Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

About:

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar [26th September, 1920 – 19th July 1891], also known as Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadyaay, was an Indian educator and social reforms.

His efforts to simplify and modernize Bengali prose were significant. He also rationalized and simplified the Bengali alphabet and type.

He was the most prominent campaigner for Hindu widow remarriage and petitioned legislative council despite opposition and a counter petition against the proposal with nearly four times more signatures by Radhakanta Deb and the Dharma Sabha.

He received the title “Vidyasagar” from Sanskrit college, Calcutta for his excellent performance in Sanskrit studies and Philosophy.

He was one of pillars of Bengal renaissance continued the reforms movement started by Raja Rammohan Roy.

In his book, “Barno-Porichay (intro to the letter), Vidyasagar refined the Bengali language – made it accessible to the common people.

He was born is 1820 in Midnapore district of west Bengal, in 1839, cleared his law examination.

His Achievements:

  • 1841, He joined the Fort William College as a head of the Sanskrit development.
  •  Initiated the concept of widow remarriage and raised concern for the abolition of child marriage and polygamy.
  • Used the ancient texts to suggest that widow could remarry.
  • The resulted in the Hindu widows’ remarriage Act, 1856 which legalized the remarriage of Hindu widows in British India.
  • Conservative groups who were against the remarriage of widows opposed Vidyasagar.
  • Opened the doors of the college and after educational institutions to the oppressed and the downtrodden.
  • A great scholar, academician and reformer – passed away in 1891.
  • Rabindranath Tagore said “one wonders how god, in the process of producing forty million Bengali’s, produced a Man”.

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  • Dinesh

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    Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

    Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is best freedom fighter. Thank you so much