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Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

A pioneer of Bengal renaissance

Published : Saturday, 19 August, 2017 at 12:00 AM  Count : 806
Chinmay Prasun Biswas
As an educationist, a social reformer, a translator, a writer, a publisher, a printer and above all a philanthropist Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar is a key figure among  Bengalees. Family title of Iswar Chandra was Banerjee, Vidyasagar was his academically acquired title from Sanskrit College, Calcutta.   
As born in a poor family Iswar Chandra had to pass his boyhood and teenage through poverty and hardship but had so intense quest of knowledge that he studied under streetlight because his family had not the ability to provide lamp for him at home. It is said he learnt English numbers from 1 to 9 and 0 from milepost on his way from home to Calcutta.  He was admitted into class 3 of Grammar in Sanskrit College where he proved his talent and acquired scholarship of Tk 5 per month. Next to it he earned scholarship in three consecutive examinations. He studied more than 12 years in Sanskrit College and always stood first. In Smriti class, he showed unimaginable academic excellence and was awarded the title Vidyasagar and got scholarship of Tk 80. He passed Law examination conducted by Hindu Law Committee in 1839. In the certificate given to him by Hindu Law Committee the title Vidyasagar was added to his and along the passage of time his family title Banerjee has sunk into oblivion. Since then Vidyasagar means Iswar Chandra  though he himself wrote his name as Iswar Chandra Sharma in introduction to his gooks Shakuntala, Betal Panchabingshati, Mahabhartat etc.
According to custom of his time Iswar Chandra got married at the age of 15 with Dinmayi Devi but his quest of knowledge never quenched. He joined the post of Head Pundit (teacher) at Fort William College on 29th December, 1841at the age of only 21 and served there for 5 years. Then he joined the post of Assistant Secretary of Sanskrit College in 1846 at a monthly pay of Tk 50 and submitted a report to college authority containing recommendations for improving education system.  G T Marshall (Principal of Fort William  College) was highly pleased  but Rasmoy Dutta, secretary of Sanskrit College, known as conservative, became hostile and as a consequence Vidyasagar had to resign but he did not have to sit jobless. He joined Fort William College as head clerk and soon he was given the post of Professor of Literature in 1850. At one stage he became principal of Sanskrit College at a monthly pay of Tk 150. As principal, he brought about many changes there. Earlier, only Barahmin and Vaidyas were allowed for admission  but he opened the door of college to all Hindus, tuition fees was reduced to nominal, changed weekly  holiday from 1st and 8th lunar day to Sunday, persuaded the government to acknowledge the degree given by the College to be eligible for competing for the post of deputy magistrate, revised syllabus, introduced the system of teaching grammar and mathematics in Bengali and English in place of Sanskrit, included Bacon and J S Mill in syllabus etc. Fort William College was shut down in 1854 and Board of Examiners was established. Vidyasagar was included as an active of that Board. As per direction of Frederick Halliday it was decided that education in Bengal would be controlled by Director of Public Instructions and total authority was placed on Inspector of Schools.
Besides principal of Sanskrit College, Vidyasagar was given the additional charge of Assistant Inspector of Schools. Taking full benefit of this responsibility and for the purpose of expanding female education he opened 35 girls' schools during 1857-58, renamed the sick Calcutta Metropolitan as Hindu Metropolitan Institute, with approval of Calcutta University that institute prepared candidates for Entrance Examination and showed instant success. In early 1872 it was recognised by the University as an intermediate college and in 1879 as a degree college.
For the purpose of legalising widow remarriage he organised a signature campaign and sent a petition to government on 4 October 1855 requesting to pass a law. Afterwards  twenty-two more petitions containing more than five thousand signatures from Bengal and other parts of India followed.
On the contrary, conservative Hindus sent in twenty-eight petitions bearing more than fifty-five thousand signatures, inducing government not to interfere with native religion and custom. Within one year other supporters lost their enthusiasm in the campaign and disagreed to fund it but as a lone fighter he continued the struggle.
He had the courage to marry his only son to a widow and even to disown him. Though most of the people were in support of the conservatives, government passed an act legalising widow remarriage in July 1857, which was certainly an epoch making success. Facing strong opposition and even violence, Vidyasagar remarried the first widow in December 1857 to one of his colleagues at Sanskrit College.
In his campaign for widow marriage and in his effort for expanding female education he was obstructed by conservative Hindus, even by renowned personalities like Bankim Chandra Chaterjee and Iswar Gupta.
 Charles Wilkins and Panchanan Karmakar  prepared first wooden Bengali type in 1780 which continued for around 100 years. Vidyasagar reformed Bengali alphabet and typography into twelve vowels and forty consonants.
As a nourisher of Bengali prose he wrote a good number of books which contributed significantly to Bengali and Sanskrit literature. Vidyasagar's Barna Parichay (introduction to alphabet, 1854) is still considered a classic with its immortal sayings like - always speak the truth, taking others' goods without telling him is theft, don't laugh at the blind etc.
All his writings are based mainly on morality and idealism which are very much necessary for formation of character and mentality of children.
This great personality died as a lonely man on 29 July 1891. Very few men are fortunate to be esteemed with such lofty words during lifetime and after death. This ever-courageous philanthropist, social reformer, iconic renaissance figure of Bengal and literary figure will remain ever memorable in the hearts of Bengalees.

The writer is a Commissioner of Taxes (Rtd)


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