TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

IN

THE

NINETEENTH CENTURY

BY
F. B.

BRADLEY-BIRT

INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE

With Twelve Illustrations

FOURTH EDITION

CALCUTTA
S.

K. LAHIRI

AND

CO.,

COLLEGE STREET
Price Re. I/-

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED]

Printed and published by S. K. Banerjee at the Cotton

Press, 57, Harrison
S.

Road, Calcutta for Messrs.

K. Lahiri

&

Co.

10-1-27

XX.

PREFACE.
THE
following pages attempt to give a necessarily
it is

short but,

hoped, complete sketch of the lives of twelve among the most prominent men of Bengal in the

Nineteenth Century.
so

The

difficulty of selection

where
have,

many names

occur

will

be

obvious.

however, by no means attempted to select the twelve most distinguished names of the century, but rather
those whose lives

may

varied conditions of
period in
its history.

be regarded as typical of the Bengal during that momentous

The

selection has been further

guided by a desire to cover the whole of the century so that the book may be not only a record of the
lives of

Twelve Men

of

though brief sketch of moral and intellectual, which came to the Province
during the period.
six

Bengal but a comprehensive the wonderful revival, social,

Among the six Hindus and the Muhammadans, to whom the present volume

has been limited will be found the social reformer and

the merchant prince, the religious revivalist and the
philanthropist,

the

Government

official

and

the

educationalist, the descendant of a long line of ruling chiefs and the self-made man who won his own way

to wealth

and

influence.

If

by serving to remind

the people of Bengal of the splendid examples that the great men of their own race have set before them,

and by bringing home to Englishmen a greater know-

iv

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

Nineteenth Century, this
small
increase the
of

ledge of a few of the noble and devoted lives lived

little

by men of Bengal book may in

respect

in the
its

way and sympathy between men

it will

own

different

creeds and races,

amply

fulfil its

purpose.

Save in the case of Haji Mahomed Mohsin, of whose family I know of no representative surviving

and

in writing of

whom

have had the kind assistance

of the Mutwali of the Hooghly Imambara, I have to thank very cordially the representatives of the subjects
of these sketches for the material assistance

have given

me and

for the interest they

they have taken

in the book.

F. B. B-B.

CONTENTS.
PAGE.
1. 2.

RAM MOHAN ROY HAZI MAHOMED MOHSIN

RAMTANU LAHIRI
. .

..
.

..

35
61

3.
4.

5.

NAWAB AMIR ALI KHAN BAHADUR .. MAHARAJADHIRAJ MAHTAB CHAND RAI BAHADUR or BURDWAN
. .

89

101

6. 7.

NAWAB ABDUL LATIF KHAN BAHADUR

. .

,.
. .

Ill

8.

9.

10.

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN NAWAB SIR KHAWJA ABDUL GHANI MIA MAHARAJA DURGA CHARAN LAW NAWAB BAHADUR SYED WALAYET ALI
. .

141

173
185

KHAN
11.
12.

..

..

..199
219

MAHARAJA SIR JOTINDRA MOHAN TAGORE NAWAB SIR SYED HASSAN ALI MIRZA

KHAN BAHADUB, AMIR-UL-OMRAH

. .

24.1

Ram Mohan Roy

RAM MOHAN
AMONG
the famous

ROY.

17721833.
men of Bengal in the nineteenth century no name deserves a more honoured place than that of Earn Mohan Roy. At once thepioneer of the great Renaissance that was slowly dawning in Bengal and the first representative of

India to the British people, he opened up to his

fellow

countrymen new paths

of progress

and reform.
beliefs,
still

When

as yet the old traditions

and the old

clothed in the gathering ignorance of centuries,

held their ground unchallenged, he zealously sought

knowledge and, when found, proclaimed it unafraid. Against ignorance and superstition he
fresh

waged constant warfare, striving always to find the truth in all things. Hinduism both in its social and
religious aspects

had

fallen

on

evil

days.
it

Sunk
left

in

apathy and
prepare the

fast

Ram Mohan Roy

way
less labours in

bound by tradition, and his little band

for its Renaissance.

was

to

of followers to

By

his cease-

the cause of education, his successful

advocacy

of the abolition of Sati, his

endeavours to

purify the Hindu faith, and by his wonderful bringing together of East and West in the last three vears o O
*t

of his
c?

life,

he has

left

an undying claim upon the

gratitude of his fellow-countrymen.

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

Ram Mohan Roy was born on May the 22nd.
1772,
of
.

at

Radhanagar near Krishnagar.

He came

Brahman family, Kulins had won rank and wealth

of Bengal.

of the highest caste,

which

in the service of the

Nawabs

like all his family a zealous follower of the

sect.

His grandfather, Brajabinode Roy, was Vaishnava

Nothing but the most unusual circumstances, therefore, accounted for the fact that his fifth son

Ram

father of Ram Mohan Roy, was whose father not only was a Bhanga girl Kulin, one who had broken his Kulin caste, but was also a priest of the rival sect of the Saktas.

Kanto Roy, the

married to a

Brajabinode Roy, it is said, lay dying on the banks of the Ganges when a priest suddenly appeared before him and craved of him a boon. The dying man,
anxious to comply with a priest's request, gave the
required promise and further at the priest's request The priest .swore by the holy Ganges to fulfil it.

thereupon asked to be allowed to bestow his daughter This was' in marriage upon one of Brajabinode's sons.
a request that Brajabinode, as an orthodox Kulin, would have scouted had he not sworn by the sacred
river, but,

having done
promise.

so,

he had no alternative save

to

fulfil his

So, calling his sons, he turned

girl, only His next three

to the eldest
to

and bade him espouse the

refusal.

meet with a determined

.sons also declined in their turn.

Ram

Kanto Roy,

the

fifth son,

however, unwilling to refuse his father's

last request reluctantly consented to take the unwel-

RAM MOHAN ROY.

<come "bride and in due course married her.
It

was a
a

strange union from which to spring so ardent

reformer as

Ram Mohan
up
in

Roy.
midst
early
of

Brought
surroundings

the

such

orthodox
of a

Ram Mohan
mind.

showed signs

religious bent of

His father, having retired

from the service of the Nawab, was spending his days in pious meditations and religious exercises at Radhanagar and he early took steps to secure for his son a sound classical education. When the latter had
finished -his first course of study at the local patshala

where he

considerable hajl already acquired

profi-

ciency in Persian, he was sent to Patna and Benares

to acquire Arabic

and Sanskrit.

Here

his

studies

appear to have been somewhat more liberal than those usually indulged in at the time and he is said
to
of Euclid

have become acquainted with Arabic translations and Aristotle as well as with the Koran.
latter

The
it is

made
him
to

a deep impression on his

it

mind and

probable that

was

this early study of it that

later led

question the orthodox beliefs in

which he had been brought up. His first religious were naturally for the old faith. enthusiasms, however,
It is said that at the age of fourteen nothing his mother's, earnest

but

entreaties withheld

him from
influence

leaving

home

as a sannya&i.
lines.

Every home
long

ran

on orthodox

Already

before

he

had reached an age

of

discretion

he had been

married three times according to Kulin Brahman

4
usages.

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

There
is

no record of the
for

first

marriage
third

but time

he

was

married

the nine

second
years
first

and
old.

when

he

was

only

His

father, zealous

and devoted, from the

in the religious

continually-

instructed

him

observances of his

faith, while his

beliefs
is

mother having accepted her husband's

all

showed

the enthusiasm of a convert.

It

thus evident that from his earliest years nothing

but the most orthodox influences surrounded the

future reformer.

How

great a hold they retained

over him through all his schemes for advancement and reform his future actions show. The sacred

Brahmanical thread was worn by him till the end, being found upon him after his death in England
fifty

years later.
so eager

Yet

that* before

had been his thirst for knowledgehe had reached his sixteenth year he
religious matters

was able to discuss

with
his

on an equality

father.

Gradually

the

discussions, grew

into arguments, respectful always on

side yet

Ram

Mohan's

none the

less

determined and sincere, until

realised that they differed

at last father

and son

.fundamentally and hopelessly on matters of belief. It was a terrible blow to Ram Mohan's orthodox
parents and relations.
it,

he

regarded

as

Hinduism, as they practised overlaid with superstition

his

and

idolatry.
of
his

Already
faith
of

studies

in to

the

sacred

books

had
it

led

him

regard

the

modern

practice

as

a false and degenerate

RAM MOHAN ROY.

exposition
of

5
belief.

the

pure

original

With

Hinduism as yet he had no quarrel, but with the abuses that had crept into it he thus early began his long and gallant struggle. So incompatible
had
of
his views

become with the orthodox home

and so great was
his

life

his

family

desire

for

more knowledge that he decided

-at

to

leave

home
he
so

least for a time.

Eager to study other

preserved
the

religions,

to

see

if

they had

truth

much
he

desired to find, his thoughts turned towards

Tibet.
of

Buddhism and

made

light

Though not yet seventeen and dangers and difficulties

adventurous
journey

setting

out

on

an

spent

three years in travelling through Tibet, studying

Buddhism and holding long discussions with the most learned Lamas of the day. Their religion, however, pure as it had been in its origin, he regarded as having become as corrupt as his
returned
Life
in
i

own and he
disappointed.

home
the
old

'disheartened

and

home, surrounded by all the in which he had lost faith, he old observances
soon again found to be impossible. Deeply as he regretted the breach with his father to whom

was deeply attached, he nevertheless recognised the inevitable, and went to reside at Benares,
lie

which attracted him as the centre

of

Hinduism

where he might hope to find its best exposition and where he might continue his studies in Sanskrit and Persian. Here he remained for several years, deeply

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

of the

immersed in the study

of belief.
It

Hindu

Shastras,

and

striving always to gain from

them a

firm foundation

was not

until 1806 that

Ram Mohan

first

be-

gan the study of English and seven years later that he entered the service of the East India Company. He appears to have spent the greater part of his
ten years service under Mr.
Civil

John Digby,
as

of

the
or

Service,

whom

he

served

Dewan

Sheristadar in

Bhagalpur and Rungpur.

Mr. Digby,

who later edited Ram Mohan's translations of the Kena Upanishad and his abridgment of the Vedanta.
had a high opinion of his abilities and wrote in high praise of the work he did in connection with
the survey and settlement operations in which he

was

chiefly

concerned.

For
it

five

years

he

was
first

stationed at

Rungpur and

was here that he

began those small gatherings of his friends for reading and discussions in his

own house which were

afterwards to become such a famous centre of thought

and

interest.

writings.

The
on an

Already he had begun to publish his first of an immense number of publiinfinite

cations

variety

of

subjects

was a

treatise in Persian

with an Arabic preface entitled Tahfut-ul^nuahhidin, being a protest against the

idolatry which
religions.

had crept into so many established For long he had refrained from any public
filial

exposition of his opinions, from the

desire not to

do violence to

his father's feelingsX

The breach with

RAM MOHAN ROY.

his father

had been a constant grief to him and though he stood by the old man's bed-side when he lay dying
in

1803, they were far apart in spirit.

After his

father's death

Ram Mohan inherited none of the family

property and his relations with his mother and other relatives became unfortunately still more strained. From all of them he suffered the most bitter persecution, his

mother being particularly incensed against him and making life impossible for him anywhere
in the

neighbourhood of his old home.

He

pro-

tested vehemently against the charges of heresy

and

godlessness that were brought against him, but they

would have none of him.

In after days

when he

showed

had come into possession of the family property, he his liberality and forbearance by allowing his mother to continue the management of it, and
to retain the position she
Practically disowned

had always

held.

by

his family there

was thus

nothing to prevent

Ram Mohan

from pursuing the

course which he considered right.

Coming

to reside

in Calcutta, he quickly formed a circle of his

own.

His striking personality and force of character from the first exercised an extraordinary influence over all
those with
all

whom

he was brought in contact.

He had

the advantages of distinction of manner and

brilliant conversational powers.

appearance as well as
"

Ram Mohan Roy

well
"

"

wrote an Englishman

who knew
as in his

him

surpassed the generality of his countrymen

in his personal appearance almost as

much

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

mental powers. His figure was beyond the common height and muscular in proportion. His countenance wore an expression of blended dignity and benevolence that charmed at first sight and put his visitors at their ease while it checked an
irreverent familiarity."

"It

was

in argument,

how-

ever," notes another English friend in the English " Court Journal. that this exalted Brahmin was most

he seemed to grapple with truth intuitively and called in invective, raillery, sarcasm and sometimes a most brilliant wit, to aid him in confutconspicuous
:

ing his opponents

in

if

precedent were necessary, a

extensive reading
:

remarkably retentive

memory and

many

languages supplied him with a copious fund

ruthless

and at times with a rough unsparing,

hand

he burst asunder the meshes of sophistry, error and bigotry in which it might be attempted to entangle
him.

and

of various nations

In conversation with individuals of every rank and professions, he passed

with the utmost ease from one language to another, suiting his remarks to each and all in excellent taste

and commanding the astonishment and

hearers."

respect of his

When
felt in

this brilliant personality first

made

itself

Calcutta in the early years of the nineteenth

century
lowest

Hinduism
ebb.

had

reached

well

nigh

its

Not yet wholly

emerged

from

the

troublous times of the eighteenth century, it was not in a position to reap the full advantages of the

RAM MOHAN
rule of law

ROY.

and order which under British supremacy was gradually settling down upon the distracted land. Hindu Society, in the usual acceptation of the term,
there

was none.

Nothing

that

could

be

called

Bengal had no literature, even a language of its own. Such education scarcely
public opinion existed.
as existed

was confined to Sanskrit. Persian and

Arabic, and even the study of these languages

fallen

had
it

into

decay.

Hinduism

and

all

that

represented had fallen on evil times.

To the task

of

restoring and reforming it and of constructing the fabric of Society anew, of bringing together all that was best and noblest, and of making for

time in their history the Bengali race into a people with great thoughts, high hopes and aspirations, Ram Mohan Roy set the whole force of his
the
first

brilliant

intellect

and personality.

It

was but a
meet with
he most
of his

reformer's accepted fate that he should

opposition and distrust from those

whom

strenuously strove to serve.

Far

in

advance

tion, yet
service.

time he encountered constant abuse and bitter persecueven by exciting opposition he did his country
In so doing he aroused public interest where
:

there

had been none before

he made

men

think for
:

themselves and realise their great responsibilities

and above

all

he created that potent force

he

public

opinion, to lead the nation along straight

and honest
recognised

paths.

keen

patriot

gratefully

iow much

the British Goverment had

done for

his

10

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

long distracted country and it was his keen endeavour to awaken his fellow-countrymen to the advantages that it offered them, and to raise them, moraly and
mentally, from the slough of despond into which they

had

fallen.

It

was

in

1815 that

Ram Mohan

founded the

Atmiya Sabha, the Friendly Association, the first Society of its kind in Bengal. It was a development of the informal gatherings for reading and discussion which he had long held privately in his own,

house, and

its

object was mental, moral

It

and

spiritual

improvement.
reading
of

met once a week

for recitation

and
its

the

Hindu sacred books and

the day in Calcutta.

at

gatherings were to be found most of the more ardent

younger
small

spirits of

From

this
it

beginning came great events.

in

Gradually

was borne

upon

Ram Mohan Roy

first

and

his little

circle of followers

that the

and most urgent need

of

their

system of

fellow-countrymen was a more modern education, adapted to the needs of modern

conditions, which in the last half century

had so

completely changed the face of Bengal.

discussions a practical scheme

After

many

was determined upon. An English College for the education of Hindus in English and western Science should be forthwith
started in Calcutta.

man
had

as

Gaining the sympathy of such David Hare, the one-time watchmaker who

so zealously espoused the cause of education in

Bengal, Sir

Hyde

East, the Chief Justice. Baidyanath

RAM MOHAN ROY.

11

Mukherjee and Dwarkanath Tagore, a meeting was convened on the 14th of May 1816 to carry out the
scheme.
It

was held

in Sir

Hyde

East's house, and

Ram Mohan, probably divining that the animosity he had aroused in certain quarters might endanger
the scheme
if

too prominently associated with his

name, was not present and when it was proposed at the meeting to place his name on the Committee,,
several

members threatened

at once to

withdraw

if

he

was to be
this

in any way connected with it. When was communicated to him by his friend David

Hare,

Ram Mohan
of his

withdrawal

immediately insisted on the name, anxious only that the scheme

on which he had
If
it

set his heart should not be endangered. he could carry that through to a successful issue mattered little that his name was not to be publicly
it.

Yet that he was the moving spirit throughout, few were in doubt, and so energetic was the enthusiastic little band of reformers that
associated with

the Hindu College was able to begin

its

work on

January the 20th, 1817.

about
this

Other schools were founded

time by the London Missionary Society

at Chinsura and the Baptist Missionaries at Seram-

pore and with

education

all

these efforts to provide

lines

modern
heartily

on modern

Ram Mohan
still

sympathised. \

Meanwhile Government had

of the advisability of departing of

to be convinced

education on strictly

from the old system classical lines. From the

12

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

Company had been guided by
all

outset the East India

a sincere desire to avoid

ing to force western ideas

appearance of endeavourupon the eastern mind.

beliefs

Not only
.all

in the

matter of religious

but on

things social

and educational

it

strove to avoid

even the suspicion of interference. The pioneers of the English in India showed themselves far more
the east to imitate or adapt

ready to adapt themselves to the East than to force The itself to them.
hitherto
its

Company had
improving on
in
of

directed
lines

all
it

its

efforts

to

own

what

already found

existence.

An

extraordinarily

large

proportion

Englishmen

in the earliest

eagerly into the study of

days threw themselves Sanskrit and they were

it

quick to discern

how lamentably

had

fallen into

was

decay among the Bengal pundits and how shallow their knowledge of the Vedas and Vedantas,
be read.

the Gita and the Puranas, which had well-nigh ceased

to

As

for

Bengali

it

had scarcely yet

attained the dignity of a language.

When

the Fort

William College was started in order to give young Civilians a knowledge of the vernacular, there were

no text books
few books

in Bengali,

no Bengali grammar and

of any kind in Bengali prose. Even in such Bengali books as there were, Persian words very

largely predominated.

It

is

astonishing to find in

what

little

respect the vernacular was held.

W hen
T

Mr. Adam, a friend of

certain
lectures

Ram

should

Mohan, suggested that be given in Bengali, the

RAM MOHAN ROY.

1$

Indian members of his committee strongly opposed

the suggestion, saying, that 'anything said or written in the vernacular tongue would be degraded and
despised
in

consequence

of

the

medium through
till

which
the

it

was conveyed.'

It

was not
first

1847 that
in

Vetala

Panckabinsati the

book

pure

Bengali was published.

The establishment
of the

of the

Fort William College,

Hindu College and of the various Missionary Schools gave a considerable impetus to the cause of
Government, anxious to fulfil its part,, inaugurated a scheme for a Sanskrit College in Calcutta, an annual grant of a lac of rupees being
set aside for the revival of classical learning.

education.

Ram
if
'

Mohan, convinced that

it

was along modern

lines that

the education of his countrymen must

proceed

they were to grapple adequately with modern conditions, wrote to Lord Amherst, the Governor General,,
urging the necessity of adopting the study of west" If ern sciences through the medium of English.
it

had been intended

real

to

keep

the British nation

from

knowledge he wrote, "the Baconian philosophy would not have been allowed to displace the system of the schoolmen which was the best calcuIn the same manner

"

lated to perpetuate ignorance.

the Sanskrit system of education would be the best

calculated

country in darkness, if such had been the policy of the British legislature. But as the improvement of the native population
to

keep this

14
is

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

the
object
of

the

Government

it

will

sub-

sequently promote a more liberal and enlightened

system
useful

of

instruction

embracing

mathematics,

natural philosophy, chemistry, anatomy with other

be accomplished with the sums proposed, by employing a few gentlemen of talent and learning, educated in Europe, and
sciences,

which

may

providing a College furnished with necessary books, instruments and other apparatus." The letter was forwarded to the Governor General by Bishop Heber,

good English, good sense and and it was largely owing to forcible arguments Ram Mohan's exertions that, although the Sanskrit
its
'

who admired

'

College
for the

was founded

Hindu

a building was founded College adjoining it, the foundation

in 1824,

stones of both being laid

tune however
the outset.

befell

on the same day. Misforthe Hindu College almost at

The merchant who had been entrusted

with

its

funds, amounting to Us. 1,13,179, suddenly

failed,

this

sum would have been the

only Rs. 23,000 being recovered. The loss of ruin of the College

had not government at once come forward to its assistance, which was the means eventually of bringing it into closer touch with the authorities and placing
on a firmer footing. The formation of the Committee of Public Instruction in 1823 by order of the Company showed the interest that
it

financially

'Government was taking in the matter and assured a ibrighter outlook for education in time to come.

RAM MOHAN
Ram Mohan

ROY.

15

had meanwhile been waging incessant war against what he rightly considered one of the most depraved customs that was forming a dark

upon the Hindu faith. had had bitter experience in

blot

Of the
his

evils of Sati

he

death of his elder brother

On the family. he had hastened home

own
for ever in

to be present at the funeral ceremony, only to be

horrified
his

by a scene that remained burned

of

memory. had announced her intention

Before his arrival his brother's widow

immolating herself on

her dead husband's funeral pyre and in spite of all his protestations she remained firm in her resolve.

Mohan, helpless in the face of her determination and the approval of all her relatives, could do nothing. But when the torch had been applied and the flames leapt up, her courage forsook her and she tried to escape from the burning logs.
Thereupon the
forced her
priests,

Ram

helped by her relatives and

the flames, until she lost con-

friends, thrust her

back with long bamboo poles and

down among

.sciousness, the

drums and musical instruments sound-

ing loudly meanwhile to drown her shrieks. Ram Mohan, one against many, was forced to stand by, a

reluctant spectator of this heart-rending scene.

Then

and there he vowed that he would devote himself heart

.and soul to the abolition of this revolting practice, and from that time onward he became the leader of

the gallant
it

little

band

of

men

to whose exertions

was largely due that Sati was

finally prohibited.

16

TWELVE MEX OF BENGAL.

Ram Mohan
carried

out

his

campaign

with

thoroughness. Having suffered so from persecution himself, he was utterly severely opposed to coercion in any form. He would avoid,
if

characteristic

possible,
if

right,

even compelling people to do what was by any means they could be brought to do
right

what was
of

by persuasion and a greater

diffusion

knowledge.
in

He
his

therefore

first

endeavoured by

every means

power

to

bring

home

to this

fellow-countrymen the real hideousness of the His pen seemed never to flag and treatises, practice.
letters

and

articles,

written

many

of

them

in the

vernacular and in the simplest possible language SO' that they might reach the humblest, were disse-

minated far and wide.

In them he was careful to

maintain an attitude of orthodox Hinduism.

insisted

He

Sati, though sanctioned by the shastras, was not enjoined by them as a compul-

on the fact that

sory

religious

duty.

He

pointed

out

how

the

practice
'

had largely grown up owing to the avariavoid the cost of

cious desire of thejrelatives to *

supporting the widow and how it was too often regarded not as a religious act but as a choice enter-

tainment
instincts.

that

appealed

to

the

lowest
in the

human

One

of his treatises

was

form of a

dialogue between an advocate and an opponent of The opponent maintains that though there Sati,

may

be some sanction in the sacred writings for the practice, yet that Manu. the greatest, of all law

RAM MOHAN ROY

givers expressly enjoined that a
as an ascetic. and should
'

17
live

widow should
till

continue

death forgiv-

ing

all

injuries,

performing honest duties, avoiding;

every sensual pleasure and cheerfully practising the

incomparable rules of virtue.' Not content with combating

the

evil

from

the comfortable vantage of his desk, he was

constantly to go to the Calcutta burning

wont

ground and attempt by personal persuasion upon both the victim and her friends to prevent the Sati. It has often,
been the practice to
funeral
tie

pyre

so

that

down upon the was impossible, but escape

the victim

Ram Mohan
the
flames
in

insisted that the pyre should first be

lighted so that the

if

widow might voluntarily enter

so

she

desired,

quoting

certain

passages done.

the Shastras that required this to be

His hope that the sight of the flames might

the

turn

widow from

her

intentions

was often

fulfilled

though in other cases, the fear of the priests and the exhortations of her own relatives or promises
of

reward in the

life

to

come, drove her to

self-

inimolation.

Finally, disheartened at the slow pro-

gress of his campaign,

Ram Mohan

tion to the Governor-General which

organised a petiwas signed by a

great

number

of

the most respectable inhabitants

'Your petitioners are fully aware from their own knowledge,' it ran, 'or from the authority
of Calcutta.

of credible eye-witnesses that cases

have frequently
the

occurred where
2

women have been induced by

18
persuasions of their next heirs, interested in their
destruction, to burn themselves on the funeral pyre
of their

husbands

that others

who have been

in-

duced by fear to retract a resolution rashly expressed in their first moments of grief, of burning with their
deceased husbands, have been forced upon the pile and there bound down with ropes, and pressed with green bamboos until consumed with the flames
;

that some, after flying from the flame, have been

carried back

by

their relations

and burnt

to death.

