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The Young Bengal movement was a group of radical Bengali free thinkers emerging from Hindu College, Calcutta in the early 19th century. Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that Beliefs should be formed on the basis of Science and Logic and should not be influenced Presidency College Kolkata is one of the affiliated colleges and a co-founding college of the University of Calcutta. They were also known as Derozians, after their firebrand teacher at Hindu College, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio. Henry Louis Vivian Derozio ( 10 April 1809 &ndash 26 December 1831) was a fiery Indian teacher and poet

Prominent Derozians and Young Bengal group members who left a distinct mark in Calcutta society of the 1830s and 1840s were[1]:

The Young Bengals were inspired and excited by the spirit of free thought and revolt against the existing social and religious structure of Hindu society. Ramgopal Ghosh (রামগোপাল ঘোষ was one of the leaders of the Young Bengal group a successful businessman a brilliant orator and a social reformer Ramtanu Lahiri (রামতনু লাহিড়ী (1813-1898 was a leading Derozian, a renowned teacher and a social reformer Upanayana, sometimes known outside India by the name "sacred thread ceremony" is commonly known for being a Hindu rite-of-passage ritual Rasik Krishna Mallick ( Bengali:রসিককৃষ্ণ মল্লিক (also spelt as Rasik-Krishna Mallik ( 1810 - 8 January 1858) was Peary Chand Mitra (প্যারীচাঁদ মিত্র (1814-1883 a member of Derozio’s Young Bengal group author and journalist played a leading Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee (দক্ষিণারঞ্জন মুখার্জ্জী Taluqdar of the formerly confiscated taluq of Shankarpur in the United Provinces Bethune College is a women's college in India. It was founded as a school in 1849 by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune and in 1879 developed as the first women's college Radhanath Sikdar ( Bangla: রাধানাথ শিকদার (1813–1870 was a Bengali Indian Mathematician who calculated the height Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. A number of Derozians were attracted to the Brahmo Samaj movement much later in life when they had lost their youthful fire and excitement. As one scholar characterized it:

"The Young Bengal movement was like a mighty storm that tried to sweep away everything before it. It was a storm that lashed society with violence causing some good, and perhaps naturally, some discomfort and distress. " [2]

The Young Bengal Movement peripherally included Christians such as Reverend Alexander Duff (1806-1878), who founded the General Assembly's Institution, and his students like Lal Behari Dey (1824-1892), who went on to renounce Hinduism. Alexander Duff, DD LLD (April 15 1806 &ndash Sidmouth February 12 1878 was a Christian Protestant Presbyterian missionary of Scottish heritage The Scottish Church College, which is located at 1 & 3 Urquhart Square Calcutta 700006 is the oldest continuing Missionary administered liberal arts and sciences college The Reverend Lal Behari Dey (লাল বিহারী দে ( 1824-12-18 - 1892-10-28) was a respected Bengali Indian journalist who Latter-day inheritors of the legacy of the Young Bengal Movement include scholars like Brajendra Nath Seal (1864-1938), who went on to be one of the leading theologians and thinkers of the Brahmo Samaj. Sir Dr Brajendra Nath Seal (ব্রজেন্দ্র নাথ শীল, (1864-1938 Ph

Contents

Organisations

Derozio and the Young Bengal group set two establishments and published journals which played a role in the Bengal Renaissance . The Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the region of Bengal in Undivided India during the These are noted below:

Academic Association

Derozio joined Hindu College in 1828 and within a short period attracted students. The Academic Association, established in 1828 under the guidance of Derozio, arranged discussions on subjects such as:

free will, free ordination, fate, faith, the sacredness of truth, the high duty of cultivating virtue, and the meanness of vice, the nobility of patriotism, the attributes of God, and the arguments for and against the existence of the deity as these have been set forth in Hume on one side, and Reid, Dugald Stewart and Brosn on the other, the hollowness of idolatry and the shames of priesthood. David Hume (26 April 1711 25 August 1776 Scottish Philosopher, Economist, and Historian is an important figure in Western philosophy Thomas Reid ( April 26, 1710 – October 7, 1796) Scottish Philosopher, and a contemporary of David Hume, was Dugald Stewart ( November 22, 1753 - June 11, 1828) Scottish Philosopher, was born in Edinburgh. [3]

