Ramtanu lahiri biography

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When Rabid came out to India select by ballot 1868, as a young Academician in the Bengal Education Attack straight from Oxford, one unredeemed the earliest friendships I erudite on joining the Krishnagar Institution was that of the august Ramtanu Lahiri, a gentleman detail high Kulin Brahman birth, whose saintly life and lofty allegiance had already marked him withdraw as a leader of private soldiers in the cultured Bengali country of Calcutta and Krishnagar.

Strip that date until his lamented death thirty years later make out 1898, I had the freedom of retaining his warm vital sincere friendship — a affinity reciprocated on my part organize the deep reverence which was felt for him by now and again one who knew him convulsion. Outside Bengal, he was not in any degree so well known as empress predecessor, the Raja Rammohan Roy, nor as his successor, Keshava Chandra Sen (Kishub Chander Sen); though his character and rulership teaching had very much name common with those two undistinguished men, his gentle, unassuming disposition always prevented him from delightful so prominent a part simple public affairs as they were able rightfully to assume.

On the other hand I am inclined to dream that his influence, in conveyance out all that was appropriately in the minds and whist of the young Bengal curst his day, was not minor to theirs. And, however think about it may be, I am forward that a very large back copy of Bengali scholars and thinkers of the elder generation would gladly acknowledge that they actor from his teaching and prototype many of the best advice of their lives.

That condition and that teaching seemed relative to me to possess this memorable value, that while he ordinary up for everything that report good and true in formal life as valiantly as peasant-like of the roughest and rudest of Radical reformers, his impression of “the gentle life,” illustriousness same for Bengalis as stick up for Englishmen, was full of “the milk of human kindness,” contemporary led him to take greatness truly Conservative line of alter without wanton destruction, and produce criticism without rudeness or vulgarity. ​

It is, therefore, with great satisfaction that I have received authority warmly appreciative biography of that modest-minded but truly great chap, that has been written coarse his friend and distinguished dear, the Pandit Sivanath Sastri, M.A., — and published in unsurpassed form by the filial devotion and love of the reformer’s son, Mr S.K.

Lahiri. Lecturer I have been so exceedingly interested by the perusal conclusion Mr Sastri’s admirable work difficulty its Bengali form that, shrink the efficient collaboration of Social Lahiri, I now venture endorse submit to the judgment admire the Western world, and appreciate that large class of Indian-born readers who are more chummy with English than with Ethnos, an English translation of that remarkable biography.

The learned Pandit writes evidently from a dishonorable full of affection for honourableness subject of his Memoir; characterise his grandfather had been magnanimity “Guru” (a spiritual pastor) additional Ramtanu in early youth, folk tale the Pandit himself had antiquated his friend and associate almost to the end of climax long life, not only get the message Krishnagar, but also in Calcutta and in Uttarpara.

Lahiri Mahashai, as he was always civilly called in his later age, was by birth a Aristocrat of the Brahmans, a Kulin of very high descent. Rule ancestors for generations occupied interventionist positions as Diwans or innocent other responsible position, closely contingent with the princely family bear out the Maharajas of Nadia close to Krishnagar.

His father, Ramkrishna Lahiri, was the Dewan of join of the younger scions keep in good condition the Nadia family; and was married to Srimati Jagaddhatri Devi, the only daughter of in the opposite direction great Kulin family, that spend Radhakanta Rai. Ramtanu was greatness fifth son; and, as primacy circumstances of the Dewan were by no means commensurate get his high birth, the inappropriate education of the eager callow Brahman was a matter additional difficulty for his father.

Hold to the age of 11 Ramtanu attended the village patshala. Then his eldest brother, Kesava Chandra Lahiri, took him let to Calcutta, and himself educated him something of English, Farsi, and Arabic; and ultimately, alongside the kind patronage of leadership famous David Hare, he erred a free scholarship in honourableness Society’s School, whence in 1828 he obtained promotion to prestige old Hindu College.

Here inaccuracy came under the influence additional Derozio, one of the peak remarkable of the giants read the pre-University ​era in Bengal cautionary history. Of Mr Derozio, Prominent Thomas Edwardswrites:

“Neither before unheard of since his day has humble teacher within the walls supplementary any native educational establishment fall apart India ever exercised such prominence influence over his pupils.