All these instances, your petitioners

humbly submit,

are murders according to every Shastra, as well as to

the

common

sense of

all

nations.'

The question
the anxious
its sincere desire

of Sati

had

for years been engaging

attention of

Government. Here again not to interfere with native customs

and
of

observances,
a
religious
rite,

more

especially

in

the

case

had prevented the Company

from taking active steps. From the outset the Company had scrupulously maintained the principle
it

had

adopted

of

full

and

toleration.

Yet here was a

religious

complete religious observance

which to them was opposed to every sentiment of humanity. It was, a difficult position. Sati was
undoubtedly a rite sanctioned by the Hinduism of the day, with which according to the principle they

had adopted they should not interfere, yet it was impossible for them to stand by and see human life,
as they considered
it,

wantonly

sacrificed.

It

was
i

RAM MOHAN HOY

sufficiently

19

willingly

repugnant to them when the victim immolated herself. When, however, as

"happened in so many cases, she was actually forced on to the funeral pyre against her will, it was impossible to stand

by and permit

it.

Several instances

had humanely widows from being forced against their will prevented to commit Sati, and cases brought by the aggrieved
Tiad occurred in which the local officers
relatives

had come before the

courts.

The practice

of Sati not being illegal, the courts could only declare

illegal

any interference with

it.

thus put, as they hastened to

The Judges were protest, in a most

embarrassing position, being practically forced to give the 'barbarous rite' their protection and lay
themselves open to the charge of unnecessarily aiding and abetting suicide. After much anxious discussion

and consultation with some

pundits of the day,
instructions to
all

of

the most learned

issued

the

Governor-General

officers

on April the 17th, 1813.

hesitated to advise the im-

TSven

Ram Mohan Roy had

mediate total abolition of Sati by Government. Bitterly opposed to the practice as he was. he yet dreaded
compulsion in any form, trusting to persuasion and Tioping that as education spread among his fellow-

countrymen they would of their own free will abandon -so inhuman a rite. Government's instructions to its
officers

accordingly were that though the practice

it
it

could not be forcibly prevented where tenanced by Hindu religion and law,

was counshould be

20

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

all

prohibited in
of

cases where
is,

it

had not the sanction

Hindu

law, that

where the victim was unwilling.

In January 1815 a further step was reached when the Sati of a widow with very young children was
forbidden, while two years later a further Letter of
Instruction was issued.

Meanwhile

it

was a fact to
its

which Government could not shut

since the year 1813
officers

eyes

that,

when the

first

instructions to
far

had been

issued, the practice, so

from

diminishing, had increased to an alarming extent. During the four years 1815 to 1818, in which statistics

were taken, the number of Satis was more than

doubled.
matter,

Government,
still

deeply
in

concerned
of

in

the

hesitated,

view

the

general

prevalence and acceptance of the practice, to decree its abolition, Lord Amherst the Governor-General
still

trusting

that

'general
of

instruction
local

and

the

unostentatious
.

exertions

officers

would

gradually bring about the extinction of this barbarous ^rite.' Lord William Bentinck, however, who suc-

ceeded Lord Amherst as Governor- General

was
of another opinion.

in

1828

Ram

While believing no less than Mohan Roy, whom he personally consulted on

the subject, in the advantages of persuasion over force,, he was unwilling to wait indefinitely for a reform
that he considered urgently needed.
Statistics still

however much had been hoped from a gradual spread of education and a quiet insistence on the part of local officials,, the practice was not-

showed

that,

RAM MOHAN ROY

yet sensibly on the decline.

21

The gradual
take
of innocent

enlighten-

ment
would

of

the

people

would

years,

perhaps
lives

generations,

and hundreds
be

human

meanwhile

wantonly
it

sacrificed.

To

always be remembered that he boldly took the course he considered to be right, a course which, though it met
will

Lord William Bentinck's credit

with
full

much

opposition at the time, has received the

approval of posterity. On December the 4th, 1829, was published the decree that finally abolished

Sati

throughout

British

India.

Henceforward

it

was punishable as a criminal

offence.

All persons

who aided

or abetted

it,

whether the widow consented

or not, were declared guilty of culpable homicide,

and where violence was used against the victim was in the power of the court to pass sentence
death.

it

of

To

Ram Mohan Roy,

convinced of

its

wisdom

and

necessity, the

measure was a welcome one and

in the address presented

by him and

his friends to

the Governor-General shortly afterwards was expressed their 'deepest gratitude for the ever-lasting
obligation
large,' for

conferred on the

Hindu community

at

which they were

'at

a loss to find language

sufficiently indicative

even of a small portion of the

sentiments they desired to express.' The services that Ram Mohan had rendered in the cause of
abolition were fully recognised.
It

was

his insistence

on the

fact that Sati

in

compulsory duty

the Shastras

was nowhere enjoined as a and that there

22

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

"

were passages in" Hindu law entirely inconsistent with it, that induced the British Government to*

abandon

in this

one instance

its

position of non-

interference with religious practices,

its

and that made

abolition possible in the face of the very strong

it

opposition

aroused.
efforts in the

Throughout all his tion and the abolition

after

cause of educa-

of

Sati,

Ram
of

knowledge

in

matters

belief

Mohan's quest had been

single

unceasing.

Always with earnest and

mind

he had sought the truth. To all that was best in Hinduism he whole-heartedly adhered. It was only its errors and abuses against which he waged
continual

war.

To

all

that

was

good

and

honourable and true in whatever religion it might be found he gave his allegiance. Once in the early days, his wife having overheard a long religious
discussion

between her husband and his

friends,

asked
then
is

of

him

in

bewilderment

"Which

religion

the best and highest ?"

For a moment struck

by the
appeals

directness of the question, he paused, then

in

answered
to

the the

illustrative

manner
"

that
are

so
of

eastern

mind

Cows

different

give

is

colours but the colour of the milk they the same. Different teachers have different

every religion is to adopt the true faith and to live the faithful life." Of his large-heartedness and broad-mindedness there
opinions
essence
of

but the

are innumerable examples.

Although not a Christian

RAM MOHAN ROY

he was keenly alive to the
missionaries 'were
inen, and he gave

23

good work that the

doing among his fellowcountryhis fullest

sympathy and support to any society or any scheme that cordially cooperated in the great work of educating and raising
status
in of

the

the
of

Hindu community.
his

With

this

object,
it,

spite

theological differences with

he warmly supported the Presbyterian Church

in its

work

in Calcutta

and to him

in

some measure

may
to

be attributed the coming of Alexander Duff

India.

The Church

of

Scotland ^Chaplain

in

Calcutta wrote

home

"Encouraged by the approI

bation of

Ram Mohan
of

presented to the General

Assembly
first

1824 the petition and memorial which

directed the attention of the Church of Scotland

to British India as a field for missionary exertions,

on the plan that it out, and to which

himself
a

is

now

so successfully following

this]

eminently gifted scholar,

caste,";

Brahmin

of

high]

had specially

annexed

his sanction."

On
for

his arrival

Alexander Duff at once met with

the ready assistance of

Ram Mohan who

house and his
first

secured
scholars.

him

his first school

On

the opening day he himself was present to smooth

difficulties

away any
endeavour
start.

that

might

arise

and

to

to

give

the

enterprise

favourable

When

the orthodox objected to his connection

school,

with a

Presbyterian

were read,

Ram Mohan

where the scriptures replied "Christians have

24

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

know that they
become Hindus.
:

studied the Hindu Shastras and you

htave not
I

myself have read the

Koran again and again but has that made me a Musulman ? Nay, I have studied the whole Bible and you know I am not a Christian. Why then do
you
fear to

read

it ?

Read

it

and judge
of-

for your-

selves."

This was the attitude

impartiality that

he always adopted.
all

Let each man enquire and gain the knowledge that he could, then judge for

himself.

Ram Mohan

was

as

fearless

in

supporting

Government against the prejudices of his fellowcountrymen as he was in pointing out to the
authorities
failed

any

injustice

that they committed or

he strongly opposed remedy. Government over the famous Jury Act of 1827 which considered he introduced unjustifiable
to
religious distinctions into the judicial

While

system of the
his

country,

he

was

equally
of

strong

in

defence
at

of the indigo

planters

Bengal, whom,
difficulties,

the

of

time of certain indigo labour the Indian community

at

a section

was

vilifying.

He
and

once
his

instituted

special

and private

inquiries

on

own account

into

the circumstances,

did not

having obtained a true version of the facts, he hesitate to proclaim them. He pointed

out

how
in

widely

indigo

had
the

benefited

Bengal,

and

how many

places

plantations

had
culti-

brought a wide area of waste land under

RAM MOHAN ROY

vation, adding that
it

25

mature opinion that "the indigo planters have done more essential good to the natives of Bengal than any other class of 'This is a fact which I will not hesitate persons.'
his

was

to affirm' he wrote 'whenever

may

be questioned
in

on the subject either in India or

at the

Europe.

I,

same time, must confess that there are

of

indi-

viduals

that class of society

who

either

from

hasty disposition or want of due discretion have proved

obnoxious to those who expected milder treatment from them. But you are well aware that no general

good can be effected without some partial

in this instance I

evil,

and

am happy

to say that the former

If any class would gladly see them turned out of the country, it would be the Zemindars in general, ^ince in many instances the planters have successfully

greatly preponderates over the latter.

of natives

protected the ryots against the tyranny and oppression

of their landlord.'

Although for a time

Unitarian Community,
his followers should
it

Ram Mohan

joined

the

was inevitable that he and

of

form a separate community

Theistic

their own.

This came to pass on August the 28th,

first

1828,

when the

Church
it

of

modern India
called simply
It
first

was founded.

At the outset

was

Brahma Sabha, the Society of God. until eighteen months later that the
for the worship of the

was not
building
in the

new

society

was dedicated

presence of about five hundred Hindus of

all classes.

26

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

The building was situated in the Chitpore Road and the names of the five 'Settlers' were given as 'Dwarka

Nath

Tagore,

Tagore,

Ram

Kaleenuth Roy, Prassunnakoomar Chunder Bidyabagish, and Ram Mohan

Roy/ who
Trustees,

transferred the Trust Property to three

and

Rama Nauth

Boykonto Nath Roy, Radha Persaud Roy Tagore. The trust deed dated
formed the declaration
of faith of

January
the
'

8th, 1830,

new community.

By

its

terms the Trustees

Shall at all times permit the said building, land,

tenements, hereditaments and premises, with their appurtenances, to be used, occupied, enjoyed,
applied

and appropriated

as

and

for

a place of

public meeting, of all sorts

without distinction,

and descriptions of people, as shall behave and conduct

themselves in an orderly, sober, religious and devout

manner.

For the worship and adoration of the Eternal Unsearchable and Immutable Being, who is the
Author and Preserver
or
of the universe,

'

but not under

by any other name, designation

to,

or title, particu-

larly used for an applied

Beings, by any men or set that no graven image, statue or sculpture, carving, painting, picture, portrait or the likeness of any;

any particular Being or and of men whatsoever

thing, shall be admitted within the messuage, building,

land, tenements, hereditaments

sacrifice, offering or

and premises

and tha no

oblation of any kind

:

of thing shall ever be permitted therein

and that

EAM MOHAN ROY.

no animal or living creature
shall within or

27

on the

said messuage, building, land, tenements, heredita-

ments and premises, be deprived

religious purposes or for food.
'

of

life,

either for

And

that no eating or drinking (except such as

shall be necessary

by any accident

for the preserva-

tion of

life)

feasting or rioting be permitted therein

or thereon.
'

And

that in conducting the said worship or

adoration no object, animate or inanimate that has been, or is, or shall hereafter become, or be recognised, as

an object of worship, by any

be

man

or set of

men,

shall

reviled or slightingly or contemptu-

ously spoken of or alluded to, either in preaching,

praying or in the hymns, or other mode of worship that may be delivered or used in the said messuage
or building.

or

'And that no sermon, preaching, discourse, prayer hymn be delivered, made or used in such worship

but such as have a tendency to the promotion of the contemplation of the Author and Preserver of the
Universe, to the promotion of charity, morality, piety, benevolence, virtue and the strengthening the bonds
of union

between men

of

all

religious

persuasions

and
'

creeds.

And

also that a person of

his

known

for

good repute and wellknowledge, piety and morality be

employed by the said Trustees as a resident superintendent and for the purpose of superintending the

^8

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

worship so to be performed as is hereinbefore stated that such worship be performed -daily or at least as often as once in seven days.'

and expressed
Its

breadth of sympathy,

its

earnest endeavour

and simplicity of faith and its strong desire to avoid the condemnation of others make this trust deed a remarkable document in an
after a greater sincerity

age of intense bigotry and bitter personal anmo;sities.

The

bitterness aroused against

Ram Mohan
of

in

certain quarters

was very

great.

Freedom

thought

.and freedom of speech were then in their infancy,

and Hinduism, which had so long exacted unquestioning and blind obedience, mustered all the forces
at
its

command
to
all all

against the

reformer.
'

clinging

that

was best

in

Though still Hinduism and

outward performances necessary to observing his caste, he had too effectively attacked the retain
abuses that had become a part of
it,

to escape the

hatred of the orthodox.

The storm

of opposition

he

aroused would have overwhelmed a weaker man.

Though he had proved again and again how deep was his zeal for the public good, it was counted to him as nought compared with his break with the old shibboleths of his faith. So fierce was the feeling against him that latterly his life was in danger, and his friend Mr. Montgomery Martin relates how
lie

took up his residence with him in order that he might watch over and protect him. For many years he

RAM MOHAN ROY.

had been intending to
visit

29>

England and convinced

of

the sincerity and fidelity of his following after the

last

founding of the Brahma Sabha in 1830 he felt that at the time had come. He was anxious not only to meet with the greatest and most advanced thinkers

of the day, but

above

all

to lay the case for progress

on behalf
people

of his fellow

and

the

British

countrymen before the British Government. To break

through centuries of tradition and brave the journey to England in those days needed no little courage.

letter of introduction given

the celebrated Jeremy

picture of the "
If I

Bentham

by a friend of his togives an illuminating:

man and
the

of the undertaking.

fully,"

runs

were beside you and could explain matters; "

letter,

you would comprehend

his

the

greatness

of

the

undertaking

going

on board ship to a foreign and distant land, a e named among Hindus thing hitherto not to

and

least

of

all

among Brahmans.
natural

His

grand
his

object

besides

the

one

of

satisfying

own

laudable spirit of enquiry has

been to set a
:

laudable

one of

and every example to his countrymen and gradual moves that he has the slow
to his actually quitting India has

made preparatory

been marked by the same discretion of judgment. He waited patiently until he had by perseverance

and

exertion

acquired

little

but

respectable

party of disciples.

He

talked of going to England

the-

from year to year since 1823, to familiarize

:30

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

of

minds

the

orthodox by degrees to this step.

and that

his friends

might

in the

meantime increase
judges that the
is

in numbers and confidence.

-time
is

He now
mind
this

come and that the

public

equal for the

exploit.

The good which

excellent

and ex-

traordinary

man

has already effected by his writings

.and example cannot be told.

sati

But

for his exertions

would be

in full vigour at the present

day and

'the influence of bigotry in all its current force.

He

is

withal one of the most modest

with.
It is

men

had ever met

no small compliment to such a man that even a Governor General like the present, who, though
a

man

of the

most honest

intentions, suspects

every-

body and
of

trusts

no body, and who knows that

Ram
res-

Mohan Roy

greatly disapproves of

many
so

of the acts

Government should have shown him

rank and

much

pect as to furnish
of

him with introductions

to friends

political influence in England.'

even when breaking so far with Brahmanical tradition as to cross the sea, to observe
careful,

He was

the laws of caste.

''

He

took with him on board the

by which he sailed in November the 19th, two Hindu servants and two cows to supply 1830, him with milk, and throughout the voyage and
Albion

'

during his stay in England he endeavoured to continue the strict Brahmanical observances which he

had always carefully maintained. Ram Mohan's three years in England were fraught
-with far-reaching results.

His journey to Europe

RAM MOHAN

ROY.

31

marks an epoch in Indian development. Before him no member of the highest caste had dared to break the spell which the sea had laid on India. He was
the
first

Brahman

to cross tjie ocean

and the

first

ever to be received by an English king. His name stands out as the pioneer of that long line of Indians

who have

since gone westwards to grasp in a

day

the knowledge that the west has taken such long years to come by. His bold example stirred his

countrymen to follow in his wake, and served to bring them into closer touch with the great nation with
-whose destinies theirs have become so closely linked.

The presence
of

Ram

such a brilliant personality as that Mohan brought home to the British people
of

in a personal, intimate

way, as nothing else could well have done, the piety, learning and dignity of He in his own person their Indian fellow subjects.

won
His

new

respect for his race

among Englishmen.
court and in the

tall dignified figure, familiar at

highest circles of society, welcomed alike by the

English Church and non-conformists, and equally at home in every circle of society, became in the eyes
of those,

who

for the
all,

most part had never before

seen an Indian at

the embodiment of the Indian

Empire.
tion of
larly

His learning and culture evoked astonish-

iment and admiration.

what

.the

He was the complete refutauntra veiled western mind had popu-

by

his visit to

adopted as the Asiatic type. Ram Mohan Roy England was not only enabled to inter-

32
pret

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL.

England to India, he did the even greater
India to the English.

service of interpreting

The

west had long since gone to the East, eager to exploreits

mysteries and develop

its

resources.

With

Ram

time broke through the bonds which had so long held it and began the journey to the west. He may well be called the first ambassador of India to the English people.
the ]ast for the
first

Mohan Roy

The great reformer was destined never again

return to
failed

to

his

native

land.

His health graduallv

all

and though surrounded by

little

that

modern

science could provide, he slowly sank

and died amid

x)^tht

a faithful

company

of friends at Bristol

September, 1833. Though his remains liefar from the land he strove so hard to serve his

27th

memory

will ever live in the hearts of his grateful

fellowcountrymen.

Above

his

grave

memorial

stone pays this last tribute

BENEATH

THIS STONE REST THE REMAINS OF

RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY BAHADOOR.

CONSCIENTIOUS AND STEADFAST BELIEVER

INT

THE UNITY OF THE GODHEAD, HE CONSECRATEDHIS LIFE WITH ENTIRE DEVOTION TO TH WORKINGS OF THE DIVINE SPIRIT ALONE. To GREAT NATURAL.
TALENTS HE UNITED A THOROUGH MASTERY OF MANY
LANGUAGES, AND EARLY DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS ONE OF THE GREATEST SCHOLARS OF HIS DAY. HlS

RAM MOHAN

ROY.

33

UNWEARIED LABOUR TO PROMOTE THE SOCIAL, MORAL AND POLITICAL CONDITION OF THE PEQPfcE OF
INDIA,
HIS

EARNEST

ENDEAVOURS

TO

SUPPRESS

IDOLATRY AND THE RITE OF SUTEE AND HIS CONSTANT

ZEALOUS ADVOCACY OF WHATEVER TENDED TO AD-

VANCE THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE WELFARE OF

MEN, LIVE IN
TH*E

GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF HIS

COUNTRYMEN.

THIS TABLET
,

RECORDS THE SORROW AND PRIDE WITH WHICH HIS MEMORY IS CHERISHED BY HIS DESCENDANTS. HE WAS BORN IN RADHANAGAR IN BENGAL IN
,

1774,*

AND DIED AT BRISTOL, 27TH SEPTEMBER,

1833.

* According to the this should be 1772.

most authoritative sources

of information

Hazi

Mahomed Mohsin

HAJI

MAHOMED
1730-1812.
in

MOHSIN.

No Muhammadan
tury has
left

Bengal

in the nineteenth cen-

name than
piety

behind him a greater or more honoured Haji Mahomed Mohsin. By his learning,

and philanthropy he set, while the century was yet young, a splendid example of all that a good citizen should be, not only to his own co-religionists
but to

Bengal of whatever caste or creed. For over a hundred years the great Trust that he left
all

behind him has kept his memory fresh, conferring immense benefits on succeeding generations and still
continuing
to-day.
its

educational and philanthropic work

all

For

time

it

promises

to

remain

great and living memorial of his name. The life of Haji Mahomed Mohsin was

full

of

romance.

His grandfather on his father's side was

Agha

Fazlullah, a

merchant prince
of

of Persia,

who

wake come compatriots had

following in

the

many

of his

adventurous

to seek his fortune in India

in the eighteenth century.

For a time he resided

at Murshidabad where the Viceroy of Bengal held court and where the English factory was slowly

but surely establishing

its

its

position

and increasing
Fazlullah

scope

and

influence.

Here

Agha

carried on aa extensive mercantile business, but

36

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

the
rising

finding

port

of

Hooghly

more-

convenient centre, he finally settled there with his son

Haji

Faizullah,

who was already

associated

with him in his business undertakings. It was in Hooghly that the fortunes of his family were to
reach their height, and with
it

that the

name

of his

famous grandson was to be indissolubly associated

for all time.

Already settled in Hooghly was one AghaMotaher, who. coming originally from Persia like

Agha Fazullah, had won his way at the court of Aurungzeb. That monarch had conferred upon him extensive jagirs in Jessore and other places in
Bengal, and
finally

Agha Motaher, eager

to take possession-

himself set out from Delhi for the eastern-

province on the outskirts of the empire, where somany of his countrymen had won fame and fortune
before

him.

So

well did

he

manage

his

newly
the-

acquired
wealthiest

lands

that

he soon became one of

men

in the province.

He had made
was to

his

headquarters at Hooghly and there, like a good

Muhammadan,
a

his desire in prosperity,

build'

mosque that should be worthy of Already there was a fine Immabara

it

his fortunes.

there,

built

by Murshid Kuli Khan, Viceroy of Bengal, but had fallen into disrepair. It occupied a splendid
site

on the river bank, close by the Fort and thePortuguese Factory, and commanding wide reaches

of the river to the north

and south.

Agha Motaher

HAJI
resolved

MAHOMED MOHSIN

37

to rebuild it and, obtaining permission, the construction of the building which after began many additions and improvements has survived

as the great Imambara of to-day. In the prosperity of Agha Motaher there was

one thing lacking. He had no son. For many years he was childless and it was only in old age
that a daughter was born to him.

Round this only named Manu Jan Khanum, all his affections child, centred, and dying when she was only seven years
left

old he
is

her

all

his property.

curious story
to
his

told

of of

the
his

device
will

he
secret

adopted

keep the

contents

lifetime. during Presenting a massive golden amulet to the child, he told her that it would prove of immense value
it

to her after his death but that

to be opened while he lived.

was on no account

The

child being of

instructions were implicitly obeyed,

such tender years, others saw that the great man's and when the

to contain his will

amulet was opened after his death it was found whereby he left her all that he

provision appears to have been widow, probably because she already had property of her own. She seems at oncfe to have set up an independent household on her own account,
possessed.

No

made for

his

and

shortly afterwards married Haji Fazlullah, the son of Agha Fazlullah, her late husband's friend

and compatriot. The only child of this marriage was the famous Haji Mahomed Moshin.

38

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Born
in

1730 A.D., Haji Mahomed Mohsin was eight years younger than his half-sister, Manu Jan* Khanum. From the first she loyally played the part
of elder sister

towards him watching over his earliest

years with tenderest devotion.

in the household of Haji Faizullah, they

Brought up together were insepar-

able companions, and the strong and deep affection that always existed between them was one of the
first

recollections

of

their

childhood's

days.

The

influence for good that

Manu Jan Kanuin

in after life

exercised

over him

left

its

mark

and Mahomed

Mo shin
days,

never forgot the debt he owed to her.

Following the usual

studies in Arabic

Muhammadan custom of those Mahomed Mohsin early began to prosecute hi&

and Persian.
Here again he had guidance, for she had

the advantage of his sister's

already acquired considerable proficiency in those

studies while he

was

still

an infant, and when he

of a tutor,

was old enough to be placed under the care

tutor was a Persian

she continued her studies as his fellow pupil.

Their

gentleman,

Agha

Shirazi

by

name,

who combined with

great

learning

much

worldly wisdom and experience, having travelled in many countries after having left his home in Shiraz

and before

finally settling

down

in

Hooghly.

Often

when

lessons were done, he

was wont to

relate to hi

pupils stories of his

foreign

adventures and of the wonders of

lands

and thus early

Mahomed Mohsin
which
in

became inspired with that

desire for travel

HAJI
after

MAHOMED MOHSIN
find

39

years

gratify.

such opportunity to Finally, to complete his education Mahomed

he

was to

Moshin was sent to Murshidabad, there to learn all that one of the most famous Muktabs of the time
could teach him of the Koran and the classics, in

which he had been so well grounded by Agha Shirazi. After finishing his studies at Murshidabad,

Mahomed Mohsin

returned to his

sister's

house at

Hooghly. The same friendship as in their younger days still existed between them and it was shortly
after his

return that

Mahomed

Mohsin's watchful
of rendering

care and devotion were the

means

her

a great service. A woman of her position and wealth was not without enemies, and among a certain

number

of those

who might hope

to benefit

by her

death a plot was formed to poison her.

