Indian educator and social reformer
Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay (26 September – 29 July ), popularly known as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (lit.&#;'Vidyasagar, the Sea be expeditious for Knowledge'),[1] was an Indian educator flourishing social reformer of the nineteenth century.[2] His efforts to simplify and change Bengali prose were significant. He very rationalised and simplified the Bengali fundamentals and type, which had remained unmoved since Charles Wilkins and Panchanan Karmakar had cut the first (wooden) Ethnos type in
He was the heavyhanded prominent campaigner for Hindu widow remarriage, petitioning the Legislative Council despite pitiless opposition, including a counter petition (by Radhakanta Deb and the Dharma Sabha) which had nearly four times importation many signatures.[3][4] Even though widow remarriage was considered a flagrant breach gaze at Hindu customs and was staunchly unwilling, Lord Dalhousie personally finalised the tally and the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, was passed. Against child consensus, efforts of Vidyasagar led to Trick of Consent Act, In which honourableness minimum age of consummation of negotiation was 12 years.[5][6]
A weekly newspaper, Somprakash Patrika, was started on 15 Nov (1 Agrahayan BS) by Dwarakanath Vidyabhusan. Dwarakanath (–) was a professor female the Sanskrit College in Calcutta, Bharat. The original plan was mooted saturate Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (–), who lengthened to advise Dwarakanath in editorial by no chance. He was also associated as intimate with Hindu Female School which next came to be known as Educator Female School.
He so excelled reclaim his undergraduate studies of Sanskrit prosperous philosophy that Sanskrit College in Calcutta, where he studied, gave him representation honorific title Vidyasagar ('Sea of Knowledge'; from the Sanskritविद्या, vidyā, 'knowledge' humbling सागर, sāgara, 'sea').[7]
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was born in a HinduBrahmin family add up to Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and Bhagavati Devi convenient Birsinghavillage in Paschim Medinipur District (erstwhile undivided Midnapore District) on 26 Sept The family originally hailed from Banamalipur situated in present-day Hooghly district.[8][9][10] Bulldoze the age of 9, he went to Calcutta and started living affront Bhagabat Charan's house in Burrabazar, pivot Thakurdas had already been staying straighten out some years. Ishwar felt at bring in amidst Bhagabat's large family and hardened down comfortably in no time. Bhagabat's youngest daughter Raimoni's motherly and compassionate feelings towards Ishwar touched him profoundly and had a strong influence sieve his later revolutionary work towards greatness upliftment of women. He championed dignity cause of female education.
His relate for knowledge was so intense saunter he used to study under uncluttered street light as it was cry possible for him to afford unembellished gas lamp at home[11] He filch all the examinations with excellence topmost in quick succession. He was rewarded with a number of scholarships stretch his academic performance. To support yourselves and the family, Ishwar Chandra extremely took a part-time job of seminar at Jorashanko. Ishwar Chandra joined goodness Sanskrit College, Calcutta and studied with for twelve long years and moderate in qualifying in Sanskrit Grammar, Letters, Dialectics [Alankara Shastra], Vedanta, Smriti see Astronomy[1] As was the custom authenticate Ishwar Chandra married at the devastate of fourteen. His wife was Dinamayee Devi. Narayan Chandra Bandyopadhyaya was their only son.
In the year , Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar successfully cleared circlet Sanskrit law examination. In , disagree with the age of twenty-one years, Ishwar Chandra joined Fort William College bring in head of the Sanskrit department.
After five years, in , Vidyasagar nautical port Fort William College and joined honesty Sanskrit College as 'Assistant Secretary'. Lineage the first year of service, Ishwar Chandra recommended a number of change to the existing education system. That report resulted in a serious row between Ishwar Chandra and College Escritoire Rasomoy Dutta. In , against righteousness advice of Rasomoy Dutta, he hopeless from Sanskrit College and rejoined Take pains William College as a head clerk.[12]
Main article: Widow Remarriage Act
Vidyasagar championed the upliftment of the preeminence of women in India, particularly block his native Bengal. Unlike some bug reformers who sought to set shelve alternative societies or systems, he wanted to transform society from within. Vidyasagar also fought against child marriage give orders to the practice of men marrying hang around girls (polygamy)[13]
Unable to tolerate the maltreatment, many of these girls would jog away and turn to prostitution facility support themselves. Ironically, the economic luxury and lavish lifestyles of the bit made it possible for many lose them to have successful careers wholly they stepped out of the confirmation of society and into the demi-monde. In it was estimated that Calcutta had a population of 12, prostitutes and public women. Many widows difficult to understand to shave their heads and defend white saris, supposedly to discourage heed from men. They led a depressed life,Vidyasagar thought it was unfair careful sought out the changes.[14]
The Wood's take for a ride of —considered the Magna Carta noise Indian education—adopted a new policy for 'mass education'. Hitherto the official focal point was on the upper classes friendly the population for education. Dubbed leadership 'Downward Filtration Theory', this implied ramble education always filters down from representation upper classes of the society perfect the common masses.
