Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in English

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a scholar, teacher, author, and philanthropist from Bengal. He was a notable activist and thinker in the nineteenth century. As a renowned scholar and reformer, his thoughts incorporated both Indian and Western ideals. He was the principal of Sanskrit College, and he opened the Sanskrit College to non-brahmins in order to achieve his goal of ending the priesthood monopoly on scriptural knowledge.

Who was Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar?

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, born Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay, was an Indian educator and social reformer of the nineteenth century. Renowned for his profound contributions to education and social welfare, he is revered as "Vidyasagar," meaning "Ocean of Knowledge." Vidyasagar's life epitomizes the spirit of intellectual enlightenment and social upliftment.

Early Life of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

In 1820, Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay was born into a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family in Birsingha village of Hooghly district.

His father’s name was Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay, and his mother’s name was Bhagavati Devi.

As his family was poor, he couldn’t afford the facilities that would allow him to complete his studies in a financially viable manner.

Despite these challenges, he excelled in all of the academic exams, obtaining several scholarships as a result.

After studying at the village school, he went for further studies. He also took a part-time job teaching.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s Contributions

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is the greatest Indian social reformer. He made an equally major contribution to the domains of philosophy and education. He advocated for education, particularly for girls. He established various schools for girls in the early 19th century.

Some of the major Contributions by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar are:

Contribution to Education

Vidyasagar is credited with completely overhauling the old scholastic system.

When he was in Sanskrit College, he introduced new concepts into the educational system.

He added English and Bengali as the medium of instruction, in addition to Sanskrit in Sanskrit College.

Along with Vedic scriptures and ancient traditional education, he taught classes in European history, philosophy, and science.

He urged people to pursue various subjects so that they might benefit from the best of both worlds.

He also altered the rules for admission to Sanskrit College, making it possible for non-Brahmin students to enrol in the famous Sanskrit College.

His works, ‘Upakramonika‘ and ‘Byakaran Koumudi,’ are very popular.

In these books, he translated complicated Sanskrit grammar into easily understandable Bengali.

For the first time in Calcutta, he conceptualized the idea of admission fees and tuition prices.

He established the Normal School to train instructors and ensure consistency in teaching methods.

Contribution to Society

Widow Re-Marriage

His social reform efforts were centered on empowering women, and he dedicated his life to ending child marriage and promoting widow remarriage.

He continued the great reforming tradition of Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772–1833) by using ancient commentaries and scriptures to support widow remarriage, much like Roy had done for the elimination of Sati.

Two volumes by Vidyasagar on the abuse of widows served as the foundation for significant social change in the state.

The Dharma Shastras that supported the practice of marrying girls as young as 10 were strongly criticized by him, who also cited social, moral, and hygienic concerns.

He demonstrated that the entire body of “Smriti” literature did not forbid widows from remarriage (the Sutras and the Shastras).

Hindu society was greatly agitated by Vidyasagar’s initial Bengali pamphlets on widow remarriage.

A reprint of another 3,000 copies similarly did not last after a week in which 2,000 copies were sold out. At that time, a book had never sold that many copies.

Vidyasagar petitioned the Indian government on October 14, 1855, pleading with it to “consider the wisdom of establishing a statute to remove all barriers to the marriage of Hindu widows and to declare the issue of all such marriages to be valid” as soon as possible.

Inspired by Vidyasagar, some literary men created plays that promoted widow remarriage both in Bengal and overseas.

The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, also known as Act XV, was passed on July 16, 1856.

Jyotiba Phule was successful in convincing a Saraswat Brahmin widow to remarry in 1864.

The book on widow remarriage by Vidyasagar was translated into Marathi in 1866 by Vishnu Shastri Pandit.

Campaign against Polygamy

Vidyasagar campaigned against polygamy in addition to the widow remarriage movement.

In 1857, the Maharaja of Burdwan led a petition to the government asking for the restriction of polygamy among Kulin Brahmins, which received 25,000 signatures.

The sepoys’ revolt forced a postponement of action on this petition, but Vidyasagar prompted a new petition in 1866, this time with 21,000 signatories.

The renowned rationalist Vidyasagar authored two outstanding critiques of polygamy in the 1870s.

He argued to the government that since polygamy was not sanctioned by sacred texts, there could be no objection to eliminating it by legislation.

Abolition of Child Marriage

Vidyasagar, the 19th-century Indian reformer, vehemently opposed child marriage as an evil denoting a hindrance to the education and health of women.