This plot

Mahomed Moshin had

in

the good fortune to discover

his sister

and was thus able to save

ever,

time of the design against her life. was the animosity roused against
for

by warning her So great, how-

Mahomed
it

Moshin amongst the conspirators that he thought

advisable to leave

was able

to

do as

his aister

Hooghly was about

a time.
to

This he

marry and

so would not be left without a protection in his

absence.

When

Haji

Mahomed Mohsin

left

Hooghly for

the second time he was some thirty-two years old. Although he had always had a great desire to travel

he had

felt

thatkhis

first

duty was to the

sister to

40

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

he owed so much.

whom

Now

that he was free, how-

ever, he lost

no time in setting out to see the world. After the sheltered life that he had hitherto led

in his carefully tended house on the banks of the

Hooghly, the hardships of the road must have been a rough experience. In those days of slow and
tedious travel a journey even to the imperial city of Delhi along the beaten track was no light undertaking.

accounts of

Mahomed Mohsin, however, hearing good Manu Jan Khanum's happiness and safety was eager to set out into the unknown in search
learning,

of

and adventure.

Blest

with

splendid

physique, his simple living and hard training had endowed him with excellent health, while his skill as

a swordsman and as

wrestler

was to become
It

famous during
always
said

his travels
of

throughout India.
that
his

was

him,

however,

great

strength was never used for oppression or in an unjust cause, while it was ever ready to defend the

weak or the

helpless.

For

his

already noted and

much

of

penmanship he was his leisure time waa

So beautifully were

devoted to copying the Koran.

these copies penned that some of them are said to have sold for 1000 Us. It is also said that he made

no fewer than seventy-two

task, all of

copies, truly a Herculean

to

them being given away when the poor and suffering.

country
visiting
all

finished

After a brief halt at Murshidabad, he travelled

up

the

famous

towns

of

HAJI
northern
the
India.
of

MAHOMED MOHSIN
It

41
in

was

a -critical
empire.

moment

history

the

Moghul

there was a spirit of unrest.

Everywhere The old empire that

had so long maintained its nominal grasp over all northern India was rapidly falling to decay. Internal dissensions had weakened its hold, while on the
one hand the Mahrattas and on the other a crowd of
western nations were knocking at its gates. It was a fascinating drama that was played before the eyes
of Haji
city,

Mahomed Moshin

as

he travelled from city to

tion

showing him the beginning of that great transiwhich was to change the face of Hindustan.
content

Not
of

with

his

Indian

experiences
limits

Mahomed Mohsin

travelled

far

beyond the

the Moghul empire.

pilgrimages to the holy cities of

Reaching Arabia, he made Mecca and Medina,

has

thus gaining for himself the title of Haji which ever since been coupled with his name. Continuing his journey he made his way through
.

Persia,

Turkey and Egypt performing pilgrimages to many of the most sacred Moslem shrines, his
visits

them strengthening the strain of piety and religious enthusiasm which had always been
to

inherent in his nature.

seat of oriental learning,

At Najaf, then a famous he spent some time enjoying

the society of the company of scholars, fame of the place had attracted there.

whom

the

For twenty -seven years he continued his travels in Hindustan, Arabia, Persia, and Central Asia, meeting

42

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

many
adventuies and enduring many hardbut never losing his passion for the road.

with
ships

Visiting all the

famous places

of the

Moslem world

he added greatly to his already large store of knowledge, acquiring fresh wisdom and breadth of view

from each new source.

Travelling as he did over so

extended an area and during so many years, his fame spread far and wide and, preceding him on his

homeward way through India, prepared everywhere for him a great reception.
It

was not

until he

had reached
tell

his sixtieth

year

and age was beginning to

constitution
his

that

he finally
return

even upon his iron decided to terminate

travels

and

home.

slowly across northern India he

Making his way came at last to Luck-

now, which, since the best days of Delhi were already past, had become the chief centre of Moslem thought

and

learning.

Here the fame

of

his

wisdom and

erudition had preceded

him and he was welcomed

men of the day who were then gathered there. The Nawab Asaf-ud-dowlali was himself a patron of letters and in Haji Mahomed
by
all

the distinguished

Mohsin

he

found

scholar

worthy

of

respect,

and one who would be an ornament of his court. But Mahomed Mohsin, though tempted by every
inducement of wealth and honours to remain had no
ambition to figure among the crowd of
he returned at
last to
satillities

at

the Nawab's court and after a short stay in

Lucknow

Murshidabad whence he had

HAJI
set out so

MAHOMED MOHSIN
Here

45

many

years before.

in this seat of

learning,

it

seems, he determined to settle

down

to

spend

his declining years.

But

fate willed otherwise.

During
changes
in

his

long absence there had been great

old

his

home

Manu Jan Khanum Salahuddin Mahomed Khan, nephew

her,

Hooghly. His sister had married her cousin Mirza

at
of

whom

he had followed from Persia.

Agha MotaThe marriage

was an

extremely

happy one, Mirza Salahuddin

devoting himself to the management of his wife's large estates and entering with her into all her
plans for their improvement and the welfare of those
all

connected

with

them.

In

Hooghly

itself

where Manu Jan

childhood,
beloved.

Khanum had
were

been known from

respected

they

universally

and

The Imambara that her father had com-

menced, she and her husband

made

their special care,

adding to and completing what he had begun, while

close by, for the benefit of those

who came

to worship,
is

Mirza Salahuddin established a hat which

still

known by

his

name.

was brought
loss

Their short spell of married happiness, however r to a sudden close by Mirza Salahuddin's

untimely death, while still in the prime of life. His was a great blow to Manu Jan Khanum who had
learned to rely upon him in conducting the business
of

her

estates.

Though there were not wanting

fill

many who

aspired to

his

place,

she remained

faithful to his

memory

keeping the control of her

44

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

own hands and showing
great tact and

affairs in her

the management of them. It was but ability natural that a widow of such wealth and position should be sought in marriage, and Manu Jan Khanum
in

was not without

suitors.

Among them was Nawab

but, suspecting his

Khan Jahan Khan

motives,

of

Hooghly

she replied to

sent with the offer of his hand.

the messengers whom he "Affection is greater

to offer

than wealth.
the greater,

You have not been able how therefore can I give you
years, however, the

me

the

less ?"

With advancing
of her vast estates
her.

management became too heavy a burden for

to

Her thoughts naturally turned

brother, the companion of her youth, from

whom

the stepshe

had been so long parted, and she resolved to summon him from Murshidabad and entrust the whole of her
property to his management. It was only on her earnest solicitations that Mahomed Moshin was
prevailed upon to leave his retreat at Murshidabad.
Feeling,

that

it

was

his

duty to
of study

come

to

her

assistance,

he gave up the

life

and seclusion

that he had marked out for himself, and came to

Hooghly to undertake the arduous duties of manager of his half-sister's great estates. The years that followed

must have been busy ones

very different

for

Mahomed

Mohsin,

from those that he had spent wandering from city to city with no worldly cares to harass him. The knowledge of the help he was enabled to render
to his sister

and the pleasure

of her society were,

HAJI

MAHOMED MOHSTN

45

however, sufficient compensation.

relieved
of
all

Manu Jan Khanum,

anxiety as to her worldly affairs,

devoted her remaining years to charity and prayer r

tenderly
earliest

cared

for

by

Mahomed Mohsin whose

years she herself had so carefully watched

over.

A.D. leaving as the

affection for

She died at the age of eighty-one in 1803 last and greatest proof of her

Mahomed Moshin

a will bequeathing

him the whole of her estate.

It was thus not until Haji Mahomed Mohsin had reached the age of seventy -three that he became possessed of the great wealth which he was to put

to so

good a
of
his

use.

He had

never married and the

death

half-sister
is

left

him

without

near

relatives.

There

something

pathetic in the figure

which the great wealth that had suddenly come to him but served to accentuate. There lived with him, it is true, the
of this old
in its utter loneliness,

man

two companions
Murshidabad,
but

whom he had brought with him from Rajib AH Khan and Shakir AH Khan

they were truly his friends subsequent events were only too clearly to prove. But
little

how

undismayed by the Mahomed Moshin set

estate wisely

responsibilities

before

him,
the

himself

to

administer

So far as he was personally concerned, this new access of wealth made but little
well.

and

change.

He

lived

as

he

had

lived

before,

the

same simple frugal life of the traveller and the scholar that he had always known. But in so-

46
far as
it

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

enabled him to widen the sphere of his

and kindly deeds, his inheritance was welcome to him. Almost the whole of his large income
charities

he spent

in

charity.

Not content with

relieving
to his

those cases of sickness or distress that

came

notice, he made it his personal concern to seek out those who needed help. It is said that he was even

wont

to

disguise himself

poorest

quarters

of

and wander through the the town seeking out the

'

famished beggar, the starving widow and the helpless

Though and orthodox Muhammadan, he took no account of caste or creed when it was a case of
strict

orphan,' and relieving their distress.

helping suffering humanity. Helplessness and poverty

alone were sufficient passwords to his large and gener-

magnanimity and generosity. Once, it is said, a thief broke into Tiis house and entered his sleeping apartment at dead of night. Mahomed Mohsin, waking opportunely,

ous heart.

Many

stories are told of his

sprang up and seized the thief, quickly overpowering him. But recognising him as a resident

of the place

who had

fallen

on

evil days,

he released

him and upbraided him for his unworthy conduct. Shamed and penitent, the thief implored his pardon. Mahomed Mohsin not only set him free but gave

him money

to tide over his

immediate

difficulties.

So astonished was the thief and

so grateful for the

it

generosity shown him that even though

his

was

to

own detriment he

could not refrain from relating

HAJI

MAHOMED MOHSIN

47

the incident in after days, always maintaining that it was Mahomed Moshin's magnanimous conduct

that had saved him from sinking into

still

lower

depths of crime.

Mahomed Moshin, however, was not

these small acts of
charity.

content with

He was

anxious that

his great wealth should be

his death,

put to good uses after which he knew now could not be far off.

this object, on April the 26th, 1806. he signed a Deed of Trust, setting apart the whole of his income for charitable purposes in perpetuity. This

With

deed

is

now

preserved

among the
on one
it

treasures of the

Imambara

at Hooghly,

of the walls of in English has

which
been

facing the river, a copy of

inscribed, so that all

who pass may read

The
will

of the charity

of

Mahomed
'I,

Mohsin.

runs
son
of

Hajee

Mahummud
Agha

Moshin,
Fuzloollah,

Hajee
senses

Fyzoollah,

son of

inhabitant of
all

Bundur
and

Hugli, in the full possession of

my

faculties,

with

my own
of

free will

and accord, do

make

the following correct and legal declaration.

That the Zumeendaree

Purgannah Qismut Sueed-

pore, &c. appendant to Zillah Jusur. and

Purgunnah

Sobhnal also appendant to the Zillah aforesaid, and one house situated in Hooghly, (known and distinguished as Imambara) and
also

[Market]

situated

in

Imambazar, and Hat Hooghly, and all the

goods and chattels appertaining to the Imambara the whole of which agreeably to a separate list
;

48

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

me by
inheritance,

have devolved on
the
proprietary
;

and of which

possession I enjoy up to this as I have no children, nor grandtime present nor other relatives, who would bechildren,

come
desire

my
to

legal heirs

and as

have

full

wish and

keep up and continue the usages and

expenditures

charitable

[Murasumo

Ukhrahat-i-

husneh] of the Fateha &c., of the Huzrat [on

whom

be blessings and rewards] which have

give purely for the sake of

been the

established practice of the family, I therefore hereby

God

the whole of the

above property, with privileges, whole and

all its rights,

immunities, and

or much, in it, and whatever [by way of appendwith it, or from it. age] might arise from it, relate or belong to it as
entire,
little

a permanent Appropriation for the following exand have hereby appointed Rujub Uli penditures
;

Khan, son
Uli

of Sheikh

Mohummud

Sadiq, and Shakir

Khan, son of Ahmud Khan, who have been tried and approved by me, as possessing understanding, knowledge, religion and probity Mutwallies
(trustees or superintendents
x

of the said

Wuqf

or

Appropriation, which I have given

in trust to the

above two

individuals

-that,

aiding

and

assisting

each other, they might consult, advise and agree of the business together in the joint management
of the said Appropriation, in

manner

as follows

that the aforenamed Mutwallies, after paying the

revenues of Government, shall divide the remaining

HAJI

MAHOMED MOHSIN

49

produce of the Muhals aforenamed into nine shares of which three shares they shall disburse in the observance of the Fateha of Huzrut Syud-Kayunat
(head of the creation) the last of the Prophets, and Imams (on all of whom be the bless-

of the sinless

ings

and peace

of

appertaining to
(ten

the

God) and in the expenditures Ushra of Mohurrumool-huram

blessed days of feasts and festivals

of the

days of the sacred Mohurrum), and all other and in the repairs
;

Imambara and Cemetery

in

Two

SHAKES the
to

Mutwallis,

equal
their

portion,

shall

appropriate

themselves

for

own

expenses,

and

FOUR

SHARES

shall

be disbursed in the payment of the esta-

blishment, and of those whose names are inserted

in the separate list signed

and sealed by me.

In

regard to the daily expenses, monthly stipends of the stipendiaries, respectable men, peadas and other
persons,

who

at this present

moment
them

stand appointed,,
full

the Mutwallis aforenamed after me, have

to retain, abolish or discharge
to as
I
it

power

may appear

have publicly committed the Appropriation to the charge of the two abovenamed individuals. In the event of a
fit

them most

and expedient.

Mutwalli finding himself unable to conduct the business of the Appropriation, he may appoint any one

whom he may think most

to act in his behalf.

fit

and proper, as a Mutwalli

this

For the above reasons

documents
4

is

given in writing this 19th

day

of

Bysakh,

in the year of Hijree 1221, corresponding with the

50

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

it

Bengal year 1213, that whenever may prove a legal deed.'

Haji

be required

it

Mahomed Mohsin

lived for six years after

making this truly noble disposition of his property. For his own personal use he had reserved only so much property as would bring him in about one
hundred rupees a month. Upon this small sum he was content to live, busily employed in setting the great Trust in order so that it migkt be wisely and
well administered after his death.
It
is

difficult to

imagine a more admirable close to the end of a long

and well-spent life than this chosen by Mahomed Mohsin. Rich beyond the dreams of avarice, he
voluntarily gave

up every
well

thing, anxious only to see

before his death the great Charitable Trust that he

had founded
which

so

administered that

it

might

never, for all time to come, fail in the great objects

for

he had designed it. Revered and reslife, he thus raised up to himself while he yet lived a monument more lasting than brick and stone, a monument that will last for all time and
pected in

which already in the century that has passed has caused so many generations to bless his name.
In 1812 Haji

Mahomed Mohsin

died at the ripe

old age of eighty-two. He was buried with all the simplicity that he himself desired in the garden adjoining the Imambara which he had so splendidly endowed.
sister,

He lies close by his well-loved stepManu Jan Khanum to whcm he owed both

HAJI
!his

MAHOMED MOHSIN

51

early training

Jater years.
of

and the great inheritance of his Near them are two other graves, those

Manu's husband Mirza Salahuddin Mahomed Khan

ment or

and of her father Agha Motaher. No fitting monuinscription marked their graves for nearly

a hundred years. It was only on the centenary of the foundation of the great Trust that a handsome canopy was erected over them as a fitting outward

symbol

of the affection

and

gratitude, with

which

in

spite of the lapse of time so

many

still

regard their

memory.
It is

Haji
Ali

Mahomed

sad to turn from the noble and pious life of Mohsin to the meanness and

treachery of those

Khan and

Shakir

whom he had trusted. To Rajib AH Khan, he had given inumerfor

.able proofs of his friendship, lavishing his affection

upon them

in life

and generously providing

them

.after his death.

By

the terms of the

will,

the ad-

ministration of the Trust Fund, according to the conditions laid down, was left entirely in their hands
as Mutwallis.

The income from the property was

Three shares were

to be divided into nine shares.

to be devoted for ever to religious observances and the maintenance of the Imambara, four shares were
to be devoted to non-religious charitable purposes
-to

while

be chosen by the Mutwallis for the time being, the remaining two shares were to be their

personal property.
Jby

The two Mutwallis nominated

to be allowed to appoint

Mahomed Mohsin were

52
their

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

own
successors.

Mahomed Mohsin had thus

and confidence that and take posses-

provided generously for his two friends, but so far

short did they
fall

of his trust

they endeavoured to conceal the will

sion of the whole property.

soon

after

Baker Ali

AH Khan dying Mahomed Mohsin. appointed his son Khan his successor as Mutwalli, while
Sakir

Rajib Ali the other original Mutwalli not long afterwards also appointed his son Wasiq Ali Khan to
succeed him.

The two son?

of the first

two Mutwallis

thus reigned in their stead. So scandalous was their management of the Trust that the Board of Revenue

was soon forced to

interfere

under the Provisions of

The finding of the court Regulation of Sudder Dewani Adaulat before which the case
of 1810.

XIX

came, bears striking testimony to their mismanagement. 'The proper objects of the endowment were
neglected,'
fell

it

ran,

'and

the

Government revenue

was spent on quarrels the managers, bribes to the police and amins. between and gifts to the manager's relatives. They, moreover,
into arrears, while the income
in order to increase their

own

profits at the

expense

of the Trust, forged a perpetual lease in their

own

favour and that of their relatives, purporting to have been executed by Haji Mahomed JMohsin before

the

deed

of

foundation.'

By an

order

of

Syed Ali Akbar Khan was Government to act in conjuncappointed manager by tion with the two Mutwallis and to set the affairs of

November the

16th. 1815,

HAJ1
"the

MAHOMED MOHSIN

53

Trust on a satisfactory footing. Anxious to interfere as little as possible with the intentions of
the original founder, Government adopted this only as a temporary measure, and a few months later
again restored
full

management

to the

two Mutwaldown.

Jis,

certain rules for their guidance being laid

long, however, in proving how little deserved this clemency on the part of Governthey ment, continuing their course of peculation and embezzlement with renewed vigour. Finally in

They were not

1818, the Collector of Jessore in

large

whose

district

portion

of

the

Trust

property lay,

ejected

them
of the

from

the
of

Board

management with the approval Revenue. The Mutwallis made every

effort to retain so profitable a stewardship,

their case repeatedly before the courts.

.sion of

On

bringing the deci-

the Sessions Ju&ge of Hooghly being given

against them, they appealed to Calcutta and finally

original judgment was, and its confirmation by however, consistently upheld the Privy Council in 1835 at length set the matter
^,t rest.

to the Privy Council.

The

Since March, 1817 the control of the

Mahomed
the hands
original

Mohsin Trust estate has thus been

-of

in

Government.
of
AVH.S

In

order

to

fulfil

the

intentions
-Mutwalli

the

founder

as

far

as

possible,

appointed to have charge of all that concerned the Imambava and the religious side of the
.

Sved Ali Khan Bahadur

beincj

nominat-

54
ed as the

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

first

Mutwalli under the

new

order..

Im

1821 the property of the Trust was sold in putni

tenures, the

sum obtained amounting

As the appeal
still

to

upwards-

of six lacs of rupees.

of the former
it

Mutwallis was

before the courts

was made a
restored
therefore-

condition of the sale that, in the event of the case-

being

lost,

the purchase

money should be
obtained

with

interest.

The sum

was

invested in government security so as to be availablein case of need.

*

The

case having been finally decided in 1835*

ini

favour of the action taken by Government, new regulations were drawn up confirming the Trust and'
creating the

ment Fund.'
its

'Mahomed Mohsin Education EndowThe Government of India made known

decision in the following terms

'The Governor-General in Council, deeming himself

to

have succeeded to the

full

authority and
to the

power assigned
determine
subject
of

by Haji Mahomed Mohsin

it

Mutwalli considers

to be entirely in his
of

power to
funds*

upon the appropriation

the

course to the condition of adhering as

in-

closely as possible to the wishes of the testator

points on which they have been declared.

'Now
the

appears that the growing income from Jessore estate was the only fund in the
it

testator's contemplation,

and the expenses of the

with
the-

Imambara, the Mutwalli's allowances, pensions and establishment, are charges

specifically^

HAJI

MAHOMED MOHSIN
is

55

upon that income, which

per annum.

estimated by the subof Rs. 45,000

committee at Hooghly to yield the sum

'The Governor-General adverting to the conditions of the will resolves that three-ninths of the

income from the Zemindaries shall permanently be assigned for the current expenses of the Imambara. Of the two-ninths of the income assigned
to the Mutwallis but which are
of the

now

at the disposal

Government, the Governor-General in Council

assigns one-ninth to the agent or Mutwalli appointed

by the Government, but he does not deem

it

necessary

to appoint a second Mutwalli or to appropriate the

second ninth share assigned by the testator to the This co-trustee nominated in the original will.
ninth, therefore, will be available for general purposes
of a benevolent nature along with the surplus

fund

to which I shall presently advert.

'The four-ninths of the Zemindari income appro-

by the testator to pensions and establishmust remain burthened with these charges, ments
priated

but as many of the pensions must have lapsed, the Governor-General in Council considers that the in-

come

arising

from such lapses

may

be fairly added

to the surplus fund appropriable to general purposes. The expenses of the hospital will, however, remain

a permanent charge under this head, but there appears to be an expense incurred for education at present which will be of course merged in the original fund.

56
'In

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

pursuance of the principles above laid down there remain at the disposal of Government for
general purposes of a beneficent nature,
first,

one;

ninth of the

annual income of the Zemindaries

;

second, the lapsed pensions

and

third, the entire

amount

arising

from the interest of the accumulated

of the

fund now invested in promissory notes ment.

'The Governor-General in Council
that,
after

Govern-

is

of opinion

setting

apart from the last-mentioned

fund such amount as

be necessary to provide appropriate buildings, including the charge of rebuilding or repairing the Imambara and other re-

may

ligious edifices,

if

it

should be found necessary to

renew these, the entire remainder should be considered as a Trust Fund, the interest of which with
be appropriated to purposes of education by the foundation of a collegiate institution imparting instructions of all kinds in the
other items specified,

may

higher departments of education according to the principles heretofore explained.

'In this

manner the Governor-General

in Council

conceives that the pious and beneficent purposes of

the founder of the Hocghly endowment will best be fulfilled and under the latitude given for the deter-

minations of the specific uses to which any surplus funds of the estate are to be appointed, he cannot see
that the assignment of the surplus which has arisen in this instance, partly from the delay in consequence

HAJI
of litigation,

MAHOMED MOHSIN
fines realised

57

and partly from the

from

the mode of management, adapted to purposes of education in the manner stated, will be any deviation from the provision of the dead/

In the following year the ITooghly College was opened with the surplus funds at the disposal of

'Government.

The

College

was

affiliated

to

the
all

Calcutta University and was open to members of

religious communities, the building acquired for it being the fine house on the banks of the ITooghly

originally built

by the famous General Perron.

So

great was

its

success that, within three days of its

opening,

it?

students numbered twelve hundred in

the English and three hundred in the Oriental De-

partment. For thirty-seven years, the College was maintained by the Mohsin Fund. The proportion
of

Muhammadan

students, however,

was eventually

considered too small to justify the expenditure of so large a portion of the Trust Fund upon it, and the

maintenance of the ITooghly College was otherwise provided for. The income from the Trust Fund thus
released

was

set

apart, partly for the support of

at Dacca, Chittagong, Rajshahi and and partly for the assistance of MuhaniinaHooghly,
Madi-iissas

ilan students, fees

by granting them t.vo-thirds

school or college in
Trusl,

of their

any English Whereas the income from the

to 45.000 Rs.
it

at

Bengal.

Fund

in 1835 only

amounted
and a

now amounts

to over a lac
lines,

half,

and administered on these

the

58
benefit

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

which
it

has conferred upon the cause of

in-

education

among the Muhammadan community

syjent
itself,

Bengal is incalculable. In 1848 two lacs of rupees were

ing and improving the
building, after
first

on enlarg-

Imambara

when the
assumed

many
it

alternations since the days of its

construction by

Agha Motaher,

finally

the form which

bears to-day.

It is a magnificent

structure on the banks of the Hooghly,

command-

ing splendid reaches of the river on either hand.

fall

Facing northward over the river the walls bear the text of Mahomed Mohsin's will inscribed upon,

them, a striking inscription of a great gift. The inner courtyard, out of which opens the Imambara itself, has
a charming air of grandeur and repose, while from the turrets that .tower above it a magnificent view of the

Imambara and
ed.

of the surrounding country is obtainitself

Every where within the building

texts

from the Koran are engraved upon the walls, while many times a day the sound of prayer ascends. In one corner
ed

the Hospital supportby the funds, while in another are the rooms of

of the

quadrangle

is

the Mutwali, whose sole duty

now

lies

within the

Imambara

in maintaining the religious observances

enjoined by the trust.