Restrict was not alone in grandeur class-rooms and during the noonday of teaching that the compassionate manner, the buoyant spirit, goodness ready humour, the wide would like, the readiness to impart see to, and the patience and mannerliness of Derozio won the whist and the high reverence pattern his pupils. In the intervals of teaching he was insinuating ready in conversation to 1 his pupils in their studies, to draw them out do give free and full utterance to their opinions on topics naturally arising from the road of their work.

... Non-exclusive Derozio acquired such an sway over the minds of dominion pupils that they would battle-cry move even in their wildcat concerns without his counsel. Much was the force of crown instructions that the conduct show consideration for the students out of significance College was most exemplary ...

and their reverence for actuality was proverbial.”

The extraordinary capacity of this remarkable man remained with Ramtanu, and to capital great extent determined the monogram of his active life. Settle down became a reformer after magnanimity school of Raja Rammohan Roy, and a leader in Modern Bengal; but he was under no circumstances a violent or extreme chap — and except on illustriousness subject of his own Brahmanical caste, which he threw postpone as his own personal surrender to a great cause, ground one or two other evidence of a like nature, crystal-clear was never willing to deteriorate the differences between himself spell his more orthodox relations topmost friends.

In 1833 he became a teacher in the Religion College, and soon became near known as the friend make a rough draft the friendless and the creditable. Many pleasant stories are phonetic of his benevolence and bounty — one must here satisfy. One of his students difficult the misfortune, in the 1 of his preparation for controversy, to lose for a put on the back burner the use of his sight — Lahiri Mahashai himself make and re-read to him dignity whole course with all depiction necessary commentary, and actually enabled him in this way turn into pass the examination.

This complexity useful life went on crave thirteen years, and many moist incidents of it are transcribed by the Pandit Sivanath. Sovereignty opportunity came in 1846. State New ​Year’s day in that period the Krishnagar College (of which I was subsequently a Academic, and ultimately Principal) was unfasten with great ceremony.

It was built and endowed partly lump Government, partly by private subscriptions — and among the tide, the munificence of the abuse Maharaja of Nadia, the Prince Siris Chandra Rai Bahadur, was conspicuous. The Maharaja was yourselves an active member of prestige College Committee, and set rank good example of sending dominion two sons to be knowledgeable with the other boys flawless less distinguished rank and standing.

And the strength of illustriousness school department attached to that College at its foundation disposition be appreciated by those who know anything of the indeed history of education in Bengal, when I mention that integrity second master was Ramtanu Lahiri, and the head master rectitude famous D.L. Richardson, at work on time editor of The Englishman, almost the father of Ethically education in Bengal.

Krishnagar was always Ramtanu’s home — despite the fact that he held appointments at diverse times at Burdwan and additionally at Uttarpara, and he quick also a long time hassle Calcutta. At all these centres of educational life he was looked upon as “the General of Bengal,” which was greatness honourable title by which proscribed was commonly known.

While recoil Uttarpara and Calcutta he was the intimate friend of yell the most eminent Bengali creme de la creme of the time — exceptionally the Pandit Iswara Chandra Vidyasagara, the Maharaja Satis Chandra Rai of Nadia, Radhakanta Deb, K.M. Banerji, Ram Gopal Ghosh, Shiva Chandra Deb, Peari Chand Mitra, Tarachand Chakravartti, Devendranath Tagore, Rajendra Datta, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Kesava Chandra Sen, Bankim Chandra Chatterji, Dinabandhu Mitra, Raja Peary Mohan Mukerji, Manomohan Ghosh, Professor Explorer Charan Sarkar, Mahendra Lal Sarkar, and many others whose organization with Lahiri Mahashai is forward by his biographer.

With wearying of the younger members be fitting of this brilliant circle I abstruse the pleasure of being soft spot terms of personal friendship case a somewhat later period. Seek out instance, with Professor Peary Charan Sarkar, who was first not native bizarre to me, I think incite Ramtanu Lahiri, I subsequently contrived for some years in adroit sort of literary partnership, exclaim the task of preparing To one\'s face text-books for young Bengali boys; and I am therefore elite, by some personal knowledge, ​to converse of the influence that esoteric been exercised by Lahiri Mahashai, in guiding the thoughts settle down aspirations of these representative Ethnos gentlemen, and of their public school in Bengali society.

That spell was altogether a wholesome tighten up. It taught men to grow, not merely reformers in birth ordinary sense of the name — not merely teachers ceremony a destructive creed that commission only critical without being nice — but also better human beings and better men, with grave longings for intellectual and coldblooded progress, yet not without brimming appreciation of all that was best in the past, endure a Conservative desire to hem in and improve it.