Biography of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

 Biography of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar :

 Great, great and wise people have left an impact on the society. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was such a person. Who was very humble and lived his life with determination and purpose. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a great social reformer, writer, teacher and entrepreneur and worked tirelessly for social change. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is remembered for his contribution to education in India and for changing the status of women. Karuna Sagar is a brief biography of Pandit Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar.

 Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Biography in English  or autobiography or biography is discussed in detail.

 Who is Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar?

 Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is a prominent Bengali educationist, social reformer and prose writer of the 19th century. Ishwar Chandra Banerjee; Ishwar Chandra Sharma used to sign as well. In 1839, he received the title of Vidyasagar from the Sanskrit College for his profound erudition in Sanskrit language and literature. Apart from Sanskrit, he had special etymology in Bengali and English languages. He was the first to reform the Bengali script and make it logical and easy to read. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was the first significant shaper of Bengali prose.

 Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Birthday:

 Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar on 26 September 1820. He was born in Birsingh village of Medinipur district of West Bengal. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Parents: Father Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and Mother Bhagwati Devi. Although born in a poor family, he earned great fame for his education, reform, sincerity, austerity, kindness and devotion, due to which he is immortal.

 Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Childhood: 

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar first studied at Gramya Pathshala and later at Calcutta Sanskrit College. His father used to get a salary of Rs. Out of this 8 taka salary, 4 taka was spent for him. Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar studied poetry, grammar, rhetoric, Vedanta, Smriti Nyaya-Jyotish etc. for 12 years and acquired extraordinary scholarship.

Early Life and Education:

Ishwar Chandra Bandopadhyaya was born in Birsingha village of Midnapore district in Bengal on September 26, 1820. His father, Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and mother Bhagavati Devi were very religious persons. The economic condition of the family was not well so Ishwar had to spend his childhood amidst scarcity of basic resources. Amidst all this, Ishwar Chandra was an obstinate boy with a brilliant mind and he focused his obstinacy in his studies. He learned basics of Sanskrit at the village pathshaala after which he set out for Calcutta with his father in 1826. There are several myths regarding his brilliance and dedication as a student. It is said that Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar learned English numerals by following the mile-stones labels on his way to Calcutta. His father Thakurdas stayed at Burrabazar area in Calcutta along with his sons and money was scarce so Ishwar Chandra used to help in household chores after school hours, and at night he used to study under the gas lit street lamps to save oil for cooking the next day.

He breezed through his lessons and cleared all the necessary exams. He learned Vedanta, Vyakaran, Literature, Rhetoric’s, Smriti and Ethics in Sanskrit College during 1829 to 1841. He earned regular scholarships and later took up a teaching position in a school in Jorasanko to support his family’s financial condition. He took part in a competition testing knowledge in Sanskrit in 1839 and earned the title of ‘Vidyasagar’ meaning.

Career:

In 1841, at the age of twenty one, Ishwar Chandra joined the Fort William College as the Head Pandit in the Sanskrit department. The brilliant mind that he was, he soon became proficient in English and Hindi. After five years, in 1946, Vidyasagar left Fort William College and joined the Sanskrit College as 'Assistant Secretary'. But just after a year he entered into serious altercation with the College Secretary, Rasomoy Dutta, over administrative changes he recommended. Since Vidyasagar was not someone who would bow down to power, he resigned from the post on being refused by the college authorities and resumed employment at Fort William College but as a head clerk. He came back to Sanskrit College as a Professor on the request of the college authorities but imposed a condition that he be allowed to redesign the system. He became Principal of Sanskrit College in 1851. In 1855, he assumed the responsibilities as a special inspector of schools with additional charges and travelled to remote villages in Bengal to oversee the quality of education.