Section 7 of Act

In 1867 a committee under

of that year was appointed to the management of the Funds allotted for supervise

XX

this purpose,

which amount to three-ninths

whole
estate.

of

the

income

of the

The Mutwali appointed:

HAJI

MAHOMED MOHSIN
to

59'

by Government continues
while
all

draw

his one-ninth share,,

is

the remainder of the estate

administered

by the Collector of Khulna* for charitable and educational purposes.

Thus this magnificent charitable Trust Fund remains after more than one hundred years, fulfilling
the intentions of
benefits
its

founder and conferring immense

and fellow-countrymen. Rescued by Government from dissipation and embezzlement on the part of those who should have
on
his co-religionists

been

its faithful

guardians,
all

it

keeping so that for

time

it

has been placed in safe may serve the great

purposes for which

it

was designed.

No man

could

have raised a greater and more noble monument to himself than that which bears the name of Haji.

Mahomed Mohsin.

The

District of

Districts of Jessore

Khulna was formed out of portions and the 24 Perganas 1882.

of

th&

Ramtanu

Lahiri

RAMTANU
AMONG
the

LAHIRI. 18131898.
associated with the great"

many names

Renaissance in Bengal during the nineteenth century that of Ramtanu Lahiri bears art honoured place.

Foremost

every good work he set by his daily lifeand conduct a shining example to all those who with
in

him were treading the

social

difficult

paths of moral and

lovableness

progress.

His

intense

was the

secret of the great influence he wielded, his saintly

life

and whole-hearted devotion

to the interests of his

to

fellow-countrymen

never failing

leave

deep

impression on all those who came in contract with him. Though he courageously broke away from the
old beliefs

and the old creeds, it was only in so far as he held that they failed in the light of modern knowAll that was best in them ledge and investigation.
he was eager to retain.
tive creed

His was no purely destruc-

ruthlessly sweeping

away

all

that had

been

held

sacred

for
of the

generations.

This

was

f h>

natural tendency

come

to

century, 'but

Bengal in from the

sudden awakening that had the middle of the nineteenth

first

liamtanu threw the whole

weight of his influence on the side of moderation. He was wise enough to see that no nation, enervated

by long

sleep,

can spring to

life,

at once capable

and

02

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

equipped to guide its own destiny with sure and While none was more eager than he to .steady hand.
step forward boldly on the road of progress, he realised
to the full the supreme importance of taking no false
.step.

In quietness and in confidence, in slow, carefully-considered advancement lay the strength of the

new nation that was springing Ramtanu Lahiri came of a

caste, a

into birth.

family of the highest

Brahmin

of the

Brahmins, a Kulin of long

his ancestors

.descent.

For several generations

had

been honourably connected with the important family of the Maharajas of Nadia near Krishnagar. His
great-grandfather, his grandfather and his uncle were
.all

Dewans

in their service, while his of

own

father, a

younger son, was the Dewan .scions of the same family.

.service speaks

two
Such

of the

younger
of

continuity

much

for the loyalty of Rarntanu's

-survive of

immediate ancestors, while the memories that still many of them show them to have been
of singular piety

men
"a

and unworldliness.

It

is

told of

Ramtanu's great-grandfather, Ramgovinda, that when

division of the family property took place, every-

thing that \vas of great value was placed in one share while in the other was placed only the family

shalgram and some debbattar land. Ramgovinda, when asked to make his choice, unhesitatingly chose
the latter, willing to face poverty rather than relinquish his tutelary deity and
<ed.
all

that

it

represent-

His grandson Ramkrishna, the father of Ramtanu,

RAMTANU LAHIRI
inherited his pious nature.

63

His

last

days he devoted

almost entirely to religious exercises, strictly observing every orthodox Brahminical rule of life. His
simple, well-ordered household was one of
earliest

Ramtanu's

recollections

and

it

had an influence upon and

him that remained with him through life. Ramkrishna Lahiri had eight sons

two

daughters of whom Ramtanu was the fifth son and seventh child. His mother was Jagaddhatri Davi,

daughter

of

Dewan Radhakanta Rai

of

Krishnagar

-whose position was second only to that of the Maha-

Taja himself. Ramkrishna, however, who was only Dewan to the Tila Babus, a younger branch of the family, never commanded a large salary and the

education of his numerous family left him in straitened circumstances. His edlest son Kesava Lahiri wr as
-appointed to the sheristadarship of the Judge's court
.at

Jessore and with true

filial

devotion he

made

his

first

object the rendering of help to his father in

bringing

up

his
of

large
his

family.
early

To him Ramtanu
education,

owed

much

and

he

always spoke of him with the greatest admiration

and respect as a perfect type of devoted son and brother. Many little incidents are recorded
of his life showing his unselfishness

and willingness
his

to to

help
live

others.

He

it

was who took Ramtanu

superintended

him
work.

and

personally

-earliest
-official

studies in

the intervals of his

first

Thus the

years of

own heavy Ramtanu's life

64

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

were
to-

were surrounded by good influences which beat fruit in after years.

1813 at village Baruihuda in Krishnagar in the house of his mother's family. At the age of five he began his education in one of
in

Ramtanu was born

the local patshalas, then generally located in the hous&

most important man in the village. Thev were schools of the most primitive description, the
of the

guru like his pupils seated on the ground and the latterwriting on plantain leaves for paper with pointed sticks
,

for pens.

The teaching was character, and with no terror

of the

most elementaryofficer

of

an inspecting

hanging over his head, the guru taught as much or as little as he pleased, the whole system being very different from that which came into force after the

awakening of Bengal when the greatest minds of the day had devoted themselves to the cause of education
.

In 1826, Ramtanu's elder brother Ke?ava took him to reside with him at Chetla, a suburb of Calcutta, in
order that he might secure a better education than

Ms
a

native village could provide.

Kesava's resources,,

however, were limited, his salary being only Rs. 30

month and

it

was therefore impossible

for

him

to

bear the expense of sending Ramtanu to an English At first he had to be content with giving him school.

what instruction he could in his own spare time, teaching him Arabic, Persian and a little English.

With only the

his

early mornings and a

disposal,

however,

little English the whole of the day being

RAMTANU LAHIRI
occupied with his
office

65

work,

it

was not possible for

him

to devote the attention to

Ramtanu's education
had been
his great

that he wished, and from the

desire to get

first it

him admitted
which

as a free student into

the

institution

was

then

known

as

the
still

Society's School, but which afterwards bore and bears the name of the Hare School.

David Hare, a Scotsman who had come out to Calcutta as a watchmaker in 1800 at the age
of twenty-five,

had become one

of the pioneers of

education in Bengal.
himself, he
belief

A man

of

no great education

had become firmly impressed with the that a sound English education was essential o
real

to

Bengal. Associated with some of the leading Bengali gentlemen of the day, among whom one of the foremost was

the

intellectual

development

of

Ram Mohan Ray,

The Hindu
College

he succeeded in starting an English

school for Indian students in the centre of Calcutta.

was opened on the 20th

of

January,

1817, and in the following year a society was formed

for opening English

and Vernacular schools

in various

parts of Calcutta.

Selling out his business, he

bought

a piece of land sufficient for his support, and being thus free from worldly cares, he was able to devote his whole attention to his pet scheme of education.

Under

his energetic guidance other schools were soon founded in various parts of Calcutta and so great was Mr. Hare's interest in their welfare that it was
his practice

to

go round to

visit

them

in his palan-

66

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

quin every morning, ending with the Hindu College. He was looked upon with the greatest love and reverence by the students,
to pay for
it,

many

of

whom,
whose

too poor

owed

their education entirely to his

generosity and that of his he had aroused. The story

friends
of

interest

Ramtanu's appointinsight into the

ment

as a free scholar gives

some

difficulties

with which Mr. Hare had to contend.

as
it

As soon
of free

became known that he kept a number scholarships in his own gift, he became pestered Kesava had become

with applications for them. acquainted with one Gour

Mohan Vidyalankar,

a pundit in one of the David Hare schools, and he enlisted his help in endeavouring to secure one for Ramtanu. Gour of the free scholarships

Mohan took

the latter to Mr. Hare's house, but

this first visit did not

prove a success.

Beseiged by

applications for the free scholarships, Mr.

Hare had

become suspicious of the good faith of many of the applicants, and he refused at first to entertain Gour The latter, however, evidently the kindness of Mr. Hare's nature, instructed knowing Ramtanu to remain in waiting outside the great
Mohan's request.

man's
side
his

gate,

and to repeat

his request, running beleft

his palanquin

every time he entered or

house.

For two months Ramtanu remained

.a supplicant,

poor and in straitened circumstances, but hopeful and persistent. It was truly a triumph of importunity, for Mr. Hare at last convinced of

RAMTANU LAHIRI
appointed him to a free scholarship
school.

67

'Raratanu's sincere desire for an English education

in,

the Hare

time was thirteen years of age. His elder brother, having removed from Calcutta, a

Raratanu at

this

home was found

Khan, a cousin
he met with
ionship of

for

him

in the house of

Ram Kanta
Here

of his father's, at

Shampukur.

much

kindness, and enjoyed the companMittra, the future Raja,

Digambar

who

had been entered

at the

Hare school on the same

of Calcutta

day

as himself.

The moral atmosphere

was unfortunately then at its lowest ebb. The young men of the city had begun to throw off the restraints which had so long held them in check
under the
strict

Hindu

every form of vice.

and were indulging in Retaining the outward observancode,

ces of their religion, they

were shamelessly abandon-

ing its principles and living lives that outwardly conformed but inwardly violated every moral code.
It was infinitely to Ramtanu's credit that he passed unscathed through these evil influences among which as a student he was necessarily thrown.

After two years at the Hare School,

Ramtanu

had pursued

his studies

won
come

scholarship

at

with such deligence that he the Hindu College. This

in

College

had been established

of

1817 as the out-

of the exertions

Mukherjee,

Ram

David Hare, Baidyanath Mohan Roy and others, supported

:by the Chief Justice of Bengal, Sir

Hyde

East.

It

68

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

in the desire to give the rising genera^-

had originated

tion a thorough education on western lines.

Govern-

ment had

at

first

intentionally avoided introducing

anything of the kind in its sincere desire to avoid

the appearance of forcing a new system of education against their will upon the Indian people. So far

from desiring to urge anything that might be opposed

to
their

wishes or antagonistic to their train of

thought, Government had endeavoured to encourage education on eastern lines. Warren Hastings with
this

object had established the Calcutta Madrassa

as early as 1781 for the study of Arabic

and more recent

direction.

efforts

had been made

spirit

and Persian, in the same

change and

But already the

of

unrest was abroad.

old creeds

feeling of revolt against the

was making

had grown up, and freedom of thought itself as it had never hitherto done
Hinduism.

in the history of

Though

as yet confined

to the few, this spirit of progress

was animating
of the rising

some
lines

of the

most

brilliant

and able men

generation.

To such

as these, education on western

appeared the

first essential.

While

fully alive

to the

many merits of the old regime, they were convinced that western modes of thought, western
knowledge
of science

and western

insistence

on moral

new life into the decaying structure of modern Hindu society. For five years Ramtanu remained at the Hindu college under influences which left their mark upon
excellence could alone breathe

RAMTANU LAHIRI
'his

69
full

character.

Derozio was then at the

height

of his brief

and meteoric

career, exercising a

sway

over the minds of the rising generation of Bengali

students that
it is

difficult to exaggerate.

Actually

connected with the College for only three brief years, his influence was felt even more in the social gatherings of students at his
class instructions.

own house than

in his ordinary

At these

social gatherings,

which

met

after,

school hours, readings in poetry, literature

and moral philosophy took place. Every subject under the sun was open for discussion. Yet while
freedom
of

watchwords
strict

thought and freedom of speech were the of these meetings, Derozio enforced a

moral code among his pupils, insisting upon

all

the necessity of straightness in word and deed and

above

of truth in all the dealings of daily life.

Coming

so suddenly after centuries of unquestioning

acceptance of the old faith, it was only to be anticipated that some members of the little group of reformers
should be carried away by the breadth and depth Down with idolatry,' down of their new ideas.
'
'

with superstition
of the

'

had become the

cries of a section

young Bengal party and though the old regime

was strong enough to secure the dismissal of Derozio irom the Hindu College in 1831, and practically to
Ray, who had founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828, it was impossible for it to stem the rising tide of free thought and impatience

excommunicate

Ram Mohan

of the old restraints*

70

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Through all these momentous years Ramtanu: had remained at the Hindu College. In 1833 he became a teacher there on the modest salary thirty rupees a month. Busy with his work
of
all

day and engrossed

ful of family ties

in

the

great

questions

which

were agitating Hindu society, he was not forget-

and

duties.

A
The

touching^ story

is

told of his devotion to his younger brother, Kali

Charan Lahiri, at

this time.

latter

was reading
a-

for his exmination for the medical degree, when,

few months before the date

of

it,

his eyesight failed

and he was ordered

reading altogether.
his hopes,

for the time being to give

It

up
all

was a

terrible

blow to

and but

for his brother's help there is no-

doubt that he would have had to give up the career that he had planned. Ramtanu, however, was determined that
if it

was humanly

possible, his brother

should enter as arranged for the examination, and devoting every moment of his spare time to him,

he read aloud the prescribed text books over and over again until Kali Charan practically knew them

by

heart.

When

the time came he passed the examicolours, a result

nation

with

flying

due
to

solely, as

he always
help.

gratefully acknowledged

Ramtanu's-

The year 1835

is

a memorable one in the history

of education in Bengal.

The Governor-General, Lord

William Bentick, had long been at variance with the Committee of Public Instruction, which had been;

RAMTANU LAHIRI

71

appointed in 1823, and which was still strongly in favour of an exclusively oriental curriculum. Lord

Macaulay, who came to India as Legal Member of Council, soon proved himself a strong ally of the Governor-General and he decided that there was

no condition laid down the grant made in 1813, for the renewal and improvement of literature,
that

made

it

inapplicable for the promotion of a

in

modern English education. Accordingly Lord William Bentick ordered that the lac
granted in 1813, should be
instruction
in

1835

of rupees

expended

in imparting

European

languages

and
This

sciences

through English. action on the part of the Governor General, though

the

medium

of

decisive

opposed by the old school, was eagerly welcomed

by the younger generation among whom Ramtanu held an honoured place. He and a number of others used to meet regularly in the house of a friend, Ram
Gopal Ghose, and, among other schemes
siastic little

this enthu-

group

of reformers devised for the diffu-

sion

knowledge beyond their own immediate circle, was the production of two journals, the Gyanuneshun, the Search after Knowledge, and the Bengal
of

Spectator which contained columns both in English

and Bengali. Further they started a club known as The Society for the Acquisition of General Know'

where discussions on every subject were freely encouraged. Topics were by no means wanting,
ledge,'

for these years were

among the most memorable

in

72

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

The Calcutta Medical College had June, 1835, and though the want

modern Bengal.
been founded in
of
it

had long been felt, there having previously been no adequate school for the training of Indian
it

students in modern medical science,

met with

opposition from a certain section of the community

as likely to destroy the caste of students,

who would

be initiated into

all

the secrets of the dissecting room.

In the same year also an Act conferring full liberty on the Press was passed. This was a great joy .to
the group of young Bengal students, who, accustomed to express themselves freely in their own private
meetings, were

now enabled to

write and disseminate

in the Press.

their opinions with the

same freedom

About the same time the Calcutta Public Library was founded and placed in the Metcalfe Hall on its
completion in 1842.
rising generation.

proved a great boon to the These events, which are but a

It
of these years,

few of the most prominent

show how

rapid was the progress that was being made, and

how

many must have been the subjects

terest available for discussion
friends.

of absorbing in-

by Ramtanu and his David Hare, who had proved so good a

friend not only te

Ramtanu but

to the

many

other

youths who had passed through

died in 1842, and about the
his elder brother

his

famous

schools,

Kesava

to

same time Ramtanu lost whom he owed so much.

His mother, to

whom

he had been devotedly attached ,

died shortly afterwards.

RAMTANU LAHIRI

73

In 1846 began a fresh chapter in Ramtanu's life. In that year the Krishnagar College was opened, being one of the first large colleges outside Calcutta

and one

of the first-fruits of the revival of education

wh'ch had taken such firm root in the Capital. It was under the patronage of the Maharaja Siris
'Chandra of Krishnagar who entered his son's name as one of the first pupils and himself accepted the
position of a

member

of the

managing committee.
first

Captain D. L. Richardson was appointed

pal,

Princi-

Ramtanu

being given the post of secod master

under him

in the Collegiate School.

Here Ramtanu

found himself in congenial surroundings after his own heart. The same struggle that was going on between the old forces and the new in Calcutta was
soon in actual progress in Krishnagar. The Maharaja favoured the party of progress and even went so far as to open a branch of the Brahmo Samaj in his

own

palace.

very large number of the students

and teachers
him, but

of the

Ramtanu from
towards

newly established college joined the first had not been wholly
its

favourable

teachings.
first

He had been

entirely opposed to its

attacks on Christianity

and had not sympathised with its attempts to attach to the Vedas the character of a divine revelation.

Ramtanu's breadth

of

view and

broadmindedness

.'

were remarkable in an age when bigotry was rife. Our desire should be to see truth triumph,' he
at;

"wrote

this time.

'

Let the votaries of

all religions

74

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

appeal to the reason of their fellow creatures and let him who has truth on his side prevail.' But

although he did not join the Brahmo Sanaa j he was closely associated with many of its members, meeting

them

in daily intercourse, freely exchanging ideas

with them and discussing with them every aspect His influence in Krishnagar was unbounded. Coming straight from the midst of the
of religious belief.

most advanced

coterie in Calcutta he
of

was welcomed

by the little group

enlightenment in Krishnagar.

men who were struggling towards He infused into them

The
influence that such

new

life

and new

ideas.

men as David Hare, Derozio, and Ram Mohan Roy had exercised upon him, he imparted to others his
love of truth, his respect for freedom of thought and
speech,

and

his intense desire for knowledge,

which

alone could lead

men

to

the Truth.

Always he

advocated free and unrestrained discussion, believing

was only by going to the root of a question and judging for oneself on a full presentment of the facts
that
it

that true knowledge could be acquired.

He

himself

was always eager to gain fresh knowledge, even from the youngest and humblest, and it was this enthusiasm combined with innate modesty and simplicity of
heart that helped to win

him the
measure.

popularity which

he possessed in such

full

day was the question of the remarriage of Hindu widows. The earliest discussion with regard to it had appeared
topics^

One

of the

most controversial

of the

RAMTANU LAHIRI
in the pages of the

T5
edited by the

Bengal

Spectator,

pupils
Siris

of Derozio. At Krishnagar, the Maharaja Chandra interested himself in the matter and
it

discussed

with the pundits of Nadia while the ardent

young reformers in the college held a meeting to express

their

sympathy with

it

and

their dissatisfaction with

other customs of Hindu Society. But the band of reformers was a small one and the upholders of the
old

regime

were

not

inactive.

They

began

by

spreading a rumour that the college students had committed the offence which is unpardonable in the
eyes of every orthodox Hindu.
of

having

killed

a cow and eaten

They accused them The its flesh.

rumour quickly gained credence among those who

were only too anxious to believe evil of the new party and many families withdrew their sons from
the college, while even the Maharaja himself hung
back, reluctant to break completely with the pundits

and the

influential supporters of the old regime.

So

great was the influence brought to bear against him, and so well did the opposite party recognise the

leading part played

forced to
his

by Ramtanu. that the latter was recognise that it would be not only for

good of the cause which he had at heart that he should for a time at least
benefit but for the

own

Krishnagar. Accordingly in April 1851 he obtained a transfer to Burdwan, being appointed

leave

Head Master
hundred and

of the school there

fifty

on a salary of one rupees a month.

\

'76

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

social

The
different

atmosphere

from that of

Burdwan was very Krishnagar. The latter was o

of

following closely in the steps of Calcutta, keeping

:

itself

abreast of the latest movements.

In

Burdwan

there was not the same class of students eager for

enquiry and discussion. It was during this period, when Ramtanu doubtless had more time for reflection, that

he

finally

broke with the old Hinduism.

In spite of his advanced views and the persecution he had suffered at the hands of his coreligionists he still wore the Brahminical thread. A story is told
of

an incident that helped to induce him

slight

finally to

break the last

link

that

bound him
spirit.

to

creed to which he no longer adhered in

He

was performing the shradh ceremony of his mother at Krishnagar in the manner of an orthodox Brahmin,

when a youth pointing

.laughed at him,

at
'

him the

finger of scorn

saying,
is

You do
?

not believe in

Hinduism.

Yet what

this

Here you are per-

forming your mother's shradh with your paita fully

displayed.

Truly

real

Brahmin!
on

If

not,

you are a
only admit
.finally

hypocrite.'

The taunt cut Ramtanu

so as
reflection

to the heart, the

its

more

he could

justification.

In October, 1851 he

broke the last link that bound him to the

by removing the sacred thread. was only for a year that Ramtanu remained at Burdwan. In 1852 he went to Uttarpara as HeadIt

old belief

.master of the English school there, a position he

RAMTANU LAHIRI

77:

continued to occupy for four years. Here immediately after his public renunciation of Hinduism lie was
subjected to

much

persecution from orthodox Hindus.

No

servant would stay with him, and he and his wife

were often compelled to do all the menial work of the house themselves. Some of his friends, seeing
urged him to yield on small points, such as readopting the paita, which would have made him
his distress,

outwardly conform and would have enabled him to be received again among the orthodox. There
can be no doubt that the smallest sign of yielding would have been welcomed by the opposite party

which

fully realised

Ramtanu's influence and

how

great a danger he was to the faith to which they

still

clung.

yield.

But Ramtanu steadfastly refused to He would not purchase ease and immunity
lie,

by conforming outwardly while inwardly he did not believe. He was content to abide^by what he had done, consoled
by the knowledge that he had done only what hethought to be right. In 1854 came the inauguration of the new educational policy of government. The Court of Directors
sent out a despatch, said to have been

from persecution by nieans of a

drawn up by

John Stuart
as

Mill, which directed that the GovernorGeneral should establish an Educational Department

separate Department

of

the Government

of

India, that a University should be established in each of the Presidency cities, and that new schools

78

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

should be founded and those already existing supported, while government aid should be given to those

founded by private enterprise.

in

It

was a great step

would have been

advance,

for

without, this

generous assistance
it

on the part
it

of the

Government

impossible for education to spread as rapidly as

has since done.

The new Education Department

head and a large number of
Schools for the training of

Tvas at once established with a Director of Public

Instruction

at

its

Inspectors under him.

-teachers

was

were established and with a rapidity that astonishing. High English, Middle English
all

and Vernacular schools sprang up

in the years that followed.

over the country

The work that Ramtanu did during

liim.

his

four

years tenure of office at Uttarpara long survived Many a young mind there came under his

influence, receiving

afterwards to

lose.

an impression that it wa? never Those who had benefited by his

teaching and example, gratefully acknowledging their debt, erected after his death more than forty years
later this tablet to his
lie

memory

in the school

where

had taught

RAMTANU LAHIRI
THIS TABLET TO THE

79

MEMORY OF

BABU RAMTANU LAHIRI

Is

PUT UP BY HIS SURVIVING UTTARPARA PUPILS AS

A TOKEN OF THE LOVE, GRATITUDE AND VENERATION THAT HE INSPIRED IN THEM WHILE HEADMASTER OF THE UTTARPARA SCHOOL FROM 1852 TO 1856 BY HIS LOVING CARE, BY HIS SOUND METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, WHICH AIMED LESS AT THE MERE IMPARTING OF KNOWLEDGE THAN AT THAT SUPREME
END OF ALL EDUCATION, THE HEALTHY STIMULATION OF THE INTELLECT, THE EMOTION, AND THE WILL OF THE PUPIL, AND ABOVE ALL BY THE EXAMPLE OF THE NOBLE LIFE HE LED. BORN DECEMBER 1813 DIED AUGUST 1898.
:

It

any

would be difficult for pupils to inscribe to teacher a noble tribute than this.

During the few years that succeeded his leaving the Uttarpara school, Ramtanu held several different appointments. Transferred to the Baraset school in
1857,

he remained

there about

eighteen months,

same personal influence over his pupils as elsewhere, and from its vicinity to Calcutta being
exercising the

able to keep in close touch with his friends there.

In

1858 he was transferred again to Krishnagar, but after only a few months there he was appointed to

the English school at Rassapagla

established

near
for

Calcutta,

by Government
Tippoo

especially

the edu-

cation

of

Sultan's

descendants.

Though

80

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

he

reluctant to leave Krishnagar where he had only so

recently returned,
of

welcomed
society

the
of
his

opportunity
friends
in

again

enjoying the

Calcutta.

Once more Ramtanu was

great

in close touch with the

movements that were

life

rapidly changing the

in Bengal.

condition of

and society

These were

The mutiny of 1857, after a brief period of anxiety, had passed, leaving the British government stronger and more firmly rooted than
eventful years.
before,

while the transfer of the

Company

to the

Crown had paved the way for the proclamation of the Indian Empire which was to come twenty years
later.

