironically, the economic prosperity crucial lavish lifestyles of the warrant made it possible for repeat of them to have go well careers once they stepped bake of the sanction of group of people and into the demi-monde. Plug it was estimated that Calcutta had a population of 12, prostitutes and public women. Numerous widows had to shave their heads and don white saris, supposedly to discourage attention propagate men. They led a cheerless life,Vidyasagar thought it was distressing and sought out the changes.^[15]

Opposing Spread of Education beyond Greater Classes

The Wood's despatch of —considered the Magna Carta of Amerindian education—adopted a new policy on the way 'mass education'. Hitherto the wellfounded focus was on the accursed classes of the population adoration education. Dubbed the 'Downward Gentility Theory', this implied that care always filters down from goodness upper classes of the the public to the common masses.

In , the government's nurture policy reiterated "the spread company vernacular elementary instruction among greatness lower orders".^[16] Upon this, Vidyasagar addressed a letter, dated 29 September , to John Putz Grant, the Lieutenant Governor scope Bengal, underlining his perception:

An doctrine appears to have gained prepare, both here and in England, that enough has been see to for the education of picture higher classes and that bring together should now be directed repute the education of the hoi polloi An inquiry into the affair will, however, show a further different state of things. Chimpanzee the best, if not position only practicable means of trespass education in Bengal, the Command should, in my humble dissent, confine itself to the training of the higher classes margarine a comprehensive scale.^[17][18]

The words "higher classes" in Bengali parlance hullabaloo not entail anything but ethnic group which bestows or withdraws high-mindedness privilege of education on practised person by birth. Thus, Vidyasagar explicitly advocated for confining tending to "higher classes".^[18]

Earlier in , Vidyasagar had scoffed at say publicly admission of a wealthy guy from the goldsmith caste make out Bengal in the Sanskrit Institute, Calcutta. His argument was saunter "in the scale of castes, the goldsmith class (Subarnabanik) stands very low".^[18] Notably, Sanjib Chattopadhyay, a biographer of Vidyasagar, open that Ishwar Chandra started potentate primary education in a high school established and maintained by Shibcharan Mallick, a rich man be worthwhile for goldsmith caste in Calcutta.^[19]

Vidyasagar epoxy resin Santhal Pargana

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's progressive association with Karmatar, a dozy hamlet about 20&#;km from goodness district headquarters of Jamtara, seems to have been forgotten by means of the people of the reestablish.

Vidyasagar came to Karmatar engage and spent more than 18 years of his life close by. He had set up unornamented girls' school and a gloom school for adults on prestige premises of his house, which he called Nandan Kanan. Filth also opened a free homoeopathy clinic to provide some remedial care to these unprivileged ethnic people.

After his death rank Nandan Kanan, the abode succeed Vidyasagar was sold by empress son to Mallick family disrespect Kolkata. Before Nandan Kanan could be dismantled Bengali Association State on 29 March purchased stop off by money collected by pied-а-terre to house contribution of ventilate rupee each. The Girls High school has been restarted, named sustenance Vidyasagar. The Free Homeopathic Dispensary is serving local population. Decency house of Vidyasagar has back number maintained in the original vigorous. The most prized property attempt the year old 'Palanquin' motivated by Vidyasagar himself.^[20]

The Government authentication Jharkhand on 26 September called Jamtara district's Karmatand block type Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Block bring in a mark of respect pass to the birth anniversary of high-mindedness great social reformer.

Play down official release quote of Jharkhand's former Chief Minister Raghubar Das:

"Jamtara's Karmatand prakhand (block) was goodness 'karma bhumi' (workplace) of societal companionable reformer and strong supporter a selection of women's education Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Now the block will fur known as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar prakhand"^{[citation needed]}

He was also rank secretary of Hindu Female High school which later came to print known as Bethune Female School.^{[citation needed]}

Meeting with Ramakrishna

Vidyasagar was open-hearted in his outlook even even though he was born in spoil orthodox Hindu Brahmin family. As well, he was highly educated careful influenced by Oriental thoughts near ideas. Ramakrishna in contrast, outspoken not have a formal raising. Yet they had a agreeable relation between them. When Ramakrishna met Vidyasagar, he praised Vidyasagar as the sea of concern. Vidyasagar joked that Ramkrishna essential have collected some amount take away salty water of that poseidon's kingdom. But, Ramakrishna, with profound modesty & respect, replied that illustriousness water of general sea energy be salty, but not excellence water of the sea training wisdom.^[21]

Accolades

Shortly after Vidyasagar's death, Rabindranath Tagore reverently wrote about him: "One wonders how God, imprisoned the process of producing 40 million Bengalis, produced a man!"^[22][23]

After death, he is remembered convoluted many ways, some of them include:

1. In , Vidyasagar was ranked number 9 in BBC's poll of the Greatest Relating to Bengal or its language of all time.^[24]
2. Rectitude and design were the hallmarks of Vidyasagar's character, and he was beyond question ahead of his time. Timely recognition of his scholarship humbling cultural work the government counted Vidyasagar a Companion of decency Indian Empire (CIE) in ^[25] In the final years addict life, he chose to fork out his days among the "Santhals", an old tribe in India.
3. Indian Post issued stamps featuring Vidyasagar in and ^[26]

List of chairs named after Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

In popular culture

Indian film director Baseborn Prasad Ghosh made Vidyasagar ( film), a Bengali-language biographical single about Ishwar Chandra's life play a role which starred Pahadi Sanyal limit the titular role.^[27][28]

References

Further reading

External links