Educational Reforms:

Vidyasagar is credited with the role of thoroughly remodelling medieval scholastic system prevailing in Sanskrit College and bring about modern insights into the education system. The first change that Vidyasagar made when he came back to the Sanskrit College as a Professor was to include English and Bengali as the medium of learning, besides Sanskrit. He introduced courses of European History, Philosophy and Science alongside of Vedic scriptures. He encouraged students to pursue these subjects and take away the best from both worlds. He also changed the rules of admission for students in Sanskrit College allowing non-Brahmin students to enrol in the prestigious institution. He wrote two books ‘Upakramonika’ and ‘Byakaran Koumudi’, interpreting complex notions of Sanskrit grammar in easy legible Bengali language. He introduced the concepts of Admission fee and tuition fee for the first time in Calcutta. He set up the Normal School for training teachers enabling uniformity in teaching methods. Through his contacts at the deputy magistrate’s office he would help his students get jobs in government offices.

He was an ardent advocate of women education. He rightly viewed education as the primary way for women to achieve emancipation from all the societal oppression they had to face at that time. He exercised his power and lobbied hard for opening of school for girls and even outlined suitable curriculum that not only did educate them, but also enabled them .

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Education Life: 

After passing the law examination with merit in 1839, he received the title of Vidyasagar. The name Sagar was right for him. Ocean of knowledge, ocean of knowledge, ocean of kindness, ocean of mercy, ocean of humanity, ocean of progressiveness, ocean of conscience are all proper and applicable adjectives in his case. If it was called a sea of ​​personalities, I understand - it would not be inappropriate. 

 Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's 'PANDIT' Title: 

In 1841, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar got the post of Principal Pandit at Fort William College. He is called the father of Bengali prose.

 Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Books:

 Vidyasagar wrote many books for the education of the school department. Such as comprehension, spelling, speech, character, orthography etc. He composed Balsanchar in Bengali language, Betal Panchabinshati, Shakuntala, Sita Banbas etc. He also edited books like Raghuvamsa, Sarvadarsha collection, Kumarasambhava, Kadambari, Meghadut, Uttararamcharita, Abhijanan Shakuntalam etc.

 Vidyasagar's role in social reform: 

His unique role in social reform will be forever remembered in Bengali life. With his concentrated and energetic efforts, the Widow Marriage Act was enacted and enforced. He is a great figure for Hindu widows. He married the first widow with his son. Distressed women services – to save with help. He also established the Hindu Family Annuity Fund and introduced women's education. 

Vidyasagar was always vocal about the oppression that the society inflicted on women at that time. He was very close to his mother who was a woman of great character, who directed him once to do something to alleviate the pain and helplessness of Hindu widows, who were forced to live a life of abnegation. They were denied basic pleasures of life, marginalised in the society, often exploited unfairly and treated as a burden by their family. Vidyasagar’s compassionate heart could not take their plight and he made it his mission to improve the quality of life for these helpless women. He faced raging opposition from orthodox society which termed the concept as something heretic. He challenged the Brahminical authorities and proved that widow remarriage is sanctioned by Vedic scriptures. He took his arguments to the British Authorities and his pleas were heard when the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 or Act XV, 1856, was decreed on July 26, 1856. He did not just stop there. He initiated several matches for child or adolescent widows within respectable families and even married his son Narayan Chandra to an adolescent widow in 1870 to set an example.

Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar's Struggle: He was one of the founding members of Calcutta University. Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar is also legendary for his devotion to his mother. He has always fought relentlessly against superstition, bigotry and bigotry. The Bengali nation first found the first example of growing up, becoming competent, humane, modern, progressive and universal in the sea of ​​knowledge. Rabindranath Tagore said about him – “He. He was not a Hindu, he was not a Bengali or a Brahmin, he was a 'man'. The significance of this comment is profound. Because it is not easy to be a proper person. Rabindranath say more.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Death:

Mahatma Gandhi said about Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar- "The poor Bengali Brahmin I respect is Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar." This Mahamati Vidyasagar passed away on July 29, 1891. He was 71 years old then. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.