The indigo disturbances were rousing the keenest interest, the Hindu Patriot, that fore-runner
of the

power

of the Press in Bengal, entering

with

zest

into

the

controversy.
of

Young
literary

producing some Chandra Gupta,

her

first

Bengal was men. Ishvar

the

poet,

Madhu Sudhan
editor
of

Dutt,

Haris

the

Hindu

by Michael Chandra Mukherjee, Bankim Chandra Patriot,

followed

Chatterjee,

the novelist,

Dinanbandhu
themselves
while

Mitter,

the

dramatist, were
of the

proving

redoubtable

champions Sen was already beginning to make his mark as a reformer and as the refounder of the Brahnio Sarnaj.

new learning,

Keshub Chandra

Ramtanu's stay at Rassapagla, however, was short

and he was transferred

the
Zilla school there.

to Barisal as

Head Master

of

This appointment he held

RAMTANU LAHIR1

81

for only three months, being transferred for the third

time to Krishnagar in April, 1861. For the succeeding five and a half years he worked on there, exercising
all

his

old

personal

fascination

upon those who

failing health

came

in contact with him,

to'

and then

compelled him

retire.

Mr. Alfred Smith, then

Principal of the Krishnagar College, in sending

up

his application for pension to the Director of Public

Instruction wrote " In parting with

:

Babu Ramtanu
officer

Lahiri, I

may

be allowed to say that Government will lose the services of

an educational

than

whom

no one has
fidelity,

discharged his public duties with greater

zeal

and devotion, or has laboured more assiduously

moral
elevation
of

and" successfully for the

his

pupils."

Glowing as this tribute was,

well deserved

it

was one that was

heartily endorsed by every of the college, masters and students alike.

and

member

He

left

Krishnagar amid universal

His
health

regret.

being seriously affected, Ramtanu went to live for a time after his retirement at

Bhagalpur,

hoping

that the

drier

climate would

prove he returned to his old home at Krishnagar, and there

beneficial.

This not being the case, however,

and

in Calcutta spent

most

of his

remaining years.

Although never again enjoying robust health, he

lived for nearly thirty years after his retirement.

They were busy

6

years, spent in the

management

of his

82

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

all

family affairs and in close intercourse with

that

was best and noblest and around

his

in the society of the day.

In

at Krishnagar he was and beloved. Not only those universally respected who came into close and immediate contact with him

own home

but the poor and unlettered peasant who dwelt without his gates learned to appreciate his worth. A
story
is

told of the wonderful influence he exercised

chiefly,

even over those who must have known him

if

not entirely, only by repute.

friend of his

was

walking in the neighbourhood of his village and curious to find out if the reports of the widespread
respect
in

asked some labourers

which he was held locally were true, whom he met on the road if

they knew Ramtanu Babu. They at once showed surprise, not unmixed with indignation, that they should be asked such a question. Who does not
'

know him
as to
plied

?" they asked.

of a
call

When

questioned further
re-

what kind
"

man

he was, one of them

?

Do you

him a man

He

is

a god."
ask-

"

But how can you

"

call
off

him a god," the stranger

ed,

who

has cast

the Brahminical thread and

"

eats fowls ?"

interrogator.
is

For a moment the men stared at their

Then one

of

them answered,

It

evident that you do not belong to this part of

the country or you would not have spoken in this

way. Casting off the thread and eating fowls may be faults in others, but not in him. Whatever he
does
is

good."

RAMTANU LAHIRI

83

For a time during his retirement, Ramtanu acted as guardian of the minors of the Mukherjee family
of Khetra Gobardanga, a responsible post for which he was recommended by Government. There, as
elsewhere, his wonderful personality " Ramtanu's influence was felt by "
villager

won

its

way.
every

almost
"

wrote one who knew him well.

of

He was
the

a friend

both the orthodox Hindus and

members

Brahmo Samaj. The long standing breach between them in the village was healed by him, who was a friend of both." Although Ramtanu had broken with Hinduism and had not joined the Brahmo
of the

Samaj, he was quick to acknowledge what was good in both. To him it mattered little what a man's outward
creed might be.
it

Goodness was the same whether

was the goodness of a Hindu, a Muhammadan, a Christian or a Brahmo. Everything that was good and noble he set before himself as tTbe end and aim
of
life.

Every
his

social

movement, every reform calcu-

lated to improve the position of his fellow countrymen,

met with

Often he approved a proposed reform, yet realised that the times were not yet ripe for bringing it about. Such an instance was

ready sympathy.

iemale emancipation, which was then one of the many topics of the day. While he was a zealous advocate
of it

on

principle,

none recognised quicker than he

what care was necessary in putting it into practice, and how jealously their women folk must be guarded from
contact with society that might be hurtful to them.

Si
In
his

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

later

years

Ramtanu

suffered

heavy

domestic

losses.

First his son-in-law,

a promising

youth, then his daughter Indumati and finally his eldest son Nova Kumar were taken from him. For

man of his affectionate disposition home ties were so deeply rooted these
a
trial.

in

whom

the

losses

were a

Yet he bore them with splendid courage heavy and resignation. Once when he had shown undue
he reproached " himself and turning to his friends, said, We say that God is good, but our conduct hardly tallies with what

emotion at the

loss of his daughter,

we
I

say.

have now shown unbelief in shedding

tears for Indu.

Why
is

remember that she

Soon after the

should I weep for her when in His good keeping ?"

of
his

Ramtanu

son and daughter,. came to live in Calcutta in 1879, conloss

tinuing to reside there with occasional visits to hi&

home at Krishnagar for the remainder of his life. His circumstances were by no means prosperous and
beyond
his small pension of seventy five rupees a

month he had
illness of his

his resources
little

upon which to rely. The long children had been a heavy drain upon and his open handed charity had taken
little

thought for the future. It was at this stage that his second son Sharat Kumar, now of an age to
filial

fend for himself, came with

assistance.

devotion to hi&

Giving up his studies at the University obtained the employment of Librarian at the he Metropolitan Institution, a post he continued to hold

85
for five years.
still

Ambitious, however, of contributing further to his father's support than the small
so derived

income

account in

would allow, he set up on his own 1883 as a booksheller and publisher. The

influence of his father's

name and

the support of his

father's large circle of friends enabled

him

to

meet

thus had the great joy of placing his father beyond the need of financial

with success from the outset.

He

worries and of very largely contributing to his happi-

ness and comfort during the remaining years of his

life.

Ramtanu's

last years

were

still

further saddened

by the death of his youngest son at the age of fifteen,

of his wife, the faithful

and devoted partner

of all his

joys and sorrows, and Charan Lahiri, as well

friends.

of his

younger brother Dr. Kali

of his

as of

many
felt

most devoted

Yet keenly as he
kill

these bereavements,

they failed to
of his nature.

the hopefulness and buoyancy To the end he maintained his un-

wavering faith in the divine wisdom, accepting with resignation the trials that were sent to him. He
died on the 18th of August, 1898 honour.
full of

years and

Although
cular walk of

it

was not given to Ramtanu Lahiri

his infl uence

to achieve fame, as the world counts

life,

on

his

any partiday and generait,

in

tion was undoubted.

Fame would have been

would have desired.

the

last thing that he himself

Am-

bitious only of all that

was good and honourable

86

and
he.

true,

no

man could have demanded less of life than

Upon
all

For himself he asked nothing, for his fellowasked everything.

with
in contact

men he
came
his

and they were

all

the

whom he leading men

of his day, his intense earnestness, his love of truth,

uncompromising aversion to all that was unworthy or unjust, and his neverf ailing eagerness to help
a deep impression. His humility was" When he saw others whotouching and profound.
others,
left

spent

much time
"

in prayer," wrote Professor

Max

Muller of him,

he considered them the most favoured

of mortals, for pure

felt

and conscientious as he was, he

himself so sinful that he could but seldom utter

a word or two in the spirit of what he considered

true prayer."

modesty which prevented him from ever thrusting himself to the front and taking a leading part in the great
spirit

It

was

this

of true

controversies that were shaking society to

tions.

its

founda-

Yet quietly and persistently he did the work that it was given to him to do, exercising a very real influence on his day and generation, his sweet-

ness

and gentleness

of disposition helping to heal

the wounds of controversy and pleading for a wider

sympathy and a broader toleration

belief.

in

matters of

Nawab Amir

Ali

Khan Bahadur

89

NAWAB AMIR
BAHADUR,

ALI

KHAN

C.I.E.

18101879.
"

Next

after
I

Sir

Salar

Muhammad an

have ever known."

Jung he was the best Such was the

high praise bestowed upon

Nawab Amir

Ali

Khan

Bahadur by no
than
Sir

less distinguished

an administrator

Richard Temple, praise which few of those who had the privilege of being acquainted with the
subject of
it will

consider to have been exaggerated.

life

Throughout the course of a long

versally

he was unigreat

respected

and

esteemed,
his

wielding

influence

not

only

among

co-religionists
alike, as

but

among Europeans and Hindus

leading

one of the

Muhammadans of Amir Ali Khan came

the day in Bengal. of an old Persian

familj''

had long been settled in India. He was ninth in descent from Kazi Syed Noah who after filling the office of Kazi at Baghdad left his native
which
land to
seek
his

fortunes

in

India.

Settling

at

Delhi he met with

much

respect at the Imperial

Court, his great learning winning for

him an honour-

ed place, with numerous grants of land and titles of distinction. It was his grandson, Mulla Shah Noor

Muhammad who was

the

first

to leave Delhi

and

90

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

east.

wander further
his great
first

grandson
his

He finally settled in Behar again, Muhammad Rafi being the

at

to

make

home

Barh

in the

Patna

district.

He

Mea and
of the

married the daughter of Kazi Syed Muhammad; greatly distinguished himself in the service

Naib Nazim

of

Bengal.

He was much
it

in

favour with Ali Verdi

Khan and

was through his

title of

recommendation that he received the

Shaikul

Mashaikh from the Imperial Court at Delhi. Hi& son Waris Ali took little part in politics, being content to remain at

home and manage

however,

his zemindari.

For

his

own

son,

he expected greater

things and he gave him the best education possible, sending him as far afield as Moradabad and Bareilly

where he was present at several actions during Lord Lake's campaign against the Mahrattas. He
returned to Barh on his father's death and there his

son the future

1st of

Nawab Bahadur was born on

early

the

March, 1810.
Ali

Amir
ties

showed signs of the qualiwhich were to win him so prominent a place

life.

Khan

in later

Until the age of nineteen he prosecut-

at home, becoming proficient in. and Urdu. It is typical, however, Arabic, Persian,
of

ed

his

studies

Muhaminadan conservatism and

of the prejudices

of the time that

he was not taught English, and it is an astonishing fact that, in spite of his own broad and liberal views and of the place he eventually won for
himself in the regard of
all

the European

officials

with

NAWAB AMIR
whom
his

ALI
till

91
the day of

he came in contact, he was never

His

death able to converse in the English language. first appointment was that of pleader in the Civil

Court at Patna in 1832.

Two

years later he went

of the

down

to Calcutta where he

was appointed one

assistants to the

Envoy despatched

to the Court of

Nazimddin Haider, King of Oudh. Here amid theintrigues and petty jealousies of an Indian court he
first

showed that tact and discretion which was

later

to enable him to occupy so responsible and difficult

position with dignity

and

credit.

He remained

at

Oudh until the King's death in 1838, then appointed a Deputy Assistant Superinbeing tendent in the Presidency Special Commissioner'sthe Court of

Court at Calcutta, where

behalf of government in

it

was

his

duty to plead

OIL

all

cases ojL claims to re-

sumption

of

lands held rent free on defection of

want

of

title.

In

1854

he

became
it

government
a few years

pleader in the

same

court, leaving

later to practice in the old

Sudder Dewani Adalat.

So far his career, though of no special distinction had been marked by conspicuous ability, high legal
attainments and genial and tactful manners. These first appointments however, were but the prelimin-

ary training for the important work that him.

still

awaited

Loyalty had always been the watch-word of the Barh family and it ever remained one of the most
conspicuous traits in the character of Amir Ali Khan.

92

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

of

In the dark year

1857,

when many another

and courageous
action.

held back, he came boldly forward to put his loyal

protestations
into
spirited

Throwing the whole weight

of the great influence

that he possessed, not only among his co-religionists but among all creeds and classes, on the side of law

he was untiring in doing his utmost to ally the unfortunate suspicions that had been aroused and to bring about an understanding between all
order,
parties.

and

Patna, where the largest body of Indian

troops outside Calcutta

was

stationed,

was regarded
with
the

as the centre of disaffection,

and when Mr. Samuells

to

was

appointed

Commissioner

deal

Mutiny, Amir All who was intimately acquainted with local conditions was chosen to be his special
assistant
of the

Patna Division.

and a Deputy Magistrate in all the districts His appointment like that

of Mr. Samuells
of criticism,

came
it

in for a considerable

amount

but

was ably defended by the acting

Commissioner, Mr. Farquharson, in October, 1857. " " he wrote, I may perhaps be allowed to state " that Amir Ali's appointment was, in the opinion of those best able to judge and appreciate the tone of

Patna native
useful

society, a healthy, politic, popular

and

measure.

The better

classes

of

natives in

the city have throughout these, evil times displayed

nothing but loyalty and good will to the British The appointment of Arnir Ali, a Government.
native of the province and

known

to each

and

all,

NAWAB AMIR
either

ALI
or

93
successful

as

personal

legal

adviser

pleader in the highest court of judicature, to assist the Commissioner in his early communications with

those classes, was precisely what was required to

allay
fears

strength
general
ties

which were daily gaining ground and fears that the Government was bent on

and indiscriminate vengeance for the attrocicommitted in other parts of India. There is

no calculating what might have been the danger or mischief of a spread of the belief among a credulous

and timid population.

The

fear

was at once allayed

by Amir

Ali's

advent and not only has the real

Government been made apparent to the native mind but its vast power and resources,
justice of the

not half understood or believed by the people were

made

real

and credible to

all."

The appointment
of Directors in a

was further approved by the Court

Despatch
expressed
of

that

August 1858, wherein the opinion was " the Lieutenant Governor had
sufficient

shown good and

reason for

it

and the
is

excellent service rendered

by Munshi Amir Ali

the best justification of the

him

for the

important

office

government in selecting which he held in

Patna."
In recognition of the services he had rendered, Ali was created a Khan Bahadur in 1864 and

Amir

in the following year he

of the

was appointed a member Bengal Legislative Council. He was also an Honorary Magistrate at Alipore and a Justice of

94

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

many
societies to

the Peace of Calcutta, while the

which he belonged kept him

his

fully occupied.

Among
was

many

activities

that

which was destined to

of all

assume perhaps the greatest importance

the

inauguration

oi

the

National

Muhammadan
all classes of

Association of Calcutta for which he was responsible.

His object in founding

it

was to unite

Muhammadans so that they might work together for the common good. He recognised that cohesion
meant strength and that one of the main reasons for the backwardness into which the Muhammadan

community had fallen was its lack of organisation and of any representative body to take action in its
behalf.

As President

of the Association that

he had

founded Amir Ali did invaluable work on behalf of

his co-religionists.

spared no effort to improve their condition and to bring home to them a sense
of

He

their

responsibilities

and

of

the

necessity

of

bestirring

conditions.
little
~to

themselves to keep abreast of modern Like Nawab Abdul Latif and a select
of

company

Muhammadan

leaders, he

was quick

see that the old conservative feeling of exclusiveness

in social relations

and education could only be perprosperity

sisted in at the expense of the general

and well being of the Muhammadan community. He was never tired of expounding the advantages of British rule in India, and with the object of bringing

them home

to the people he wrote in Persian a

work
the

known

as the

Amir Nawab on the

history of

NAWAB AMIR
British

ALI

95

administration

in

India,

which met with

considerable success.

Government
good

was not slow

in.

recognising the

work
use

done

by Amir
showed
services.

Ali,

and

when

an
to

opportunity

occurred
of
his

itself

anxious
it

make
Wajid

In

1867

became

necessary to appoint a manager for the affairs of

Ali Shah, the ex-king of
It

Oudh, who was then

difficult post,

residing in Calcutta.

was a most

one that few would envy and few were adequately

fitted

to

occupy.

The choice

of

government

fell

He had proved his finally upon Amir Ali Khan. capability and above all his unfailing tact as assistant
to the Commissioner of Patna in the difficult days
of 1857, while his genial

manners and sympathetic

disposition had already won him a host of friends in As manager of the affairs of the ex-king 'Calcutta.

of Oudh, however, he had the most difficult task of

liis

lifetime.

of favourites

Wajid Ali Shah, surrounded by a crowd and satellites who bitterly resented the

intervention of a stranger,
inclined
to

was himself by no means welcome with open arms the official

appointed by the British government to regulate Ms private affairs. Resenting the position in which

he had been placed, the ex-king endeavoured to

withdraw himself altogether from

social intercourse,

particularly with Europeans, adopting towards the

government a tone

of

marked

hostility

and

distrust.

By

his constant tact

and unwearied patience Amir

96

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

in

Ali succeeded

improving the relations between

him and the

ing a certain

British

Government as well as
of order

in bring-

amount
of

management

and honesty into the the ex-king's affairs. For eight

and it says much for years he remained in charge his successful administration that at the end of that
of period he retired with the good will and regret So ably had both the Government and the ex-king.

he

fulfilled his difficult

task that Government after-

wards entrusted him with another of a somewhat

similar nature, to settle the debts of the last

Naib

Nazim

of Bengal. In the last few years of his fresh honours came In 1875 he was given the title of Nawab to him.

as a personal distinction,

it

him by Lord Northbrook

at a

being conferred upon Durbar held on the

later

17th of September that year. Two years was invited to attend the Imperial Assembly
receiving there

he

at Delhi,

silver

meclal from

the Viceroy,

Lord Lytton.

Shortly before his death he received

yet another distinction from the British government, being created a Companion of the newly created order
of the

Indian Empire.

About the same time the

Sultan of Turkey bestowed upon him the Companionship of the Turkish Order of the Osmanieh in recognition of his services to the

Muhammadan com-

munity.

on the 16th of November,. 1879 and the following letters, one from the Private
Ali died

Nawab Amir

NAWAB AMIR

ALI

97

the Viceroy and the 'Secretary to His Excellency other from the Lieutenant-Governor himself suffici-ently testify to the

esteem in which he was held*

VICEROY'S CAMP, DELHI

24th Nov. 1879.

DEAR

SIR,

H. E. the Viceroy has received with deep regret the news contained in the letter of the 20th of the death of your father
5the late

Nawab Amir

Ali.

you
the

his

deep sympathy in the

H. E. desires me to express to loss which not only you but

His Excellency

Muhammadan community of Calcutta and

by the death of so highly and deservedly esteemed a gentleman and so loyal a servant of the British
himself have suffered

.government.
I remain,

Dear

Sir,

Yours

faithfully,

V^G. T. COLLEY, COL.

P. S. to the Viceroy.

SIMLA
28th Nov. 1879.

.MY DEAR
I

SIR,

received with very deep regret your letter announcing the death of my good old friend Nawab Amir Ali. I heard

from him not long ago and was not at all aware or I should have written to enquire after him.
great loss to
in

of his Hlness

He

will

be a
loses

Muhammadan

society

and Government

him an

old

and valuable servant.

Personally I shall miss

in all matters

very

much

his loyal

and hearty co-operation

effecting the welfare of the

Muhammadan

population.
I

am,

Yours

faithfully,

A. EDEN.

98

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

At a time when Muhammadans
of distinction were

Nawab unfortunately only too few, the figure of Khan stood out as a shining example to Amir Ali
his co-religionists.

He was
to

one of that

little

band

of

men

to

whom

it

was given by strenuous

raise

effort

and

unwearying

vigilance

the

Muhammadan

community from the slough of despond into which it had fallen. All who came in contact with him felt
the charm of his personality.
scholar

learned Persian

and

fluent
all

Urdu
classes,

speaker, he
officials

was equally at
non-officials,

home among

and

Europeans and Indians

alike.

The

services he ren-

dered to government in the dark days of mutiny, as manager of the ex-king of Oude's affairs, and as a
loyal

were gratefully acknowledged, while the immense services he was able to render to the Muhammadan community were inestireliable adviser

and

mable.

To quote again the words of Sir Richard he was one of the old school, and afforded Temple a complete example of its virtues and merits.'
'

Maharajadhiraj Mahtab Chand Rai Bahadur of Burdwan

MAHARAJADHIRAJ MAHTAB GRAND RAI BAHADUR OF BURDWAN.

18201879
\

Mahtab Ohand Rai, Maharajadhiraj

was one
Inheriting a high position

of

Burdwan,

of the great figures of the nineteenth century.

among the

nobles of Bengal,

he won further distinctions by his own loyalty, energy and ability. Not only did he succeed in obtaining confirmation of
all

the distinctions conferred

his predecessors by the Moghul government, but by the judicious management of his vast estates he enormously increased their value, handing on a

upon

yet more splendid inheritance to his successor even

than that which he had himself received.

tiring disposition,

.Of a re-

and quiet and

dignified in

manner,

he never thrust himself into the political arena. He waa content to exercise wisely and with restraint
the great influence that his position gave him, never forgetful of the heavy^responsibilities that that position entailed.

Born on the 17th

of

November
of

1820,

Mahtab

Chand was the fourth son Kapur. The latter's sister

Lala Paran Chand

married the Maharaja Tej and on the death of their only son, the Maharaja

Kamal Kumari had Chand Rai of Burdwan

102
.adopted

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

his

nephew Mahtab Chand as his heir. The Kapur family was one of considerable antiquity and great distinction. The founder of the Burdwan
branch was Abu Rai of Kotli in Lahore, by caste a
settled
in

Kapur Kshatriya, who

middle
*

Bengal in the
'

appointed Choudhuri and Kotowal of Rekabi Bazaar under the

century,

of

the

17th

being

Fauzdar

of

Chakla Burdwan.

To the

estate that

he founded his descendants gradually added further

possessions,

generation after generation plaVing

its

up the immense property which Mahtab Rai was finally to complete and consolidate
part in building
in the nineteenth century. in descent
title

Chitra Sen Rai, eighth

from

Abu Rai was

in

the

first

to obtain the

of

Raja, a distinction he received from the

1740.

Emperor Mahomed Shah

His successor

Tilak Chand attained the higher rank of Maharajadhiraj Bahadur, a title which each successive head

Burdwan family has since held. This son, Tez Chand succeeded at the age of six in 1771 and obtained from the Emperor Shah Alum a sanad dated the same year confirming him in the rank of
of the

Maharajadhiraj Bahadur and appointing him commander of 5,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry with
various other military distinctions.

For sixty-one
life

years he lived to enjoy these honours, his long

extending from the momentous period

of British rule in Bengal

of the

dawn

down

to the comparatively

peaceful days of

its

firm establishment in the fourth

MAHTAB GRAND

103

decade of the nineteenth century. Among the many changes that he saw pass over the face of Bengal by
important to him as a great landholder was the Permanent Settlement, which
least

no means the

became law

as Regulation I of 1793.

Mahtab Chand succeeded his adopted father on the 16th of August 1823 and a year later, when only thirteen years of age, he received a farman from
the Governor-General, Lord William Bentick, confirming him in the
title of

Maharajadhiraj Bahadur.

Brought thus into prominence at a very early age, the possessor of a vast estate and great wealth, and
the holder of one of the highest titles in Bengal,

Mahtab Rai

fully realised alike the possibilities

and

the responsibilities of his high position. Although a young man exposed to all the temptations to which his great wealth and independence rendered

him
and

particularly liable, he set himself from the

it

first to.

administer

wisely and

well.

Naturally of a quite
bid for popular-

retiring disposition, he

made no

Content with his position as one of the greatest landholders in Bengal and as the representative of one of its most important
ity or political eminence.
families,

he concentrated

all his

energies on

improv

ing the condition of his tenants and estate, erecting

his splendid palaces

and laying out

his gardens at

Burdwan, and worthily maintaining the honourable

traditions of his house.

Loyalty, whole hearted and unswerving, was one

104

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Mahtab
Recognising on every side the benefits that-

of the strongest traits in the character of

Chand.

British rule

had conferred on
it

his distracted country,

he gave to

his firm allegiance.

His own estates

from their geographical position had been especially liable to plunder and devastation during the unsettled

years of the

eighteenth century,

and the

remarkable prosperity they had attained in his own day under the peaceful reign of British law and
order

formed

striking

contrast.

Twice

the

Maharaja had the satisfaction of materially assisting Government in maintaining that same law and order.

