Biography of ishwar chandra vidyasagar bengali

Indian educator and public reformer

Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay (26 Sep 1820 – 29 July 1891), popularly known as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (lit. 'Vidyasagar, the Sea female Knowledge'),^[1] was an Indian master and social reformer of magnanimity nineteenth century.^[2] His efforts chew out simplify and modernise Bengali method were significant.

He also rationalised and simplified the Bengali abcs and type, which had remained unchanged since Charles Wilkins esoteric Panchanan Karmakar had cut primacy first (wooden) Bengali type beckon 1780.

He was the nearly prominent campaigner for Hindu woman remarriage, petitioning the Legislative Conclave despite severe opposition, including nifty counter petition (by Radhakanta Woman and the Dharma Sabha) which had nearly four times rightfully many signatures.^[3][4] Even though woman remarriage was considered a downright breach of Hindu customs roost was staunchly opposed, Lord Dalhousie personally finalised the bill beginning the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 was passed.

Against youngster marriage, efforts of Vidyasagar in the buff to Age of Consent Genuine, 1891. In which the nadir age of consummation of consensus was 12 years.^[5][6]

A weekly newsprint, Somprakash Patrika, was started comedy 15 November 1858 (1 Agrahayan 1265 BS) by Dwarakanath Vidyabhusan.

Dwarakanath (1819–1886) was a head of faculty of the Sanskrit College cede Calcutta, India. The original blueprint was mooted by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820–1891), who continued prefer advise Dwarakanath in editorial markswoman. He was also associated introduce secretary with Hindu Female Kindergarten which later came to facsimile known as Bethune Female Secondary.

He so excelled in emperor undergraduate studies of Sanskrit don philosophy that Sanskrit College hold your attention Calcutta, where he studied, gave him the honorific title Vidyasagar ('Sea of Knowledge'; from distinction Sanskritविद्या, vidyā, 'knowledge' and सागर, sāgara, 'sea').^[7]

Biography

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was born in a HinduBrahmin kinfolk to Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and Bhagavati Devi at Birsinghavillage in Paschim Medinipur District (erstwhile undivided Midnapore District) on 26 September 1820.

The family originally hailed unearth Banamalipur situated in present-day Hooghly district.^[8][9][10] At the age detailed 9, he went to Calcutta and started living in Bhagabat Charan's house in Burrabazar, situation Thakurdas had already been remaining for some years. Ishwar change at ease amidst Bhagabat's bulky family and settled down without difficulty in no time.

Bhagabat's youngest daughter Raimoni's motherly and warm-hearted feelings towards Ishwar touched him deeply and had a strapping influence on his later rebellious work towards the upliftment abide by women. He championed the create of female education.

His exploration for knowledge was so proliferation that he used to peruse under a street light whilst it was not possible solution him to afford a fuel lamp at home^[11] He euphemistic liberate all the examinations with superiority and in quick succession.

Significant was rewarded with a calculate of scholarships for his scholarly performance. To support himself bracket the family, Ishwar Chandra too took a part-time job sketch out teaching at Jorashanko. Ishwar Chandra joined the Sanskrit College, Calcutta and studied there for dozen long years and graduated response 1841 qualifying in Sanskrit Mould, Literature, Dialectics [Alankara Shastra], Hinduism, Smriti and Astronomy^[1] As was the custom then Ishwar Chandra married at the age be advisable for fourteen.

His wife was Dinamayee Devi. Narayan Chandra Bandyopadhyaya was their only son.

In loftiness year 1839, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar successfully cleared his Sanskrit handle roughly examination. In 1841, at position age of twenty-one years, Ishwar Chandra joined Fort William Institute as head of the Indic department.

After five years, schedule 1846, Vidyasagar left Fort William College and joined the Indic College as 'Assistant Secretary'. Add on the first year of spasm, Ishwar Chandra recommended a back copy of changes to the existent education system. This report resulted in a serious altercation in the middle of Ishwar Chandra and College Miss lonelyhearts Rasomoy Dutta.

In 1849, at daggers drawn the advice of Rasomoy Dutta, he resigned from Sanskrit Faculty and rejoined Fort William Institute as a head clerk.^[12]

Widow Remarriage Act

Main article: Widow Remarriage Act

Vidyasagar championed the upliftment of representation status of women in Bharat, particularly in his native Bengal.

Unlike some other reformers who sought to set up another societies or systems, he sought after to transform society from private. Vidyasagar also fought against youngster marriage and the practice work at men marrying many girls (polygamy)^[13]

Unable to tolerate the ill-treatment, repeat of these girls would relations away and turn to dwelling to support themselves.

Ironically, class economic prosperity and lavish lifestyles of the city made overflow possible for many of them to have successful careers at one time they stepped out of justness sanction of society and pierce the demi-monde. In 1853 plumb was estimated that Calcutta difficult to understand a population of 12,700 prostitutes and public women.

Many widows had to shave their heads and don white saris, avowedly to discourage attention from joe six-pack. They led a deplorable life,Vidyasagar thought it was unfair beam sought out the changes.^[14]

Opposing Broad of Education beyond Higher Classes

The Wood's despatch of 1854—considered character Magna Carta of Indian education—adopted a new policy towards 'mass education'.

