20th August 2025 (19 Topics)
1
Aug
2
Aug
4
Aug
5
Aug
6
Aug
7
Aug
8
Aug
9
Aug
11
Aug
12
Aug
13
Aug
14
Aug
15
Aug
16
Aug
18
Aug
19
Aug
20
Aug
21
Aug
Young Bengal Movement
Context:
Rosinka Chaudhuri’s recent work India’s First Radicals: Young Bengal and the British Empire revisits the radical ideas of Henry Derozio and his students in 19th-century Bengal.
Henry Derozio and Hindu College
- Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809–1831), an Anglo-Indian poet and radical thinker, was appointed lecturer at Hindu College, Calcutta in 1826.
- He inspired students (later known as the Derozians or Young Bengal) to question orthodoxy, promote rational thought, and advocate liberty and equality.
- He founded the Academic Association, a debating society that discussed social reform and enlightenment ideas.
Young Bengal Movement (1820s–1840s)
- Emphasized freedom of thought, equality, and social reform, often opposing caste restrictions, idolatry, and conservative traditions.
- Members included RadhanathSikdar, Krishnamohan Banerjee, Peary Chand Mitra, Rasik Krishna Mallick, etc.
- Their radicalism led to criticism from orthodox society, and Derozio was dismissed from Hindu College in 1831 on charges of promoting atheism.
Political Awakening
- With British abolitionist George Thompson’s support, the Bengal British India Society (1843) was founded, regarded as one of the earliest political associations in India.
- Its objectives: securing welfare, extending rights, and advancing interests of all classes of Indians.
RadhanathSikdar’s Contribution
- A Derozian, mathematician, and surveyor in the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India (GTSI).
- First calculated that Peak XV (later Mount Everest) was the highest mountain in the world.
- His role was later overshadowed, and official credit went to Andrew Waugh.
Legacy and Limitations
- Though short-lived, the Young Bengal Movement laid the intellectual foundation for later reform movements in Bengal.
- Their emphasis on inclusive nationalism, rationality, and equality resonated with later leaders like Gandhi and Nehru.
- However, their impact on society was limited due to elitist reach (confined mostly to urban educated youth) and lack of practical reform initiatives.
Courses
Study
Notes
Home
Resources
More