The Santal Rebellion

opportunity of

of
his

1855

afforded
in

him

an

a practical loyalty showing way which he showed himself eager to adopt. His estates lay between Calcutta and the scene of thedisturbances and the railway running in those days no further than Ranigunj. the Maharaja was able to give Government valuable assistance in the matter
of transport

and in improving the means of comAll

munication.
estates

the

vast resources

of

his

great

were freely placed at the disposal of the His workmen rapidly opened up new authorities.
roads,

and

his elephants

and bullock

carts speedily

transported troops and baggage through the wild country in which the turbulent Santals had hitherto

own unchallenged. Services of a similar nature the Maharaja rendered again a few yearsheld their
later during the

Sepoy Mutiny, again undertaking

MAHTAB CHAND

105

transport duties on an extensive scale and setting an example of loyalty to the other Zemindars of

Bengal.

The

first

recognition on the part of governservices

ment
his

for these

and other

came

in 1864 in
of

appointment as an additional member

of

the

Legislative* Council o

the

Governor-General.

He

was one

of the first Indians to attain to the dignity

of a seat in the Council,

and

his practical experience

as a great landowner

and

his intimate

knowledge

of the conditions of life generally in of great service.

Bengal proved no attempt at oratorical display but his speeches were invariably characterised

He made

by

and strong common sense, and they were listened to with attention and respect as thesimplicity

words of a

man whose

impartiality and honesty were

unimpeachable and whose opportunities of acquiring information were unrivalled. In 1868 the further
distinction

was conferred upon him

of a grant of

armorial bearings with supporters, and nine years

later at the Imperial

assemblage at Delhi, he was

granted as a personal distinction the right to a salute

of thirteen guns.

Apart from his position on the Legislative Council, Maharaja Mahtab Chand refrained on principle from
taking any active part in the great political movements of the day. On almost every question he
held decided views but he considered that
it

was

more incumbent upon him

to exercise his influence

quietly through legitimate channels as the adviser

106
of

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Government rather than openly to take part in His opinion was constantly political controversies.
all

asked by the authorities and carried

of
his

the weight

great

name and

position.

Popularity
full

he

altogether disregarded.
his convictions,

Having the

courage of

disapproval of others, once

justice of the course

he cared nothing for the approval or he was convinced of the

he had advocated.
related

In

all

matters that

to

the

spread

of

education the Maharaja was keenly interested. At Burdwan he established an Anglo -Vernacular School

which he threw open to boys of all creeds and classes. This Institution which has since been raised to the
status
of

a college

provides

free

education

in

English, Bengali, Sanskrit and Persian for poor and

deserving students, and a separate department for Himself of a studious girls has since been added.
disposition

courage literature

and well educated, he did much to enand scholarships. He was parti-

cularly desirous that the Mahabharat, the

Ramayana,

and the other

religious books of his faith should be

more widely disseminated and made

all,

accessible to

not only in cheap Sanskrit editions but in Bengali translations, which alone could popularise them in

modern Bengal. With this object he engaged the services of some of the most famous Pandits of the day.
For over thirty years
their labours continued, resulting

in the republication of the original Sanskrit books

with Bengali translations, which have done so

much

MAHTAB CHAND
to

107
of

make them

better

known among the people

relief

Bengal.

In the cause of medical and charitable

the

Maharaja

was no

less

generous.

He
cases

established

charitable dispensaries at

Burdwan and Kalna and

all

gave

temporary aid freely in

of

need

throught his estates. To his tenants and numerous dependents he was especially open-handed and
in all cases of epidemics

and famine he was ever

ready to help, to the utmost of his power. In the, severe famines in Orissa and Behar he rendered

Government invaluable
of his great

aid, placing all the resources

its disposal.

wealth at

To the Madras

Famine Fund he made the magnificent donation of Us. 1,50,000. The religious endowments made by his ancestors at Kalna and elsewhere he maintained
in their entirety.

Among his other varied interests, the Maharaja spent much time and money in establishing a
Zoological garden at Burdwan, which
is
still

main-

by the present head of the family. He was also one of the earliest and most liberal supporters
tained
of

the Zoological gardens at Calcutta,

which are

to-day so great a feature of the Capital. Again in the development of Darjeeling as a hill station he played a leading part. He was quick to see the
great future that lay before

had been drawn to

head-quarters
for

it

once popular attention and once the idea of a summer

it,

the Bengal Government

among

108
the
hills

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

had been
definitely adopted.

He

purchas-

ed large tracts of land in the vicinity of Darjeeling and Kurseong and greatly assisted in the develop-

ment ment

of those stations.
for

The establishment

of

Govern-

a certain period

of the year in Darjeeling

soon led to a great influx of visitors official and non-official and the Maharaja's wise foresight in purchasing land before the rush began proved a
splendid investment.

On
all

the beautification of
lavished

his-

own house

in

Burdwan he

much

care and

the chief buildings there thought, practically owing their origin to him. The beautiful Dilkhusha
gardens were designed and laid out under his personal supervision, and like the palace intself remain

to-day as evidence of his excellent taste.

In the

management
of

of his affairs

responsible advisers

he was assisted by a Council appointed by him on the

each

lines of the viceroy's executive councils,

member

being placed in charge of a special department of the estate. The Maharaja proved himself an excellent judge of character

and the members

of the

Council were selected with great care, some of the ablest men in Bengal, who afterwards still further
distinguished themselves, doing good services upon He himself took a personal interest in the smallest it.
details of the

management

of his

property and throughit

out his long career he administered

well.

wisely and

Maharaja

Mahtab

Chand

died

on

the

26th

MAHTAB CHAND

109

October 1879 at Bhagalpur. For forty seven years he had been one of the most prominent figures in

Bengal and though he had never courted publicity and had been fearless in the expression on several
occasions
of when his anti-popular opinions, advice had been asked, he had won universal respect

among all classes. Straightforward and honest, with a detestation of hypocrisy and falsehood, he
officials

was trusted and consulted by rich and poor, by and non-officials alike. Quiet and retiring, yet with a true sense of his own dignity and of the
he worthily upheld the great traditions of his house and has left behind
responsibilities
of

his position,

him a name that takes high place

in the roll call of

the nobles of Bengal in the nineteenth century.

t^K.

Nawab Abdul

Latif

Khan Bahadur

NAWAB ABDUL LATIF KHAN

BAHADUR,
18281893
t

C.LE.

Nawab Abdul Latif Klian will always have an honoured place in Muhammadan annals in
The name
of

the nineteenth century.

Although for over thirty

official

five

years he occupied no higher permanent

post

than that of Deputy Magistrate, his great ability and keen advocacy of the causes he had at heart won
for

him an unique

position,

not only among the-

Indian community but also in European society. He was one of the first to recognise how great was the

mistake
holding

that

his

co-religionists

were
the

making

in

themselves

aloof

from

wide-spread

educational

task of
sibilities

movement of the day, and in the great awakening them to a sense of their responhe played a leading part.

A large

tolerance

and a very earnest desire that Hindus and Muhamrnadans might draw more closely together won

him

well-nigh

universal

sympathy

and

esteem..

Occupied as he was with the heavy routine

a government
official

work

of

he yet found time to throw

himself heart and soul into every

movement that

promised

the

advancement

of

the

Muhammadan

community

or the amelioration of the lot of his poorer

112
.and

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

more unfortunate fellow-countrymen.
as

Besides

Ms work
vincial
-of

Deputy Magistrate in the Bengal various times a fellow Service, he was also at

Pro-

the Calcutta University, a

Council,

member

of the

Bengal
a

Legislative

an

Honorary

Magistrate,

of the founder of the Presidency College, a Justice

Peace, a

member

of the Special
first

ed to conduct the
.the

regular

Committee appointcensus in Calcutta and

Founder
list,

of the Calcutta Literary Society.

it is,

Yet

this

long as

of the

energy and
.

small conception gives but a the wide sympathies of

spread

Nawab Abdul Latif

His long life covered the greater part of the nineteenth century. Born in 1828, it was given to

him

to see the great advance socially, morally

and

veconoinically

which that century had brought to India and to Bengal in particular. In his youth,
the railway and the telegraph, those two great fore-

runners of progress and civilisation, were unknown even in the west. He lived to see them completely

change the conditions of

life

in

one of the most con-

servative and slow-moving countries in the world.

In 1828 the East India Company

.and India for six years
tions.

still
still

held

its

Charter

more was

a land of restric-

the reins of

Lord William Bentick had but recently assumed office and the most famous act of .his
the
abolition
of
Sati,

administration,

was yet

to

come.

Abdul Latif came

of a family of distinction

which

NAWAB ABDUL LATIF

had been
Tracing
great

113

settled for generations in Eastern Bengal.

its

descent from Khaled, one of the

of

first

soldiers

the

Crescent,

known from
'

his

prowess in religious warfare as the

it

Sword

oi God,'

numbered men
its

of learning, piety

and enterprise
of the of

among
of

members.

The descendants
itself

'Sword

God' lived in Mecca

until one

them,

inspired by that spirit of adventure which led so

many

of his

Making

his

countrymen eastwards, set out for India. way to Delhi, Shah Azimuddin settled
of his learning

there under the special protection of the Emperor,

acquiring
piety.
afield,

much fame on account

and

His son Abdur Rasul travelled yet further

obtaining the appointment of a Judgeship

in Eastern Bengal and finally making his home at Eajapur in the Faridpur district. Those were

troublous days and law and order were yet things of the future on the outskirts of the Empire. The
rivers were the

great

Eastern Bengal and they were infested with dacoits who rendered unsafe for habitation the country far inland on either
of

main highways

bank. Choosing a quiet and secure retreat, Abdur Easul made for himself a home which is still in the
possession
of

his

descendants

to-day.

He was
dignity

succeeded in his judgeship by his son, who acquired more lands and added still further to the of
the family.
families in
.their
l

But as often happened to Muhammadan past days, their increase inevitably meant

decay, the property of the original founder 8

114

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

being divided and subdivided among his descendantsuntil the share of each became insufficient for his-

maintenance.
of

This occurring

among

the descendants

at Rajapur, various cadets of the were forced to look beyond the local limits of family
their

Abdur Rasul

own home

for the

means

of livelihood.

Among
to seek

them Kaji Fakir Muhamed, sixth Shah Azimuddin, set out from his
his fortune in Calcutta.

in descent from

old

home

There he joined the bar of the old Suddar Dewani Adaulut, in those days almost

the only career open to a the

service
of

man

of

ambition outside

the

Company.

The freedom and

his

independence enjoyed by a Pleader at the Sudder

Court appealed to Fakir
the legal profession.
for

Muhamed and

own

personal interests travelled far

beyond the limits of

of history exercised

The study

him an absorbing fascination and the result of was a Universal History written by him in Persian and entitled Jami-ul-Tawarik. It
his researches in

was published
success.

1836 and met with considerable

later

Eight

years

Kaji
of life

Fakir

Muhamed

died at his old

in another

home

at Rajapur, from which success

and wider sphere

had never weaned

his affections.

His second son was the future Nawab, the subject of this

memoir.

With

his

two brothers he was

educated at the Calcutta Madrassa and early showed signs of the distinction he was destined to gain in lateryears.

The Madrassa owed

its origin

to that wisest of

NAWAB ABDUL
planned
service
it

LATIF

115

Indian administrators, Warren Hastings,

for the training of

who had
Company's
law as
it

men

for the

and for the administration

It

of the

then stood.

had thus become the very centre

of

Persian and Arabic study in the midst of the

new

Bengal that was gradually rising into existence, becoming as time went on, the great stronghold of
of progress

conservatism and tradition as opposed to the spirit and reform. But conditions were rapidly

changing and with the strengthening of the British dominion in India came the necessity for widening

and modernising the course

the English language one of
It

of study
its

and making
that

principal features.

was

thus

while
first

still

at

the

Madrassa

Abdul Latif was

brought face to

face with

the problem which was to form the chief work of

his
life.

The Muhamniadan community,

clinging to

the old traditional forms of study, turned a deaf ear to the rising tide of modernism. Intensely conservative

by nature, unaccustomed

to competition

and not

understanding that the pre-eminence they had always

held in legal and classical studies could ever be seriously threatened, they failed to realise what others

were quick to grasp that conditions had changed

irrevocably and that a knowledge of English had be-

come a
light of

virtual necessity.

It is extraordinary in the

upon the rigid attitude adopted by the Muhammadan community in general and their long refusal to advance with the

modern days

to look back

116
times.
It

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

was
while

Abdul

Latif

was

at

the

Madrassa in the early

after

forties that the

first

much

controversy was

study introduced there.

of English

But

so great

was the opposition that the English

practically

classes

were

boycotted,

the

students

refusing to be

drawn from

their Persian

and Arabic

studies and from the study of the Law which was In vain it fast ceasing to be the law of the land.

was pointed out to them that under the new regime a knowledge of English was essential, and that the
importance of Persian and Arabic and the study of Muhammadan Law was not what it had been. With

a persistence that seems remarkable seventy years

later

that were offered to

they steadily refused to take the opportunities them by a Government anxious

It

only for their welfare.

was thus that the Hindu

community, untrameUed by the same prejudices and quick to move with the times, seized the advantage
which
it

has ever since held.

as

It

was only
little

such

Muhammadans

Abdul Latif and a

company

of his fellow students

a truer insight into the future. They threw themselves heartily into the study of English and the modem side, eager to equip

who had

themselves to meet the requirements of the day. Distressed at the position into which the Muhammadan

community was rapidly

self

tailing,

Abdul Latii

set

him-

from

this

time onwards to combat the prejudices

that prevented them from moving with the times and adapting themselves to altered conditions.

NAWAB ABDUL
Abdul
Latif's

LATIF

117

early proficiency in English dis-

tinguishing him among his co-religionists, at once brought him into contact with many of the highest

government officials of the day. The introduction of the study of English into the Madrassa course had been watched with great interest by Government,
which had used every means in
the necessity of
it

its

power to bring

plainly before the eyes of the

Muhammadan community.

The few students who

were prompt to take advantage of the English classes were consequently marked out for encouragement

and

distinction,

and Abdul

Latif,

who had won a

Government

scholarship,

by

his

modesty, his charm

of manner and his complete mastery of English soon won for himself an assured place in the best

society of the day.

In those days, however, there were far fewer posts open to Indian students than there are to-day, and some time elapsed before he

gained a permanent appointment under Government. After leaving the Madrassa his first employment

was as Private Secretary to the Arnir was residing on a political pension at

of Sind

Dum

who Dum.

he was officiating as a master at the Dacca Collegiate School. After another temporary
year later
billet

with a

Commission

of

Enquiry under Mr.

Samuells, I.C.S., he was back again in Calcutta as

1

an Anglo-Arabic Professor at the Calcutta Madrassa. His name, however, had now been sent up and

^approved

for

the

Subordinate

Executive

Service

118

and

lie

had not long to wait

for

an appointment.

In 1849 at the age of twenty-one he was appointed a Deputy Magistrate by Sir Herbert Haddock, Deputy

Beginning in the then lowest Deputy Magistrates on the pay of Us. 200 a month, he was posted to the head-quarter station

Governor

of Bengal.

grade of

of

the 24-Parganas.

he remained in

For over twenty-five years the subordinate Executive Service

one of the most striking features of Abdul Latif's career that though he held so comparatively

and

it is

humble an

official

position he exercised such wide-

spread influence and was so universally acknowledged as one of the foremost leaders of Muhammadan
society not only in Bengal but throughout India.
It speaks

much

for the individuality

and force

of

character of the

man

himself.

For three years Abdul Latif remained at Alipore, learning the work of a Deputy Magistrate, and at the
end of that period he was invested with first class powers and was also made a Justice of the Peace. In
1853, he received promotion in the ordinary course of
service

and was chosen

as

the

first

subdivisional

officer of

the newly formed subdivision of Kalaroa,

then a part of the 24-Parganas District. For a year he remained there, taking a keen interest in the unfortunate
planters
differences

which

had

arisen

between

and ryots

in the indigo districts

and which

eventually led to the appointment of the famous

Indigo

Commission by

the Lieutenant-Governor,

NAWAB ABDUL LATIF

Sir

119
in these first

John Peter Grant

in 1860.

Even

few years of service Abdul Latif gained a reputation for energy and ability and above all for that

broadmindedness and tact which so distinguished

him

in later

life.

It

was

for this reason that after

a year at Kalaroa he was chosen for a post where The subability and tact were especially needful.
division of
side
of

Jehanabad had long been a thorn in the the Bengal Government. It is constantly
'

referred to as a

litigious

and turbulent place

of

'

and a
called

particularly

bad

outbreak
it

lawlessness
1854.

special attention to

in the year

Govern-

ment, anxious to select a

difficult

man

well qualified for the

post of subdivisional officer,

chose Abdul

Latif. It was a compliment to the young officer, and, realising this, Abdul Latif went to take up his

new appointment
choice.

determined to justify his The lawlessness of which a district so near

fully

Calcutta was capable sixty years ago reads surprisingly to-day. Rioting, highway robberies and dacoities

were

of the

commonest occurrence and

life

diate circle of

and property were nowhere safe outside the immeJehanabad itself. This state of affairs
the

young subdivisional officer set himself with energy and determination to redress. Not only, however, was he burdened with this heavy task, he
was subjected to annoyance and obstruction on the part of those who should have been his chief
"

>y

X supporters.

The

life

of the subdivisional officer

"

it

120

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

of

Abdul Latif s predecessor was made miserable by the cheeky and fearless country attorneys and landlord's agents and other habitual liti-

was written

"

gants, all in league with the ministerial staff

who

continually kept him

in

hot water with them, and complaints

to

imposed on him, by their

the
of

higher

authority, necessity constantly answering changes and explaining his conduct." The task that thus fell to the lot of Abdul Latif during the five years that he remained at Jehanabad was a heavy

one and

needed

all

the

tact

How
it

successfully

he

carried

command. out that task was

at
his
left

acknowledged on

all sides.

The subdivision as he

was a very
it.

different place

from the subdivision as

he found

When

the time came for him to relin-

quish his post

on transfer elsewhere Lord Ulick

Browne, the Magistrate of Hooghly, wrote officially to thank him for his services, saying that he had
'discharged
difficult

very satisfactorily the duties of a most subdivision such as Jehanabad, where his be deeply regretted.'

loss is to

Returning to Alipore in June 1857 Abdul Latif was able to resume his public and social activities

which he had been forced very largely to abandon during his absence from Calcutta at Jehanabad.

He was

soon again busily engaged

promoting

every scheme for the advancement of the

Muhamma-

dan community, welcomed everywhere as a capable and energetic ally. In 1860 he was made a member

NAWAB ABDUL
of the

LATIF

121

Board

of

Examination

for the civil

and military

services,

an

office

he retained until his retirement.

In the following year, although he had not yet completed twelve years service, Sir John Peter Grant

on the creation
selected

of the

Bengal Legislative Council

him

as one of its original

the

first

great

Muhammadan to be appointed. honour for a man so young in the

official

members and as This was a

service

and

one holding an
tion.

no special distincAbout the same time also he was appointed

position of

to the

Board

of

Commissioners created to deal with

the difficulties experienced over the introduction of

the income tax, which had aroused such unexpected

opposition.
as

Retiring in due course from his office

of the Bengal Legislative Council
r

member

on the

expiry of his two year's term,

he w as especially

thanked for

his services

Lieutenant-Governor.

by For four

Sir Cecil

Beadon,

theii-

years

more

he

continued to

work

as a

Deputy

Magistrate at Alipore,

being chosen in 1867 as the first Magistrate to preside over the new Suburban Police Court, a new
court created to meet the needs of the growing city

and the increasing importance of its southern suburbs. For ten years he performed the duties of this office,
which entailed heavy work, and it says much for his energy and enthusiasm that after a hard day's work
atmosphere of a police court he was ready and willing to throw himself heart and soul into other duties, scarcely less onerous, on behalf of
in the close,

122

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

the cause which he had so nearly at heart. In 1870 he was again appointed a member of the Bengal Legislative Council by Sir William Grey, and for the
third time by Sir George Campbell

who

offered

him
of

the appointment in

a letter,

dated the 30th

December
the

1872, in which he wrote "I do not think

Muhammadan community

could be better repre-

sented in the Legislative Council than by yourself."

For a few months in 1879 he acted as Stipendiary

Presidency Magistrate, afterwards being appointed to preside over the Suburban Police Court at Sealdah.

in

There he remained for over seven years finally retiring December 1887 on a special pension sanctioned by

Government.

Such

in brief outline
It is

is

the

official

record of Abdul

Latif's career.

a record of quiet and consistent

good

service,

marked by no great opportunities but

its

fulfilling

to the utmost

possibilities.

It is not,

however, in his official

place

work that

his chief claim to a

among

the most distinguished

lies.

men

of

Bengal

in the nineteenth century

It is for his social

and philanthropic work that

revered by the

his memory will ever be Muhammadan community for whose

advancement he
in the present

so earnestly strove. so

It is difficult

many Muhammadans are to the fore in every walk of life to realise how unique was the position occupied by Abdul Latif and how
day when
large

was the part he played

it

in raising the

to the place

holds to-day.

community The pioneer of the

NAWAB ABDUL LATIF

great forward

123

movement, which the latter half of the nineteenth century saw among his co-religionists, he
often stood well nigh alone.

On many

occasions he

was the only Muhammadan at public ceremonies and

social gatherings.

Realising that the old

days of

race exclusiveness were over, he was eager to go

everywhere and to know everyone. There was no branch of social life in which he did not take part,

and there was no scheme

his co-religionists

for the benefit not only of

but of the community generally

that had not his hearty support.

for advice

His correspondence
societies claiming his

was enormous, and

all classses of

people appealing to him

help,

and many

interest or his presence at their meetings.

The

services

of

Abdul

Latif

to

the

cause of

Muhammadan
point,
it

education

it is difficult

to exaggerate.

In his earlier days, regarded from the modern stand

was

practically non-existent.
literally following

The Muham-

madans were

the dictum of the

Koran

Kaliph Omar that 'whatever books differ from the are pernicious and those which agree with it

are superfluous.'
of being

To Abdul
first

Latif belongs the credit

among the

to see that however well

this non-progressive policy

may have

sufficed in the
it
it

days when the sword was mightier than the pen,

meant ruin

to the

community that

persisted in

under modern conditions of universal progress and advance. Early in his career he began in a small

way

to do

what he could

to

combat that

spirit of

124

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

and
indifference

apathy

which

seemed

to

have

fallen like a pall

upon

his co-religionists.

Holding

a series of conversaziones at his private house, he endeavoured to awaken in them an interest in

modern

Papers were read on such subjects as the use of history, the rise and progress of navigation and commerce, the discovery of America, the
topics.

history of civilisation

madan

law.

and the principles of Muham* To encourage thought and enquiry on

the part of the students of the Calcutta Madrassa

he offered a prize for the best essay in Persian on

the question

'How

far

would the inculcation

the

of

European

sciences

through

medium

of

the

English language benefit Muhammadan students in the present circumstances of India and what are the

most practicable means of imparting such instruction ?' The object of the prize which was advertised
throughout India under the sanction of the Council of Education and published in the Calcutta Gazette was to draw the attention of the Muhammadan

community

to

the
its

question

which was of such

importance to
acceptance of
to

future welfare.

Upon
its

the frank

modern conditions and

adaptability

modern requirements depended its position in the new India that was rapidly coming into existence.
sending in essays was five months and at the end of that time a very large number, coming from all parts of India, was found to

The time allowed

for

have been sent

in.

Most

of the essays,

one reads

NAWAB ABDUL LATIF

tion
of

125

with astonishment, strongly deprecated the adopEnglish

education,

quoting

in support of their arguments

the Koran and some even dehimself

of

nouncing
traitor

the
his

giver
faith.

of

the

prize

as

to

committee

four

was

appointed with the approval of the Council of Education to examine the essays, Sir Frederick
Halliday, the
first

Lieutenant-Governor of

Bengal,

consenting to be its President.

finally

The

best essay

was

adjudged to be that of Syed Abdul Futteh, Arabic and Persian teacher at the. Parsi Benevolent
Institution in

in

Bombay. The founding of the Muhammadan Literary Society April 1863 was another result of Abdul Latif's

energy and enthusiasm, and one calculated to be of immense benefit to the Muhammadan community.
Its

object

like

that

of

the

informal

gatherings,

which he had held

residence,
ness,

for

many

years at his private

was to break down prejudice and exclusiveand to interest its members in present day
and modern thought and
its

politics
first

learning.

For the

time under

auspices representative

Muham-

madans were brought together on common ground and given an opportunity of openly expressing their
opinions

In spite

and aspirations of its size and

in

sympathetic hearing.
importance the
hitherto been without

political

Muhammadan community had

Sk

voice and had been in no position to be consulted

or to give advice to Government.

by

The regular

126

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

of the

meeting together

most educated members of

the community was at once productive of good results, giving them greater unity and interest in
public affairs and adding a

new

direction to

Muham-

madan thought and

feeling.

The annual conversa-

zione, instituted by the Founder of the Society, was the first social gathering of its kind at that time

and

its effect in

bringing

all classes of

Muhammadans
Hall the

together

as

widespread.