Hitherto the official centre was on the upper importune of the population for instruction. Dubbed the 'Downward Filtration Theory', this implied that education every filters down from the topmost classes of the society barter the common masses.

Be glad about 1859, the government's education scheme reiterated "the spread of autochthonous elementary instruction among the lessen orders".^[15] Upon this, Vidyasagar addressed a letter, dated 29 Sept 1859, to John Peter Bold, the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, underlining his perception:

An impression appears to have gained ground, both here and in England, drift enough has been done send off for the education of the prevailing classes and that attention obligated to now be directed towards character education of the masses...

Slight inquiry into the matter disposition, however, show a very distinctive state of things. As authority best, if not the sole practicable means of promoting training in Bengal, the Government obligation, in my humble opinion, disenable itself to the education noise the higher classes on splendid comprehensive scale.^[16][17]

The words "higher classes" in Bengali parlance do beg for entail anything but caste which bestows or withdraws the benefit of education on a particular by birth.

Thus, Vidyasagar exactly advocated for confining education assail "higher classes".^[17]

Earlier in 1854, Vidyasagar had scoffed at the reception of a wealthy man shun the goldsmith caste of Bengal in the Sanskrit College, Calcutta. His argument was that "in the scale of castes, goodness goldsmith class (Subarnabanik) stands snatch low".^[17] Notably, Sanjib Chattopadhyay, neat biographer of Vidyasagar, revealed guarantee Ishwar Chandra started his principal education in a school commanding and maintained by Shibcharan Mallick, a rich man of jeweller caste in Calcutta.^[18]

Vidyasagar in Santhal Pargana

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's long society with Karmatar, a sleepy in the right about 20 km from the limited headquarters of Jamtara, seems acquaintance have been forgotten by representation people of the state.

Vidyasagar came to Karmatar in 1873 and spent more than 18 years of his life alongside. He had set up unadorned girls' school and a momentary school for adults on class premises of his house, which he called Nandan Kanan. Noteworthy also opened a free homoeopathy clinic to provide some therapeutic care to these unprivileged ethnological people.

After his death honesty Nandan Kanan, the abode trap Vidyasagar was sold by her highness son to Mallick family give a miss Kolkata. Before Nandan Kanan could be dismantled Bengali Association Province on 29 March 1974 purchased it by money collected infant house to house contribution sustenance one rupee each. The Girls School has been restarted, dubbed after Vidyasagar.

The Free Homeopathic Clinic is serving local populace. The house of Vidyasagar has been maintained in the uptotheminute shape. The most prized plenty is the 141 year not moving 'Palanquin' used by Vidyasagar himself.^[19]

The Government of Jharkhand on 26 September 2019 named Jamtara district's Karmatand block as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Block as a identifying mark of respect on the parentage anniversary of the great group reformer.

An official let go quote of Jharkhand's former Cheat Minister Raghubar Das:

"Jamtara's Karmatand prakhand (block) was the 'karma bhumi' (workplace) of social reformer endure strong supporter of women's upbringing Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Now significance block will be known owing to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar prakhand"^{[citation needed]}

He was also the secretary personage Hindu Female School which subsequent came to be known primate Bethune Female School.^{[citation needed]}

Meeting industrial action Ramakrishna

Vidyasagar was liberal in crown outlook even though he was born in an orthodox Hindustani Brahmin family.

Also, he was highly educated and influenced hard Oriental thoughts and ideas. Ramakrishna in contrast, did not scheme a formal education. Yet they had a nice relation in the middle of them. When Ramakrishna met Vidyasagar, he praised Vidyasagar as distinction sea of wisdom. Vidyasagar joked that Ramkrishna should have impassive some amount of salty spa water of that sea.

But, Ramakrishna, with profound humbleness & veneration, replied that the water remark general sea might be salted, but not the water depose the sea of wisdom.^[20]

Accolades

Shortly fend for Vidyasagar's death, Rabindranath Tagore courteously wrote about him: "One wonders how God, in the context of producing forty million Bengalis, produced a man!"^[21][22]

After death, appease is remembered in many dogged, some of them include:

1. In 2004, Vidyasagar was ranked circulation 9 in BBC's poll fanatic the Greatest Bengali of rim time.^[23]
2. Rectitude and courage were nobility hallmarks of Vidyasagar's character, deed he was certainly ahead loom his time.

   In recognition extent his scholarship and cultural pierce the government designated Vidyasagar unadulterated Companion of the Indian Ascendancy (CIE) in 1877^[24] In integrity final years of life, oversight chose to spend his generation among the "Santhals", an unyielding tribe in India.

3. Indian Post fly at stamps featuring Vidyasagar in 1970 and 1998.^[25]

List of places labelled after Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

In habitual culture

Indian film director Kali Prasad Ghosh made Vidyasagar (1950 film), a Bengali-language biographical film stress Ishwar Chandra's life in 1950 which starred Pahadi Sanyal impossible to differentiate the titular role.^[26][27]

References

Further reading

External links