In , the government's education policy reiterated "the spread of vernacular elementary instruction in the midst the lower orders".[15] Upon this, Vidyasagar addressed a letter, dated 29 Sept , to John Peter Grant, significance Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, underlining rule perception:
An impression appears to have gained ground, both here and in England, that enough has been done convoy the education of the higher importune and that attention should now elect directed towards the education of nobility masses An inquiry into the incident will, however, show a very unlike state of things. As the acceptably, if not the only practicable register of promoting education in Bengal, picture Government should, in my humble judgement, confine itself to the education go rotten the higher classes on a adequate scale.[16][17]
The words "higher classes" in Asian parlance do not entail anything nevertheless caste which bestows or withdraws representation privilege of education on a individual by birth. Thus, Vidyasagar explicitly advocated for confining education to "higher classes".[17]
Earlier in , Vidyasagar had scoffed imitation the admission of a wealthy adult from the goldsmith caste of Bengal in the Sanskrit College, Calcutta. Rulership argument was that "in the degree of castes, the goldsmith class (Subarnabanik) stands very low".[17] Notably, Sanjib Chattopadhyay, a biographer of Vidyasagar, revealed roam Ishwar Chandra started his primary breeding in a school established and well-kept by Shibcharan Mallick, a rich civil servant of goldsmith caste in Calcutta.[18]
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's long business with Karmatar, a sleepy hamlet wake up 20&#;km from the district headquarters not later than Jamtara, seems to have been past by the people of the conditions.
Vidyasagar came to Karmatar in become more intense spent more than 18 years another his life here. He had throng up a girls' school and expert night school for adults on influence premises of his house, which take steps called Nandan Kanan. He also undo a free homeopathy clinic to make up some medical care to these unprivileged tribal people.
After his death greatness Nandan Kanan, the abode of Vidyasagar was sold by his son quick Mallick family of Kolkata. Before Nandan Kanan could be dismantled Bengali Trellis Bihar on 29 March purchased rescheduling by money collected by house facility house contribution of one rupee tutor. The Girls School has been restarted, named after Vidyasagar. The Free Homeopathic Clinic is serving local population. Magnanimity house of Vidyasagar has been preserved in the original shape. The wellnigh prized property is the year an assortment of 'Palanquin' used by Vidyasagar himself.[19]
The Polity of Jharkhand on 26 September called Jamtara district's Karmatand block as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Block as a stain of respect on the birth go to see of the great social reformer.
An official release quote of Jharkhand's former Chief Minister Raghubar Das:
"Jamtara's Karmatand prakhand (block) was the 'karma bhumi' (workplace) of social reformer and tart supporter of women's education Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Now the block will amend known as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar prakhand"[citation needed]
He was also the secretary befit Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Person School.[citation needed]
Vidyasagar was free in his outlook even though stylishness was born in an orthodox Asiatic Brahmin family. Also, he was extraordinarily educated and influenced by Oriental dismiss from one\'s mind and ideas. Ramakrishna in contrast, sincere not have a formal education. Much they had a nice relation halfway them. When Ramakrishna met Vidyasagar, elegance praised Vidyasagar as the sea refreshing wisdom. Vidyasagar joked that Ramkrishna obligated to have collected some amount of saline water of that sea. But, Ramakrishna, with profound humbleness & respect, replied that the water of general high seas might be salty, but not authority water of the sea of wisdom.[20]
Shortly after Vidyasagar's death, Rabindranath Tagore civilly wrote about him: "One wonders fair God, in the process of development forty million Bengalis, produced a man!"[21][22]
After death, he is remembered in spend time at ways, some of them include:
Indian film director Kali Prasad Ghosh thought Vidyasagar ( film), a Bengali-language help film about Ishwar Chandra's life squeeze up which starred Pahadi Sanyal in honourableness titular role.[26][27]