On

the occasion of the

second annual conversazione at the

Lieutenant-Governor,

Town

warm

Sir Cecil Beadon, spoke in terms of Abdul Latif's work in connection

"By founding the Muhammadan he said turning to Abdul Latif Literary Society" at the conclusion of his speech "you have successwith the Society.
fully led the

Muhammadans, not only

of Bengal,

but

beyond the narrow bounds and to explore those accumulatsystem, ed treasures of thought and feeling which are to
of India generally, to look of their

own

be found embodied in the English language while by your active and reasonable representations on
;

many

occasions you have led

them

to

form a just

conception of the policy and intentions of the government, and to express their opinion freely. In this way you have naturally promoted a good understanding between this class of the community and
their
rulers

and fellow-subjects

and so
is

far

as

the present altered state of feeling

active

owing to your,

and

liberal exertions, to the judicious exercise

NAWAB ABDUL
of
I

LATIF

12T

your influence, and to the force of your example,

consider

you entitled to the gratitude of your countrymen and the cordial acknowledgment of this Government"
Sir John Lawrence, the Viceroy, in addressing him on the same occasion said that it afforded him much

pleasure to bestow upon

him a

suitable token of his

approbation

of

excellent cause.

in this most good The token took the form of a comhis

services

plete set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica inscribed in

the Viceroy's

own hand
in

'Presented to Moulvi Abdul Latif in recognition

of

his

services

promoting

native

education,

especially the education of those who, like himself,,

belong to the

Muhammadan

religion.'

CALCUTTA,
25th March, 1867.

JOHN LAWRENCE,
Governor-General."

In 1856 he had taken a leading part in promoting the Anglo-Persian establishment of the Calcutta

Madrassa and

later,

finding

this

inadequate,

he

eagely assisted in founding the Presidency College..

Speaking on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the college by Lord Northbrook

on the 23rd

of

February 1873, Abdul Latif

laid stress

upon the fact that "before the Presidency College was created, the Hindu community had its own
college for

High English

education

the Christian.

128

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

of

community

Calcutta

had
:

also

its

colleges

but the Muhammadan for high English education With the object of community had none."
supplying that want Government had founded the Presidency College, which should give the advantages

an English education to all creeds and classes Another service that he rendered to the alike.
of

community was to

call

public

attention

to the

administration of the Mohsin Fund.

He

pointed out

that, from a Fund founded by a Muhammadan primarily for Muhammadons, his co-religionists were not

deriving the advantages which were their due in

-comparison with the Hindus

it

who were benefiting from

Government, recognizing the justice of the claim, introduced changes into the administration of the Fund for the benefit of

to a far greater extent.

Muhammadans,

setting

aside

a large

sum

to assist

students throughout Bengal poor by paying two-thirds of their school fees, thus conferring an immense boon upon a poor

Muhammadan

community.

The

first

Agricultural

Show organised

in India

was held

at Alipore in the cold weather of

1863.

In these days when such shows are of frequent and common occurrence all over India and their
is generally recognised, it
is

utility

astonishing to read of

the excitement which the first one aroused. No sooner had the intention of Government to hold such a show been announced than and

^vague

absurd

rumours

became

generally

current

among

the
I

NAWAB ABDUL

LATIF
To

129
allay these

ignorant masses of the population.

unfounded apprehensions Nawab Abdul Latif, who was a member of the Exhibition Committee, took

immediate
in

steps.

He

wrote and published a paper

Hindustani and Bengali, which was approved by the authorities, pointing out that so far from endeavouring to spy out the resources of the land in
order to impose fresh taxation, Government was only

anxious to improve the condition of the people and

to

make known

to

them

better

and more modern

Latif's sensible

methods.

Widely

circulated,

Abdul

in the people

and convincing paper did much to inspire confidence and to make the exhibition a success.

Two
the

years later the

first

census of 1865-6 aroused

same

unreasoning
lower

suspicion

and
fewer

excitement

among the

classes.

No

than

one

hundred and ninety eight families left home rather than be enumerated, regarding the census as an
intrusion
into

the

privacy

of

their

family

life

and as a raid upon

their houses with the object

of imposing fresh taxes upon them. Abdul Latif was a member of the Special Committee of Justices

charged with carrying out the census, and again a paper of his, read before the Muhammadan Literary
Society,

which was translated into the vernacular

at
his

and widely circulated

own

expense, helped

largely towards inducing a saner

view of government's object in the same time a Bill 'was introduced

9

and more practical enforcing it. About

into

the

130

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Government
of India "to

Legislative Council of the

legalise

under certain circumstances the remarriage

of native converts to Christianity."

Much

dissatis-

faction

was expressed among the Muhammadan comfact that certain provisions of

munity owing to the

the Bill were regarded as being in direct opposition to the principles of Muhammadan Law. The im-

portance of the changes proposed was much exaggerated among the ignorant classes who came to regard the Bill as a serious attack upon their religion and as

an attack upon the sanctity of their women. To counteract this unwarrantable belief Moulvi Abdul
Latif convened a meeting of the leaders of

Muham-

madan

society at his

own house and

as a result a

memorial was

drawn up
that

and submitted to the

Legislative Council, pointing out in respectful terms

the opposition
view.

objection to the Bill

had been aroused, and the from the Muhammadan point of

of the act,-

The

result

was that the Muhammadan com-

munity was exempted from the operation which shortly afterwards became law.
In 1870 the lower classes of the

Muhammadan

community were again thrown into a state of excitement by the conduct and preaching of the Wahabis who were rapidly becoming a serious thorn
in

the side of Government.

Moulvi Abdul

Latif,.

quick to see the

harm that they might do and the

progress and

re-

trograde nature of their teaching which was opposed to

all his theories of

modern advancement,

NAWAB ABDUL
at

LATIF
this

131
influence.

once took

steps

to

counteract

He

obtained from Moulvi Karamat Ali of Jaunpur, one of the most celebrated religious teachers of the

day,

Muhammadans
power.
to the

an exposition of the law on the duty of in British India towards the ruling
This he embodied in a paper which he read

Literary Society on November 23rd 1870, showing clearly from the classical works of Muhammadan Jurisprudence that British India

Muhammad an

was Dar-ul-Islam and that as such

it

would be

unlawful and irreligious for Muhammadans to preach a Jahad against it as the ruling power. Not only was this address fully approved by all the leading

Muhammadans
on the subject.

of India, it received also the

appro-

bation of the Muftis of Mecca

who were

consulted

On the

occasion of the Imperial Assembly at Delhi

and the proclamation of the Queen-Empress came the first titular honour bestowed upon Abdul Latif by government, the sanad of the title of Khan Bahadur being personally presented to him at
Belvedere by the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Ashley

In making the presentation Sir Ashley acknowledged how much the recipient had done 'to promote the interests of his

Eden,

in

the

following August.

co-religionists'

adding that to him

it

'was mainly due

that they were then adopting the study of western

literature

and

fitting

themselves to compete with

the young

men

of other classes.'

132

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

In the following year a committee of the English

House
into
India,

of

Commons was
economic

appointed
financial

to

enquire
of

the the

and

condition

Viceroy being asked to nominate representative Indians to proceed to England to give evidence. Abdul Latif had the distinction of
being chosen by Lord Northbrook to represent the

Muhammadan
opportunity
of

community
the

and,

welcoming
of
his

the

making countrymen better known to the English people, he accepted the office and was prepared to start for
England. The dissolution of Parliament, however, caused the abandonment of the plan. Seven
years
later,

needs

fellow-

another

opportunity

for

usefulness
official

outside the narrow limits of his ordinary

studies

was afforded him.

in

Almost at a moment's
officially

notice

December 1886 he was asked

to proceed to Bhopal to undertake the

duties of Prime Minister of that state.
special

important It was a

and temporary appointment deemed desirable under special circumstances by the Government of

India and the following letter of June 5th 1886, written to him by Sir Lepel Griffin, Agent to the

Governor-General for Central India, on his relinquishing the office, is the best evidence of the manner
in

which he performed
"It gives

his difficult duties.

me

the sincerest pleasure" wrote Sir

/

Lepel "to communicate to you by direction of the

Government

of India, the following

remarks contained /
i

NAWAB ABDUL
4
in a letter

LATIF

133

from the Foreign Secretary

to
to inform

of the 28th of

May
'I

am

request you

Nawab Abdul

Latif that the services which he has rendered to

the Bhopal State, under trying and difficult circumstances, are fully appreciated by the Government of

His Excellency the Viceroy has consented to appoint an English Minister in his place but this
India.
;

appointment involves no disapproval of the Nawab's action which appears to His Excellency to have been

marked by

ability

and uprightness.

Nawab Abdul

Latif will leave the Bhopal State with a reputation

not only unimpaired but increased by the occurrences of the last few months/

"To

these

expressions

of

approval

of

His

Excellency and the Government of India," continues Sir Lepel "I desire to add my personal testimony
to the value of your services.

"It

w as
T

in

December 1885
notice,

that, at

my

request

and at a day's
to take

you

left

Calcutta for Bhopal

of

an exceedingly difficult appointment, until the return from England of an English Officer, whom Her Highness the

up the temporary charge

Begum
Your

at the time desired to appoint as Minister.

provisional appointment

was

fully

approved

by Her Highness. From that time to this you have conducted your duties at Bhopal to my entire

Satisfaction,

and with singular ability, discretion, I should have been well content to }nd integrity.

134
see
in a

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

you remain
in office.
I

have always held that,

Muhammadan

State like Bhopal, a

;

MuLammadan

Minister is the most suitable and his Excellency the Viceroy and the Government of India have also strongly held this opinion.

"The appointment of an English Minister of high character and great administrative experience
will doubtless be, in

many

particulars, for the advan;

tage of the
justice to

Bhopal State

but

it

is

no more than

you to place on

official

record the fact that

the Government are altogether satisfied with your services in Bhopal, and that an English Minister has

been selected and nominated by His Excellency the Viceroy in accordance with the urgent and reiterated
requests of

Her Highness the Begum.

principle

It

was

in

accordance with the

which renders

the

English Government always

disinclined to interfere,

of

except in the last necessity, with the internal affairs Native States and fully recognising his
;

obligation

to

show

the

utmost

deference

and

consideration for

Her Highness'

wishes,

that His

Excellency the Viceroy intimated his willingness to accede to her request and select a suitable English
d

Officer for the post of Minister.

"The Government

of

India have

assured

you

that your reputation will be not

only unimpaired but increased by your conduct during the last few months.

"To

this

assurance I can add nothing

NAWAB ABDUL LATIF

than

135
prosperity,

my

sincere wish for your future

and the expression of the feeling of warm friendship and esteem which you have inspired in myself, and
in those Political Officers

who have had the

acquaintance
in

pleasure

and advantage
India."

of

your

Central

Abdul
service

Latif, freed at last after so

all

many

years'

from

official

duties,

was able from this

time onward to devote his whole time to the causes

much at heart. During thirty-six years' had only been absent from duty for four months on sick leave a splendid record that few
he had so
service he

servants of the

Crown could

equal.

On

his retire-

ment from government

a

service

he

was

granted

a special pension on the generous scale of 600 Us.

month.

He had

been

decorated

two

years

previously with the companionship of the Order of the Indian Empire and in 1887 the year of the Jubilee of the Queen-Empress the title of Nawab

Bahadur was conferred upon him. This is the highest Indian title to which a Muhammadan can
attain

and

its

bestowal
as

universally

recognised

upon Abdul Latif was a fitting and crowning

honour to the services he had rendered, not only to Government but to his own fellow countrymen of all

and creeds. For six years longer he was enabled to continue his ceaseless activities, never
castes

flagging in his zeal for the welfare of his co-religionists

and enjoying to the

full

the unmistakable signs

136

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Beloved and respectfull of

of success of his life's labours.

ed by

all, his last years

were

happiness, his

almost

wonderful strength and vitality remaining with him till the end. He died on the 18th of July
1893 in Calcutta at the age of sixty five. Many were the tributes paid to his

memory

immediately after his death.

done, while
of the

Every newspaper in India bore testimony to the great work that he had

many

less appreciative.

The Times

English papers were scarcely of September the 4th

that

1893 published a short memoir

shows how

strongly the splendid achievements of Abdul Latif had impressed the British public. The tribute herein

paid him

may
skill,

well be quoted as typical of the

many

that appeared.

"The

the firmness of resolve, and the un'

wearied tact and moderation with which he carried out

his self-appointed task during 40 chequered years,
it
r

ran,

"would form a

noble"

theme

for a biographer.

Here we can only lament the loss which many who are trying to do good work for India have sustained

by

his death.

It was,

however, characteristic

of

the

man

to

effect

his

purposes by

means

of

gradual
;

corporate

effort,

rather than by his individual will

of followers

and he leaves behind him a body

both

able and determined to carry on his labours.

The

association which he formed exactly 30 years ago,

under the modest name of the

Muhammadan

Literary

Society, has grown into a power in the land, and the

NAWAB ABDUL
mother
of

LATIF
societies

137

many

affiliated
it is

throughout

Northern India.
Bengal now
its

Indeed,

scarcely too

much

to

say that almost the whole

in

Muhammadan community

accepts as a matter of course the views

which

leaders refused even to discuss with the

young reformer 40 years ago. This is his best public In private life his gentleness of manner epitaph.
and
his sincere,
if

rather oriental, courtesy, with the

store of experience

eventful years, endeared

British

and anecdotes gathered during 65 him to many friends. The

the shape of

Government gave him what it had to give in titles and honours, but it is as a Muham-

led forth his countrymen into new fields achievement and new realms of knowledge, witnout losing his own orthodoxy, that Abdul Latif has
of

madan who

won
'the

his place in Indian history."

Well did Sir Richard Temple write of him as most progressive and enlightened among the Muhammadans of Bengal.' A self-made man, with few
advantages of birth or position to help him at the start, he rose to be one of the most trusted advisers
of

Government and the

\

friend of the greatest in the

His charming manners and innate courtesy of disposition fitted him to adorn any society, while his
land.
of men and affairs and his gift of conversamade him a delightful and interesting companion. Above all he possessed in full measure an

knowledge
tion

overflowing sympathy with his fellowmen and an

intense desire to help forward

by every means

in his

138

power their happiness and prosperity. Quick to judge in which direction the true interests of his

Muhammadan countrymen lay, he lost no

them by every means
East and the West.
in his power.
all

opportunity,
it

in spite of strong opposition, of pointing

out to

He

served to

combine in his character

the best traits of the

the energy of the Anglo-Saxon, tempered by the cautiousness and tact of the Oriental, and the directness and indomitability

He had

of the
of

industry

West combined with the patience and the East. When once he had decided

what course to follow he pursued it through good report and ill with quiet determination till success
crowned
his efforts.
life

It

was truly said

of

him that he

was the

and centre

of Indian society in Calcutta

for he alone

was the friend equally

all

Muhammadan and Hindu, who

differences

European, perforce sank their

of his

of

and

jealousies

under the influence

good nature and quick sympathy. 'This man ne'er lost a friend nor made a foe' might well be taken
as his epitaph.

a debt of

The Muhammadan community owes gratitude to Nawab Abdul Latif Bahadur

it

* which

it

behoves

never to forget.

He found

it

backward and apathetic, sunk in ignorance and prejudice and content to see itself surpassed in every walk of life by the Hindu community, helplessly
clinging to its old ideals

and shibboleths and ob-

stinately Defusing to recognise the

march
left it

of events

and the necessity

of

change.

He

awake and^

NAWAB ABDUL
eager
to

LATIF

139

regain the

struggling

manfully

ground that had been lost, against great odds and asitself

siduously equipping
it

with the weapons which

had

so long despised.

To Nawab Abdul

Latif

will

the

always remain the honour of having been among to point out the road of progress along which the Muhammadan community has since made such
first

great strides.

'

Keshub Chandra Sen

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

18381884
Xo name
of in

the
is

annals

of

Bengal
as

in

the

nineteenth century

more widely known than that

Sen.

Keshub Chandra
son'

greatest

by

so

eminent

Spoken an

of

'Indian's

Orientalist

as

Professor

Max
so

Miiller,

no Hindu before him ever

a
of

achieved
so

widespread

reputation

or

drew

closely

the attention
life

both East and West

and teaching. His was one of the few names that was familiar during his lifetime
towards his
not
the

only

among the

vast

millions

who

inhabit

Indian Empire but among European nations whose knowledge of India and all things Indian was then far slighter than it is to-day. Born at
a time

when Western

education, half

understood

and imperfectly applied, had yet caught the imagination of -the East, Keshub Chandra Sen's Ife
coincided
interesting

with

one

of

the

most important
that

and

intellectual revolutions

India has

ever seen.

After long centuries of isolation East

and West had met, and fusion of thought and speech had begun. On the one hand stood western civilization,

with

its

latest scientific inventions,

its

latest

literary achievements

and

its latest artistic

triumphs

142

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

culture, effete

on the other stood eastern

ing, strangled in the grip of

and decaycustom and tradition.

The

full force of

about the old

to

modern thought had been let loose ideals and the old beliefs, threatening
its
first

overwhelm them in

impetuous rush.

There was imminent danger that the new system of life and thought, while sweeping away the old
beliefs,

might

raise

no new ones to supply their

that

place.

The

restraints

the

old

caste

system

had enforced upon life generally, socially, morally and mentally had been roughly cast aside, and the new civilisation had as yet failed to impose other
restraints

that had the same binding force.

called

The

work that Keshub Chandra Sen was

do was to combine
all all

upon to

that was best in the old with

that was best in the

a

with the old before

philosophy of
adhere.
It
life

new and to prevent a break new religion and a new

were found to which

was the old problem which

men might so many

have sought to solve without success, the reconciliaof the old and the new, of the East and the West. At a time when chaos threatened,
tion

Keshub

Chandra

Sen

had

the

ability

and

the

courage to

formulate a new

belief,

purified

and

refined, out of the old,

and at the same time the

power to which he

lead
laid

men
down.

after

him

along

the

lines

The great and widespread influence that his life and conduct had even upon those who did not follow him in his new belief, set

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

him
day.
apart
as

143
of

one of the moving

spirits

the

Claiming descent from the ancient Sen Kings Bengal, the family from which Keshub sprang had been resident for some generations at Garifa, now
of

some twenty-four miles above His great grandfather, Gokul Chandra Calcutta. Sen of the Vaidiya caste was a poor, honest, hardas Gouripur,

known

working

villager, respected

particular distinction.

It

by his fellows but of no was his son Ram Kama!

Sen,

Keshub's

grandfather,

who

first

raised

the

family to a position of dignity

and

affluence.

He
all

was one

of that first little

company

of

Hindus in

Bengal who were quick

to

take advantage of

that western civilisation offered by adapting themselves to western culture and western modes of

thought.
to

Yet there was

of

little in

his earliest years

give promise
to

the brilliant
little

career that

was

later

be

his.

English at a small
there were no

With Hindu

education,

school

learning the river where up

dictionaries

and no text books, he

to earn his

was forced from an early age

own

living.

He began

at the very lowest rung of the literary

ladder, obtaining a post as assistant type-setter at

the Asiatic Society's press on a monthly salary of

only eight rupees.

in this

For eight years he plodded on

all

humble

post, throwing all his energies into

the work and doing meanwhile

that lay in his

power

to improve his education

and prepare himself

144
for

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

a

His knowledge and industry attracting the attention of the officials of the Society, he was appointed a clerk in the office.

more important

post.

Later he became native secretary, and continued to

rise step

by

step, his capability

and

activity keeping

pace with each new advance, until he eventually rose to be a member of the Council of the Asiatic Society

whose service he had

eight

first

entered as a type-setter on

rupees

month.

His

abilities

becoming

widely recognised, he was offered the responsible and distinguished post of Treasurer of the Calcutta
Mint.
of
.a

His success in this post led to the Dewanship the Bank of Bengal with an income, of 2,000 Us.
influential position in

month and an assured and

life.

public

Unspoilt

by

his

marvellous

success,

his strenuous efforts for the welfare of his fellow-

countrymen kept pace with his own advancement. In the establishment of the Hindu College in 1817,
.and the Sanskrit College in 1824, he took a keen interest, while to promote the acquisition of English by his countrymen he entered upon and carried

through the great labour

producing a dictionary in English and Bengali, which Dr. Marshman, the

of

celebrated Serampore Missionary, spoke of as 'the

fullest,

most valuable work

of

its

kind which

we

possess and which will be the most lasting monument of Earn Kamal Sen's industry, zeal and erudition.'

education was supplemented by exertions in the cause of sanitation on

of

His work on behalf

KESHUB CHANDKA SEN

which he held views far in advance
of his day,

145

and

by generous

gifts to

Hospitals and to the District

Charitable Society.

Although Keshub was only

Tris

five years old

grandfather died, his early association with

when him

and the deep veneration in which he was held by

any way associated with him cannot fail to Tiave impressed him at the most impressionable period
all

in

of his

During those first five years the child and the old man had become firm friends, and so
life.

highly did his grandfather think of his early precocity that he

is

reported to have said, 'Keshub alone will

be able to sustain the family reputation.'

Keshub's

father, Peary Mohan Sen was the second son of Ram Kamal whom he only survived four years, dying at

the early age of thirty four.

He was

a young

man of

exemplary

life

and character and

his early

death was

a great loss to Keshub. His mother, however, proved not only an adequate guardian but a source of inspiration to her son,

who always

gratefully acknowledged

tow much he owed to

His youth was spent amidst the pleasantest surroundings. His grandfather, proud of the position he had won by

her early training.

iis

own

exertions

and

ability

took

delight

in

providing
'I

his family with every comfort

and luxury.
'by

was

reared' said

Keshub

at a later date

wealthy father
surrounded

and grandfather. Opulence and luxury

childhood,

my
to

but as I grew up

my

mind began
10

show the

spirit of

natural poverty.'

146

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

At the age
of

seven he was entered at the Hindu

foundation
of

College,

in

the

which

his

grand-

father had taken so great an interest twenty eight

years before.
carrying
off

he distinguished himself, prizes for English and Mathematics

the
first

From

several years in succession.

Among

his school fellows

he proved himself a born he was continually inventing new games, which he taught the other boys who entered with enthusiasm
leader.

In the playground

Keshub assigned to them. Magic were his especial boyish delights and and juggling he himself acquired considerable dexterity in theinto the parts that
juggler's art.
his

Quiet and reserved, he hid even in

young days great force of character beneath a retiring manner, and amongst young companions, whose morals were far from beyond reproach, he
pure and straight. For immorality and falsehood he always had the greatest aversion and contempt. A keen student, he devoted by far
kept
himself

the greater portion of his time to his studies and

to such effect did he apply himself that at the age
of fourteen

he was in the
of

first

senior class of the

College.

School

Department
his

the

Hindu

Unhis

fortunately
transference

studies

were

interrupted

by
on

its Metropolitan College inception in 1853, but though started under such promising auspices that college did not fulfil its

to

the

expectations, and in the following year those boys

who had

left

the Hindu College in order to join

it

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

found
themselves
seeking

147
into
his

readmission

the
last

institution

they

had

deserted.

During

years at College Keshub the study of mental and moral philosophy, into the wide range of which he plunged with youthful ardour

devoted himself chiefly to

and enthusiasm.

Keshub found time to enter upon various projects which had long been forming
Leaving
his

college

in

mind.

Education, he conceived, to be the

first

was

need of his fellow countrymen and so far as he able, by his own individual efforts, he set himself

to further the great cause.

of

From

the wider diffusion

knowledge and culture would, he hoped, spring in due course all the moral and social advancement that
he so ardently desired, and his
first

attempts, though

modestly begun, had

this great

end in view.

Soon

after leaving college he started a Literary Society,

known
motion

as the British Indian Society, for the proof literature

and

science,

and shortly

after-

wards he opened the Coltolla Evening School to which he gathered numbers of young men from the
neighbourhood of his own house, he and
instructing
,

his friends

English literature and philosophy. Shakespeare, first prominently introduced to Indian students by Captain Richardson, was one
in of the favourite studies of the

them

an enthusiast.

day and Keshub was Hamlet was his favourite play and

he himself took the

given

main part
of

in

a performance

by members

his

Evening school.

His

148

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

acquaintance not only with Shakespeare but with

English literature generally was surprising, and he soon inspired the members of his Society and Evening school with his own love of it.
Greater, however, than his desire for intellectual

improvement was his desire for moral and religious advancement. Pre-eminently of a religious turn of
mind, he had from the
Of the
first

attempted to combine

secular education with the maintenance of religious

beliefs.

defficulties

that beset him he was

fully aware.

To

reconcile

the old traditions and

impossible.
his

superstitions with

modern education was

Education, as he himself admitted

had unsettled

mind.

He had

given up the old faith but he had

gained no positive system of b'elief to replace it. Towards that end, however, he devoted the most anxious and searching enquiries. By continual

study and contemplation he sought to acquire the truth. Stern and austere at this time, he lived the

Eating neither flesh nor fish, he gave up card playing and novel reading and all the theatrical and conjuring performances that
life

almost of an ascetic.

friends associated with

he had previously se much loved. Beyond the him in the Literary Society

and the Evening school that he had founded, he saw scarcely any one, his chief friends being the
Rev. James Long, Norendra Nath Sen and Devendra Nath Tagore. Buried in his books or sunk in
thought he spent long hours alone, turning his back

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

completely

149
Serious,

on the

lighter

side

of

life.

earnest and as yet unsatisfied, he bent

gies

all his

ener-

on solving the great questions

old
beliefs

of life to

which
a

the

had given him

Chandra
It

so

inadequate

reply.

