Bankim Chandra Chatterjee or Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was an Indian novelist, poet, and journalist.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee – Composer of Vande Mataram

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was a 19th-century Indian writer and poet, who is considered one of the founding fathers of modern Bengali literature. He was born in the town of Naihati in Bengal (now in India) in 1838 and spent most of his life working in the British Indian administration. Despite his busy career, he found time to write and publish several novels, essays, and poems, which earned him a reputation as one of the leading literary figures of his time.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is best known for his novel “Anandamath” (The Abbey of Bliss), which was published in 1882. This novel is considered one of the first works of political fiction in Bengali literature and is often regarded as one of the earliest examples of Indian nationalist writing. The novel is set in the late 18th century and depicts a band of sannyasis (renunciates) who fight against the British East India Company’s rule in India.

In addition to “Anandamath,” Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote several other works of fiction and poetry, including “Durgeshnandini” (The Princess of East), “Kapalkundala” (The Ear-ring), and “Vande Mataram” (I Salute Thee, Mother), which was later adopted as the national song of India. He died in 1894 and is remembered as a pioneering figure in Bengali literature and as one of the most important voices of Indian nationalism.

Life

Chattopadhyay was born on 26 June 1838 in the village of Kanthalpara in the town of North 24 Parganas, Naihati. He was the youngest of three brothers, to Yadav Chandra Chattopadhyaya and Durgadevi.

Bankim Chandra and his elder brother both went to Government Zilla School (now Hooghly Collegiate School), where he wrote his first poem. He was educated at Hooghly Mohsin College and later at Presidency College, Kolkata with a degree in Arts in 1858. Later, he visited the University of Calcutta and was one of two candidates who passed the final exam to become the school’s first graduates. In 1869, he obtained a degree in Law. 

Following his father’s footsteps, Bankim Chandra joined the Subordinate Executive Service. In 1858, he was appointed a Deputy Magistrate of Jessore. In 1863, he went on to become Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, the services which recently merged. In 1891, he was retired from the Government service.

In 1984, Bankim Chandra was made a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (CMEOIE). He earned the title of Rai Bahadur in 1891.

Literary Career of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

Post Stamp made in respect of Bankim Chandra Chattterjee

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay started his literary career as a writer of poetry before writing fiction. His first attempt was a novel in Bengali which was presented for a declared award but did not win and the novella was never published.

His first novel to appear in print was the English novel Rajmohan’s wife. In 1865, Durgeshnandini, her first Bengali romance and the first novel in Bengali was published. One of Chattopadhyay’s many novels called historical fiction is Rajasimha (1881, rewritten and enlarged 1893).

Anandamath (The Abbey of Bliss, 1882) is a political novel representing a sannyasin (Hindu ascetic) army fighting a British force. The book calls for the rise of Indian nationalism. The novel was also the source of the song Vande Mataram, composed with music by Rabindranath Tagore, which was taken by many Indian nationalists and is now the national song of India.

The plot of the novel is loosely based on the Saint’s Rebellion. He imagined a battle of untrained Saints soldiers and defeated the highly experienced British army; Eventually, he admitted that the British could not be defeated.

The novel first appeared in serial form in Bangdarshan, the literary magazine founded in 1872 by Chattopadhyay. Vande Mataram became famous during the Swadeshi movement, which was sparked by Lord Curzon’s attempt to divide Bengal into a Hindu majority West and a Muslim majority East. Attracted by the Shakti tradition of Bengali Hindus, Chattopadhyay represented India as a mother goddess, giving the song a Hindu tone.

Chattopadhyay’s analysis on the Gita was published eight years after his death and his commentaries covered the 19th verse of chapter 4.

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Who was Bankim Chandra Chatterjee OR Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay?

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was composer of Indian National Song Vande Mataram representing India as a mother goddess and encouraging activists during the Indian Independence Movement. He was an Indian novelist, poet, and journalist.

Who wrote Vande Mataram?

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee or Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was the composer of Vande Mataram Song.

What are the major works of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee?

His first novel to appear in print was the English novel Rajmohan’s wife. Durgeshnandini, his first Bengali romance, was published in 1865. His famous novels include Kapalkundala (1866), Mrinalini (1869), Vishbriksha (1873), Chandrasekhar (1877), Rajani (1877), Rajsimha (1881), and Devi Chaudhurani (1884). Bankim Chandra Chatterjee most famous novel was Anand Math (1882). Anand Math contained the song “Bande Mataram”, which was later adopted as National Song.

Birthplace of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee?

Chattopadhyay was born on 26 June 1838 in the village of Kanthalpara in the town of North 24 Parganas, Naihati.

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