He, therefore, campaigned tirelessly through pamphlets, petitions, and public speeches to raise people's consciousness of the evils of early marriages, including high infant mortality and widowhood.

Vidyasagar influenced the British colonial government through his advocacy, and the Age of Consent Act, passed in 1891, raised the minimum age for marriage among girls from 10 to 12 years.

He felt that child marriage perpetuated ignorance and poverty and advocated girls' education as a means of empowering women and abolishing the practice.

Although it faced resistance from conservative Hindu society, Vidyasagar's work laid the groundwork for further reform, based on consent and maturity in marriage.

Advocacy for Lower Castes

The educationist Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar believed in education as a birthright and that access to knowledge must be unshackled by caste, so that the lower castes could break free from their shackles.

He criticised the rigid divisions of the caste system, advocated merit-based opportunities, and castigated practices such as untouchability that demeaned the lower castes.

Vidyasagar supported the widow remarriage reform that disproportionately benefited lower-caste widows who suffered under acute social ostracism and economic hardship.

He stood for the dissemination of ancient wisdom to the common people, including lower castes, through the translation of texts into Bengali, thus promoting intellectual equality. He believed in social justice, advocating reforms that would eliminate caste-based discrimination and promote equality for all, influencing later movements in the pursuit of caste abolition.

Notable Works of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Among Vidyasagar’s social reform works are ‘Bidhobabivah’ on widows’ right to remarry in 1855, ‘Bahubivah’ on the prohibition of polygamy in 1871, and ‘Balyabivah’ on the flaws of child marriage.

More than 160 years after its publication, Vidyasagar’s Borna Porichoy (an introduction to the Bengali alphabet) is still the first book given to a Bengali child.

‘BornoPorichoy’ translates as ‘introduction to the letter,

His contributions to Bengali literature include the translation of various Sanskrit texts, including Kalidas’ Shakuntala.

Upakaramonika and Byakaran Koumudi were two of his books that translated hard Sanskrit Grammar concepts into Bengali.

Some of his other works include the following:

Betaal Panchavinsati (1847)

Banglar Itihaas (1848)

Jivancharita (1849)

Mahabharata (1860)

Seetar Vanavas (1860)

Bhrantivilaas (1869)

Oti Alpa Hoilo (1873)

Aabaar Oti Alpa Hoilo (1873)

Brajavilaas (1884)

Ratnopariksha (1886)

He founded the Sanskrit Press with the goal of producing printed books at inexpensive prices for the general public.

He introduced the concept of “Sunday” as a weekly holiday and the months of May and June as summer holidays.

Rebuilding the Bengali alphabet is credited to him. He eliminated the Sanskrit phonemes and simplified Bengali typography to 12 vowels and 40 consonants.

He compiled biographical notes on many famous people throughout history so that future generations could be inspired by outstanding examples of endurance, hard effort, honesty, patience, perseverance, courage, determination, and life philosophy.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Key Facts

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a key figure in the Indian renaissance. Let’s see the major facts about him.

Legacy of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's contributions are a symbol of enlightenment, education, and social justice. His ideals are practiced to date as his memory is engraved in India society; his ideals have guided modern India.

Social Reforms: The first widow remarriage legislation was the Act of 1856, and the second was the Act of 1891, which increased the minimum age of brides, thereby combating child marriage and promoting women's rights.

Education Advocacy: Education Advocacy-promoted universal education, especially of women and lower castes; democratized the Sanskrit College and established schools.

Caste and Equality: Fought untouchability and caste discrimination, transforming social justice movements in India, and Gandhi is one of the leaders who inspired Indian society.

Cultural Influence: Sanskrit texts were translated into Bengali, the curriculum was modernized, and rationalism was encouraged, thereby bringing a balance between tradition and enlightenment. Influencing Legacy: His concepts continue to guide the secular, egalitarian spirit of India; colleges like Vidyasagar College are named after him.

At the age of 70, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar passed away on July 29, 1891, and due to his immense generosity and kindness, people started calling him “Daya Sagar,” which means ocean of kindness. In addition to being a well-known writer and thinker, Vidyasagar was also a fervent advocate for mankind. Even the British authorities of the day respected him due to his efforts. After his death, Rabindranath Tagore remarked, “One wonders how God, in the process of producing forty million Bengalis, produced a man!”