ISHWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGER BIOGRAPHY IN ENGLISH

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Biography in English (Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar History, books, Shiksha Darshan, Contribution, Social Reform, Contribution to Education, Widow Remaggiage Act, Paragraph, Story, Birth, Death, Schools, Son Name, Biography in English)

Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a Great Educationist and Social Reformer in India of West Bengal in 19th Century. He was a Great Man. He was one of the greatest sons of Mother India. He was a social reformer in India at west Bengal in 19th Century. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar introduced Widow-Marriage (Hindu widow Remarriage Act). Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Wrote many books in Bengali Language.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar helped a Bengali Poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta to relocate from France to England and his study. He also felicitated his return to India. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar inspired him to write Bengali Poetry which was creating same of the most legendary literary works in the Bengali language.

Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s Family and Date of Birth History in details –

Name : Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay

Born : 26^th September in 1820

Father : Thakurdas Bandyopadhaya

Mother : Bhagabati Devi

Birth Place : Village Birsingha in the District of Midnapur

Education : Sanskrit Grammar, Literature, Dialectics (Alankara Shastra), Vedanta, Smriti and Astronomy

Occupation : Educator and Social Reformer

Language : Bengali

Religion : Hindu

Nationality : Indian

Alma Mater : Sanskrit College

Spouse : Dinamayee Devi

Son : Narayan Chandra Bandyopadhaya

Died : 29^th July 1891 (aged at 70, in Calcutta)

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s Childhood and Early Life –

Ishwar Chandra received his Primary Education in the Village Pathshala. He was a very Brilliant student all through. He stood first in his student life. But the Economic condition of Ishwar Chandra’s father was not that stable and subsequently the childhood days of Vidyasagar were spent in object poverty. So, completion of elementary Education at the village school, his father took him to Calcutta (Now its Kolkata) for higher Education.

Educational Details of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar –

Ø  Ishwar Chandra was a Brilliant and an intelligent student from his childhood. At the age of eight, he came to Calcutta with his father. Little Ishwar Chandra learned English Numbers by following the Mile-Stones labels on his way to Calcutta.

Ø  Ishwar Chandra joined the Sanskrit College, Calcutta. He studied there Sanskrit Grammar, Literature, Dialectics (Alankara Shastra), Vedanta, Smriti and Astronomy for twelve long years and passed out of this College in 1839 with Disguised Marks.

Ø  His quest for knowledge was so intense that he used to Study under a Street as it was not possible for him to afford a Gas Lamp at home.

Ø  He was rewarded with a number of Scholarships for his Academic Performance.

Professional Details of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar—

·         Ishwar Chandra wanted to support his family due to their poor status of the family. So, he teach as a part time job as well as study in Sanskrit College. In 1841, at the age of twenty-one years Ishwar Chandra joined the Fort Willam College as a head of the Sanskrit Department.

·         After Five years in 1846, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar left Fort William College and joined Sanskrit College. But Vidyasagar resigned from Sanskrit College in 1849. Because, his service period he recommended a number of Changes to the existing Education System. It resulted a serious altercation between Ishwar Chandra and College Secretary Rasomoy Dutta. So Vidyasagar rejoined Fort William College but as a head Clerk in 1849.

·         In 1856, he opened a School in Kolkata in the name of Barisha High School. He runs this school according to his views on an Education.

A Social Reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar –

·         Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar used to spend a part of his Scholarships and salary for the welfare of those people who are poor and weak lying on the footpath and street. Vidyasagar would also buy Medicine for the sick people.

·         Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar fight for women’s equal status with the men in Indian Society in further years.

·         He established Metropolitan Institution.

·         He had a great love for learning and did much for the spread of Education amongst the people especially in rural areas and for Females.

·         Vidyasagar was a great Educator.

·         His thoughts were revolving around the Women status in the Society.

·         Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar wanted to make something of the helpless and pains of Hindu Widow.

·         Vidyasagar proved how the Vedic Scriptures allowing the remarriage of a Widow.

·         Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar initialed the concept of Widow Remarriage.

·         He raised concern for the abolition of Child-Marriage and Polygamy.

·         Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar met the British Authorities and introduced “Hindu Widow Remarriage Act” in 1856.

·         His own son Chandra also marriage an adolescent widow in 1870.

·         Ishwar Chandra searched in the society the adolescent widow and convinced their families to remarriage her.

·         Vidyasagar explicitly advocated for confining education to higher Classes.

·         He opened the doors of the Schools, Colleges and other Educational Institution to lower caste students also, not only Brahmins.

·         People addressing him a “Dayar Sagar” (means an Ocean of Kindness), for his Social Work.

A Meeting with Ramakrishna and Vidyasagar –

Vidyasagar was highly educated and influenced by Oriental thoughts and ideas. And Ramakrishna in contrast, he did not have a formal Education. But they had a nice relation between them. Ramakrishna said that Vidyasagar was a Ocean of Wisdom.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was an Educationist—

ü  In 1846, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar joined the Sanskrit College as an Assistant Secretary. He brought number of changes to the existing education system

ü  In year 1851 to 1858, the Principal of Sanskrit College Vidyasagar initiated unprecedented changes in both Administration and Education.

ü  Vidyasagar started “The Right to an Education”. Every person from higher caste to lower caste people can chance to get education; there is no fact of any gender or people.

ü  He also encouraged scholars to study an ancient sacred text and interpret them for contemporary usage.

ü  Vidyasagar established 20 models School in Hooghly, Midnapore, Burdwan and Nadia.

ü  He started montly exam instead of annual ones.

ü  He introduced the study of English language, Western Sciences and Mathematics.

ü  He introduced Sunday as weekly holiday and Summer Vacation in the month of May and June.

The Linguist of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar –

·         He brought a tremendous revolution in the Bengali Education system by changing the way of Bengali Language was written and taught.

·         His credited was reconstructing the Bengali Alphabet.

·         He simplified Bengali typography into an alphabet of 12 Vowels and Consonants eliminating the Sanskrit Phonemes.

·         His book “Borno Porichoy” a  introduction of the letter in Bengali literature. Its used still today in Primary School in West Bengal.

·         Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a key figure in Bengali renaissance of Culture, Social, Intellectual and Artistic movement in Bengal. Ishwar Chandra was the Pioneer of Bengali Literature in Nineteenth Century.

·         Ishwar Chandra wrote nearly 10 books on Bengali’s history and literature. All the books being considered as Classics still now.

Books was written by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar—

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar wrote many books in Bengali Literacy. i.e.

v  Betal Panchavinsati (1847)

v  Banglar Itihaas (1848)

v  Jivancharita (1849)

v  Shakuntala (1854)

v  Mahabharata (1860)

v  Seetar Vanavas (1860)

v  Bharantivillas (1869)

v  Oti Alpa Hoilo (1873)

v  Aabaar Oti Alpa Hoilo (1873)

v  Brajavilaas (1884)

v  Ratnopariksha (1886)

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s Death—

Sanskrit College in Kolkata awarded him “Vidyasagar”. The Sanskrit word ‘Vidya’ means Knowledge and ‘Sagar’ means Ocean. So, Vidyasagar means ‘Ocean of Knowledge’.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was the great scholar in Academician and Reformer, passed away on 29^th july, 1891 at the age of Seventy years.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Biography in English