After moving around for a place for its meetings, it settled down in Mainktala. Derozio was its president. One of his students, Uma Charan Basu, was its secreatry. The principal speakers in the association were: Rasik Krishna Mallick, Krishna Mohan Banerjee, Ramgopal Ghosh, Radhanath Sikdar, Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee, and Hara Chandra Ghosh. Rasik Krishna Mallick ( Bengali:রসিককৃষ্ণ মল্লিক (also spelt as Rasik-Krishna Mallik ( 1810 - 8 January 1858) was Krishna Mohan Banerjee (কৃষ্ণ মোহন ব্যানার্জি (1813-1885 (also referred to as Rev Ramgopal Ghosh (রামগোপাল ঘোষ was one of the leaders of the Young Bengal group a successful businessman a brilliant orator and a social reformer Radhanath Sikdar ( Bangla: রাধানাথ শিকদার (1813–1870 was a Bengali Indian Mathematician who calculated the height Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee (দক্ষিণারঞ্জন মুখার্জ্জী Taluqdar of the formerly confiscated taluq of Shankarpur in the United Provinces Hara Chandra Ghosh (archaic Hurro Chunder Ghose was one of the prominent leaders of the Young Bengal group (a group of radical Bengali free thinkers Amongst its organisers were Ramtanu Lahiri, Sib Chandra Deb and Peary Chand Mitra. Ramtanu Lahiri (রামতনু লাহিড়ী (1813-1898 was a leading Derozian, a renowned teacher and a social reformer Sib Chandra Deb (শিব চন্দ্র দেব Shib Chôndro Deb) (also spelt Shib Chandra Deb Shibchandra Deb Shib Chander Deb ( 20 July, 1811 Peary Chand Mitra (প্যারীচাঁদ মিত্র (1814-1883 a member of Derozio’s Young Bengal group author and journalist played a leading [4]

The sessions of the Academic Association attracted attention to such an extent that amongst those who used to be present fairly regularly were. David Hare, Col. David Hare (1775 &ndash 1842 was a Scottish Watchmaker and Philanthropist in Bengal. Benson, private secretary of Lord William Bentick, Col. Beatson, later adjutant general, and Dr. Mills, principal of Bishop’s College. They applauded the youngsters for their brilliant oratory. [5]

Haramohan Chatterjee has written as follows about the debates in the association”

“The principles and practices of Hindu religion were openly ridiculed and condemned, and angry disputes were held on moral subjets; the sentiments of Hume had been widely diffused and warmly patronised. David Hume (26 April 1711 25 August 1776 Scottish Philosopher, Economist, and Historian is an important figure in Western philosophy ” [6] The accusation of being irreligious is not entirely correct. The Derozian aim was in truth “to summon Hindusim to the bar of reason. ” [7] When Derozio was dismissed he wrote back, “That I should be called a sceptic and infidel is not surprising, as these names are always given to persons who think for themselves in religion…” [8] Derozio died in 1831, but the Academic Association was kept alive till about 1839. David Hare accepted the presidentship after Derozio. [9]

Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge

The Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge was established on 20 February 1838. It had 200 members in 1843[10]. Trachand Chakrabarti was its president, Ramgopal Ghosh its vice president and Peary Chand Mitra its president. Ramgopal Ghosh (রামগোপাল ঘোষ was one of the leaders of the Young Bengal group a successful businessman a brilliant orator and a social reformer Peary Chand Mitra (প্যারীচাঁদ মিত্র (1814-1883 a member of Derozio’s Young Bengal group author and journalist played a leading The society elected David Hare as honorary visitor. Some of the prominent papers it published were: Nature of Historical Stuudies and Civil and Social Reform by Krishna Mohan Banerjee, Interests of the Female Sex and the State of Hindustan by Peary Chand Mitra, Sketch of Bankuja by Hara Chandra Ghosh, Notice of Tipperah, A New Spelling Book, Notices of Chittagong by Gobinda Chandra Basak. [11]

These associations of the Young Bengal group were forerunners of later organisations such as the Lanholders’ Society, British India Society, and British Indian Association with all of which the Young bengal group had links[12]. The British Indian Association was established on the 31st of October 1851

See also

References

  1. ^ Sengupta, Nitish K. (2001) History of the Bengali-speaking people, pp227-228, New Delhi : UBS Publishers' Distributors. ISBN 978-8174763556
  2. ^ Bose, N. S. (1960) The Indian Awakening and Bengal, Calcutta, Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay.
  3. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, p282.
  4. ^ Sastri, Sivanath, Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj, (Bengali)1903/2001, p69, New Age Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
  5. ^ Sastri, Sivanath, p69
  6. ^ Sastri, Sivanath, p69
  7. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, p232.
  8. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, p282.
  9. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, p230.
  10. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, pp 230, 282.
  11. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, pp. 230-231.
  12. ^ Sengupta, Nitish, p231.

Further reading

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