In

1857

Keshub

Sen

founded

the

was a purely religious Fraternity.' and devotional association and here he was at his
'Goodwill
best, lecturing
.

and discussing the various questions

which he had so closely studied in his long hours of solitude and meditation. Full and free discussion

on every
in

religious topic

was

desired.

'I

established
life

my days' wrote Keshub in later small fraternity in my own house to which

earlier

'a

gave
the

the somewhat singular but significant 'Goodwill Fraternity.'

name

of

I did not allow myself to harbour sectarianism, but preached to my friends these two doctrines 'God our Father, Every Man our Brother.' It was in these gatherings that

Keshub's oratorical powers, which were later to exercise so great an influence, first began to develop and expand. Already his eloquence was remarkable,
exercising a strong fascination over all

who heard

him.

Upon
he

whom

the minds of the young men and boys addressed in the 'Goodwill Fraternity'
it

had a powerful effect and many of those who met him here for 'the first time became
gatherings,
in after
life

his

most devoted

followers.

His intense

earnestness and glowing enthusiasm inspired others

150

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

spirit

with the same

Fraternity'

and the fame

of the 'Goodwill

gatherings

many
and

attracted

rapidly grew. Among the the reports of Keshub's eloquence by

spirituality

one

of the

Devendra Nath Tagore, and

most distinguished was it was at one of the

first

meetings of the 'Fraternity' that they

lasting friendship that not even

met.

Between them was destined to grow up a firm and

religious difference

was able to destroy. Devendra Nath Tagore, belonging to one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Calcutta, was then the leader
in later days
of the

Brahmo Samaj, founded by

and
it

Ram Mohan Roy

thirty years before,

was doubtless very largely

owing to his influence that Keshub definitely joined

that body in 1857. This decided step at once involved him in difficulties with his family and relatives, since

he refused in consequence to undergo the

hands of the family ceremony guru, which would at that time in the ordinary course have taken place. Every effort was made to
of initiation at the

induce him to give

way but

in the face of persuasion,

threats, and entreaties he stood firm, believing that he had at last found in the new faith that he had

adopted the way

of life

which he had so long sought.

The
one
of

starting of the

Brahmo

school in 1859 was

in
of

Keshub's
It

first

activities

the

Brahmo
'Goodwill

Samaj.

was a development

the

Fraternity' and the Coltolla Evening School, and was destined to play an important part in the

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

history of the

151

not only placed the hitherto vague conception of Brahmoism on a sound and rational basis of philosophy but it bound together
It

movement.

a growing company of young men eager for the advancement of truth and learning. The Brahmo School at
at which
first held weekly meetings every Sunday Keshub and Devendra Nath Tagore were

the

leading

spirits,

the

enthusiastic

metaphysical

discourses of the one contrasting with the closely

of

reasoned and classical Bengali discourses on the faith Brahmoism of the other.

Not content with

his

earnest personal appeals

of

in the cause of progress,

Keshub was ambitious

wider public and from this time onwards sought to spread his opinions through the press. His first
tract

was

characteristically

this is for you.'

In

it

called 'Young Bengal, he drew attention to the fact

that

a period of scepticism and irreligion had succeeded the sudden intellectual revival in Bengal

and urged that

with

it

was

essential for true progress

,

that religious development should go

intellectual

hand

in

hand
unleads

advancement.
principles,

Education,

fortified

by

religious

he argued,
political

neither to
of

the social,

moral nor
tract

welfare

a nation.

This
all

first

was followed by a
first

dozen more,
beginnings
of

deeply religious, forming the

literature

Brahmo

and

setting forth

with power and authority the principles of the new faith. About this time also he founded the Sangat

152

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

foremost Brahmos of later days

Sava, another association for religious discussion, to

which many
traced their

of the
first

inspiration

and enthusiasm.

In the midst of these philanthropic activities, Keshub had endeavoured to follow the universal

Bengal for a young man to adopt the family profession. In 1859 in accordance with family tradition he entered the Bank of
practice then in

vogue

Bengal, beginning as a clerk on the modest stipend of 25 Us. a month. Though the work was utterly

uncongenial to

him,

so

well

did he perform his

his salary

duties that before a year

was passed

was

doubled and apart from his family influence it was certain that speedy promotion awaited him. But
the conviction soon took deep root in him that he

was

called

upon to give up

his life entirely to his

educational and religious work and two years after

entering

the

Bank he

astonished his friends

by

resigning his position.

of his

He was
up

the

first

young man

rank and

class to give

his worldly prospects

in order to devote himself entirely to the advance-

ment

of his fellow-countrymen,

and

his disinterested-

ness and unselfishness greatly enhanced his already

growing reputation. In 1860 he visited Krishnagar, on one of his first famous missionary expeditions, and so far broke with family customs and tradition as

accompany Devendra Nath Tagore on a voyage to Ceylon by sea. Though the spell had been broken
to

by the journey

of

Earn Mohan Roy to England thirty

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

years before,
it still

153

needed considerable courage to

break through the strong opposition of relatives and friends among whom the prejudice against crossing the sea was still deeply ingrained. But Keshub's

voyage to Ceylon was only the prelude to the longer voyage to England which he was already contemplating and which was to take form ten years hence.
Still

further convinced that

it

was to the press

if

that he must look even more than to his personal

exertions and his personal eloquence,

he would

successfully advance the cause of education and religion, Keshub determined to start a periodical of

In August 1861 with the help of hi& friends, among whom Man Mohun Ghose was one of
his

own.

the leading spirits, he brought out the first number of the Indian Mirror as a fortnightly journal. There

was at that tune only one English

newspaper in
it is

Calcutta conducted by an Indian Editor, and

an interesting fact that both these papers, the Hindu Patriot and the Indian Mirror are still in existence
to-day.

Although the latter paper afterwards passed out of Keshub's control he owned various other newspapers at different times, many of which
of

commanded a wide circulation. In all attempted to make fair consideration and

the
prevailing
notes,

them he

conciliation,

and though they ardently the schemes which he had at heart he waa supported
opening his

careful to avoid the adoption of a violently partisan

attitude,

columns

freely

to

all

154
shades of opinion and permitting
full

discussion

in

them.

Formally appointed a minister of the Brahmo Samaj in 1862 by Devendra Nath Tagore, he was
installed with

much ceremony
Brahmananda,

in the latter's house,

the

title

of

the

Rejoicer

in

God,

being

conferred

installation

upon him. The occasion of the marks another step in the advance toof the

wards the emancipation

Desirous that his wife,
ing to

women

of

Bengal.

whom

he had married accord-

Hindu

rites

many

years before, should be

present at the ceremony, he brought her to Calcutta

from the family residence

at Bally

where she had

latter strongly

been living with his relatives.

The

opposed this further departure from orthodox Hindu custom, and his persistence meant for the time
practical excommunication.

But Keshub was con-

vinced that the time had come when Indian

should play a more prominent part in

women

life, being a better education and a greater freedom of given A action, and he held on his way undismayed.

truce between

him and

his family,

patched up in

the following year, was again broken by dissensions over the Jat Karma, the thanksgiving for the
birth
of

Keshub's third

child,

his

mother alone
as

remaining
years

by

him.

Gradually,

however,

the

advanced Keshub's strong personality and winning disposition not only overcame the opposition
of his relatives

but succeeded in carrying them with

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

him
as

155

some

of his

most enthusiastic supporters in

the cause of progress. In 1864 Keshub started on an extensive mission-

ary tour with the object of awakening the whole of India to participate in the general progress which

he had so strenuously advocated in Calcutta, Everywhere he was received with popular acclamation, his
eloquence and enthusiasm earning for him in Madras the name of 'The Thunderbolt of Bengal.' In al-

of

most every place he visited he found the same spirit enquiry and eagerness for knowledge, and he
returned from the tour greatly encouraged and more firmly convinced than before of the great work that

lay before

him and

his followers.

Meanwhile

unfortunate

dissensions

had

been

gradually arising in the Brahmo Samaj itself. Devoted to each other as Devendra Nath Tagore and Keshoib were, it had been for some time evident
to both that, firm as their friendship might be. their

opinions must separate them.

eventually to

a very great extent

Devendra Nath Tagore represented

of

the

older

generation

the

Rennaissance,

fully

imbued with the necessity of advancing with the times yet cautious and conservative, anxious to
break with the past as little as might be. Keshub on the other hand represented the second generation
of

the reform movement,

less

bound
to

to

the

old
all

traditions

and the old

beliefs,

eager to throw off

that

retarded

progress

and

hold

fast

only

156

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Devendra Nath Tagore had indeed discarded the Brahmanical thread and had appointed
to the truth.

Keshub, who was not a Brahmin, to the ministry but he was at heart strongly conservative and there
were

many

innovations advocated by Keshub and

the younger generation to which he could not subscribe.

Keshub had, for instance, taken up the cause of widow re-marriage with enthusiasm, but

here Devendra

Nath Tagore could not

difficult

follow him.

The
had
were

still

more

question

of

intermarriage

also arisen.

The members

of the

Brahmo Samaj
all

of all castes

and having abandoned

of

caste-

restrictions,

the

question

intermarriage

among

them was bound to arise. The first intermarriage according to the Brahmo ritual took place in August
1862 but serious doubts were expressed as
legality,

to

its-

the
It

essential

Hindu

rites

having

been

omitted.

up
the

later

was a subject which Keshub was to take with good results but meanwhile it widened
in the

the breach that was gradually separating the old and

new element
Finally

Brahmo Samaj
with
the
old

breaking

Devenjira

Nath
the

Tagore,

Keshub

Samaj under Chandra Sen

founded

new

Brahmo
lines

November the

llth, 1860.

be on the broadest

Samaj of India on The new Samaj was ta and open to any human
might
be.

being no matter what

his creed or caste

One

of its

members men

main objects was to include among its of all nationalities and races. It was

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

to be a world-wide church, and
to include
Bible, the
all its

157

doctrines were

those that were highest and best in the Koran, the Zendavesta and the Shastras,
all of

extracts from

which met for the

of

first

time side

by

side as the creed

is

the

new Brahmo Samaj.

is

'The wide universe

the Temple of God' ran the

motto
of

of

the

new Faith 'Wisdom

:

the pure land

Truth is the everlasting Scripture : pilgrimage Faith is the root of all religion Love is the true
;

Scriptural
is

Culture

the Destruction of
It

Selfishness

the true asceticism.'

was to be a universal

church founded on broad principles to which the whole world might subscribe if it would. Keshub

and

having given up all their worldly prospects threw themselves with true missionary zeal into the work of spreading the
tenets of their faith.

his little

band

of followers,

To

all

parts of India

Keshub

and good will, being everywhere welcomed by officials and non-officials from Lord alike and meeting much sympathy
carried his message of peace

Lawrence,

the

was on several occasions

Governor-General, whose guest he in Simla. On the 24th of

January 1868, the thirty-eighth anniversary of the Brahmo Samaj as founded by Ram Mohan Roy,

was
the

laid the foundation stone of the

Brahma Mandir,
It

new church
Keshub's

of the

new

Faith.

was opened

for

service in August 1869.

visit to

England

in 1870, like that of

Ram Mohan Roy

just forty years before, aroused

158

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

criticism

much

and opposition.

Nothing daunted

however, by fierce denunciation or evil prognostications he set out in the spring of that year, reaching England in the month of March. Of his first

amusing The luxury of hotel life astonished him while what surprised him still more at first sight was

European
account.

impressions

he

has

left

an

the hurry and bustle of the streets, which contrasted

so strikingly with the slow
leisureliness of the East.

movement and general In England he met with

warm welcome.
officials

Lord Lawrence and many other

who has known him proved themretired selves good friends and introduced him to all that
was best
in

English

society.

Among

the

many

whom
the

he met were Dean Stanley, Professor Max With Miiller, Mr. Glodstone and John Stuart Mill.
first

two

he

formed a
received

life

long

friendship.

He was
by
a
large

graciously
Victoria,

in

private

audience'

Queen

who

presented

him

with

engraving

of

herself

two books, inscribed in Chandra Sen from Victoria, R. Sept. 1870.' He visited no fewer than fourteen of the chief towns of

and copies of her her own hand "To Keshub

England and Scotland, the National Indian Association which has survived till the present day being
founded by Miss Mary Carpenter to promote the cause that Keshub had so closely at heart. After six

months

in England, he left for India strengthened

of the greatest

and encouraged by contact with some

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

minds
of

159

the day and with his loyalty to the British Government greatly intensified. So deeply was he touched by the universal kindness he met with

from all classes, from Her Majesty the Queen to the poorest peasant that, as he himself said, his loyalty to the great nation which had done so much
for India

became a part henceforward of his religion. One of the first acts of Keshub on his return to

India was the establishment of the Indian Reform

Association on the lines of the most modern associa-

had become acquainted in England. Its object was 'the social and moral reformation of the natives of India/ and it was divided
tions with which he
into five branches, each with its special work.

One

branch occupied

itself

with the

and good
able relief
tion
of
:

literature
:

which was to

supply cheap be made easily

of

accessible to all
:

a second was entrusted with charitall

a third with

matters concerning educa-

a fourth with the improvement of the position

fifth with temperance work. with the immense power wielded by the Impressed press in England, especially by the daily papers

Indian women, and a

headed by improve

'The

Times,'

Keshub endeavoured to

newspapers he had formerly out a weekly pice paper, under published, bringing the management of the new association, called the

upon

the

Sulav Samachar.

Being the first paper of its kind published in India it achieved immediate popularity.
Its

influence

in

its

first

days

of

prosperity

was

160

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

and
it

far-reaching,

did

much not only

to

bring

home

to a very wide public the lessons which

Keshub

sought to teach but succeeded further in advancing the cause of cheap and popular journalism.

Nothing had impressed Keshub as' more sharply in contrast with conditions in his own country than
the high position occupied by women in English life. Coming from the midst of his own community,
in

whose public

life

women played no

part,

he was

greatly struck by the fact that in England not only had women taken their place on an equality with men
in social
life

but that they were everywhere actively

in
all

participating

movements
which

philanthropic In spite of their unrestricted social intercourse, the deference and respect with
public
of the day.

and

they

met

was

particularly

striking.

His

more

English experiences urged Keshub to take up again enthusiastically than before the cause of the

women

of

India and one of the most

successful

branches of the Indian Reform Association was the

Normal School

for

Indian ladies.

Soon after

its

commencement there were no fewer than fifty Hindu ladies of the highest castes regularly attending the school, receiving instruction on

modern

lines

such as had never before been obtainable by Indian women. So cordially did Government approve of
the object and work of the
offered a grant of Ks.

Normal School that

is

2,000 annually towards

its

maintenance.

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

161

Of temperance work Keshub had seen much in England and this also he took up with renewed
energy on his return. He had long been aware how firm a hold intemperance threatened to gain

upon a

certain section of his fellow-countrymen

evil

and

he set himself to combat the

in his power.

by every means
upon the
rising

Here

as

elsewhere in the cause of

chiefly

progress he

set his hopes

realising that the young men of his day were growing up largely without the restraints, which the old caste system had exercised over its

generation and

members, he endeavoured to instill into them a horror of intemperance and the degradation that it brought
inevitably in
its train.

One of the greatest permanent measures that Keshub was able to accomplish was the passing of the Brahmo Marriage Act of 1872. The difficult
question of intermarriage

among members

of

the

Brahmo community had

solution.

for years awaited a definite

The Advocate-General when

referred to

had

pronounced against the legality .of such marriages on the ground that they complied with no
form^ of

recognised

marriage

ceremony.
could

It

was
such

apparent

that only

legislation

set

marriages on a safe and legal footing. But many difficulties had to be overcome before the Bill

became

law.

The

Adi-Brahmo

Samaj,

the

old

Brahmo community under Devendra Nath Tagore, considered its own marriage ceremonies
section of the

11

162

amply
bill

sufficient

and
it

it

was

difficult so to

frame the

as to prevent

doing injustice to those

its

who
The

declined to take advantage of

original intention of the Act

provisions.

was to render

legal all

marriages not performed according to any recognised form of religion, but this practical institution of civil

marriage met with a strong protest on the ground that it would totally destroy the ancient social
organization of the country, allowing any

man

to

marry whomsoever he pleased irrespective of caste. The Bill was therefore altered to apply only to members of the Brahmo Samaj and it was expressly
stipulated that the contracting parties should state

that they did not profess the Hindu, Muhammadan, Christian, Parsi, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain religion.

To avoid any
stated

possible hardships, the act expressly

in
this

that

'nothing

act

contained

shall

affect the validity of

under

its

provisions

any marriage not solemnised nor shall this act be deemed

any mode
but
the validity of any
into question before
if

directly or indirectly to affect the validity of

of contracting marriage
;

if

such

mode

shall hereafter

come

any Court, such question shall be decided as

this

The Act finally became law act had not been passed.' on the 19th March 1872 and Keshub rightly regarded
it

as one of his greatest triumphs.

of

It

was an

official

recognition
its

the

Brahmo Samaj, providing

Henceforward
of
its

for

convenience a special law.

the

Brahmo

Samaj

had

own form

marriage

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

service

163

which was as legal as that

of

any other

religion in India.

was inevitable that Keshub's many activities should stir up enmity in certain quarters and he had
It
like all reformers to

submit to a storm of abuse from

those

who were strongly opposed to his views. Though he numbered his friends among all ranks and all classes there were many who were not generous enough
from him on certain points and to acknowledge the good work he was undoubtedly Government he met with great doing. From
to agree to differ

encouragement.

Lord

Northbrook,

the

Viceroy

accompanied by unprecedented honour

after

his daughter paid

him the almost

having

visited

of a visit at his private house the Normal School in 1874.

With many other lowest he was on

officials

from the highest to the

All

cordial terms of friendship.

those who came in contact with him were impressed not only with his sincerity but with his moderation. He was anxious only to avoid on the one hand social

and

political

stagnation,

and on the other a too

sweeping and radical programme of reform. He was convinced that progress must be worked out slowly

and with
of true

infinite

precaution and that the cause

reform could never be advanced by sudden upheavals but only gradually evolved step by step,

by retaining the good and sedulously eliminating

the
evil.

In 1878 Keshub's daughter was married to the

164

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

of

Maharaja
of

Cooch Behar.

Considerable opposition

to the marriage
his

was manifested by a certain section followers and difficulties arose over the
ceremonies,

marriage

which the relatives

of

the

Maharaja naturally wished to invest with Hindu

rites.

The controversy unfortunately

in

led to a fur-

ther split

the
stir

served only to

Brahmo Samaj, but opposition Keshub to greater exertions and

the wonderful revival of that year led to his pro-

clamation of the
of

New

Dispensation.
first

To him the
in

harmony religions Brahmo Samaj. The

Christianity,

was the

mission of the

best that

was

Hinduism,

Muhammadanism

and

Buddhism

should be welded together in the Church of the

New

Dispensation. To spread abroad his views, in addition to his own personal eloquence, he turned again
to

the

press

and
later,

Mission and
pensation.

Sunday The Liberal and The Neiv Dispublications

himself

started

The

All

his

were

studiously
in

moderate

and

though

by no means lacking

courage and independence, were always courteous to the opinions and beliefs of others. He never

denied access to his columns to fair and honest

criticism of his work,

sistent in following the

;

and throughout lie was conmotto that he had adopted, all hold fast to that which is 'Try things good.' His Catholicism was proved by the number of his friends who were drawn from all walks of life. He was respected and esteemed bv so orthodox a

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

Hindu
so

165

as

Maharaja

Sir Jotindra

good a

by such
faith as

Muhammadan as men of western light and learning of another Professor Max Miiller and Dean Stanley.
was one
of

Mohan Tagore, by Nawab Abdul Latif and

Loyalty

the

watch-words of the

Brahmo Samaj. None realised more fully than Keshub Chandra Sen how essential it was to the
peace and welfare of his country that the British

Government should receive the

operation
of

loyal

and hearty

co-

his

fellow

countrymen.

"You

are

bound

to

be

loyal

to

your

divinely-appointed

sovereign" he wrote to his people.

"Not

to be loyal"

he argues base ingratitude and absence of faith in Providence. You are bound to be loyal to the British

Government, that came to your rescue as God's ambassador when your country was sunk in ignorance and superstition and hopeless jejuneness, and has
since
lifted

you to

your

present

high

position.

Honour your Sovereign and the entire ruling body with fervent loyalty. The more loyal we are, the more we shall advance with the aid of our rulers in
the poth of moral, social and political reformation.'

Worn by his ceaseless activities and dissensions among his followers, Keshub's
began to give serious cause for alarm.

worried by
health

now

Visits to

Darjeeling and Simla effected only temporary relief and he himself was the first to realise the fatal

nature of the malady from which he was suffering.

The knowledge that

his

end was near served to urge

166

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

to one final spell of activity.

him

His

last public

lecture

to Europe'

was perhaps was one

offer

his finest effort.

of love, unity

'Asia's message and concord. It

was

the

of

purely

unsectarian
all

and

universal religion that should embrace

all

creeds
of

and

nations

in

one great

brotherhood

perfect

harmony.
tried

Such being the message that he had

preach,

to

the dissensions

among

his

own

followers were a great grief to him.

recognise that

He was forced to men who had thrown off the time-

honoured religious restraints under which they had been born were especially prone to dissensions among
themselves.

The
it

old unquestioned authority having

find a

been

set aside,

was difficult to

common meeting

ground where all might join. It seemed to him that what was needed was some broad rule of life by
which, however

much they might

With

differ in details,

they might

strive to live.

this object

he drew

up the Nava Samhita, the New

enunciated an ideal course of

Way

of Life which

conduct,

personal,

moral to which every man social, should strive to attain. These are briefly the twelve
domestic and
rules of life

whereby the

ideal

man

should endeavour

to live
1.

To look upon woman

as the daughter of
affection

God

and regard her with honour and

2.

and to

cherish no impure thought or wish in regard to her.

To

forgive

and love one's enemies and not to

indulge in anger

when provoked by them.

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

3.

167

To

rejoice in other

man's happiness and not

to harbour envy or jealousy.

4.

To be humble
of

in disposition

and to harbour

no pride
religion.
5.

position,

wealth,

learning,

power or

To

live

the

life of

an

ascetic

and to take no

undue thought
6.

for the

morrow.

To seek not the

to

riches of the world.

To

give

religious

instruction

one's

household.

and give every man his due. 8. To speak the truth and nothing but the truth, and to hate all manner of falsehood. 9. To be charitable to the poor and to relieve
7.

To love

justice,

all

sickness
10.

and

suffering.
all

To love To

men and endeavour

to

promote

the welfare of one's fellowmen.

11.
fix one's

heart on divine and heavenly

worldliness.

things and be not given to

12.

To be
in the

active in maintaining unity

and har-

mony
forth

community. There could be no higher ideals than those set

in
it

the
is

Nava

Samhita.

Throughout

the

lesson of
is

that true labour in any

field of life

the one and only true worship.

Yet even in

drawing up these broad rules of life and conduct Keshub was anxious that they themselves should
dissensions over their interpretation.

not become a cause of contension, leading to fresh 'Let not the

168

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

a

Samhita be

new

fetish'

lie

wrote.

'It

is

no

infallible Gospel.

It is

only the national law of the

in its application to social

Aryans
life.

of the

new Faith

It

contains the essence of God's moral law

adapted to the peculiar needs and character of reformed Hinduism and based upon their national
instinct

and

traditions.

We

should not therefore

bow

to

its letter

but accept

its spirit

and

its

essence

for our guidance.'

Adjoining his house in Upper Circular Road he built the new Sanctuary, the Nava Devalaya, and the consecration ceremony on January the 1st

1884 to which he was carried from his sickbed,

was
the

his final effort.

He

died seven days later in

midst

of

his

sorrowing

family

and

friends,

sustained during the great physical agony of his

last

days

by

their

love

and

veneration.

The
the

funeral procession that followed his

body

to

grave was one of the most imposing that Calcutta had ever seen, and it was especially remarkable for the
presence of
all

classes

and

all

Hindus
from

and

Muhammadans
new
faith.

followers of the
all

Europeans, mingling with his Condolences poured in

creeds,

quarters, from Her Majesty the Queenand a host of English friends down to the Empress humblest who had known and appreciated the

However much men might from him on many points, there were few who did not recognise his earnestness and sincerity.
great

man's

worth.

differ

KESHUB CHANDRA SEN

169

His all-absorbing desire to benefit his fellow-countrymen, and his constant efforts to make his new faith
unsectarian and such that it might include the whole brotherhood of man, won universal admiration and respect. In an age of self seeking, he set

a striking example of unselfishness. gave up all to follow the way of

to

He
life

voluntarily

that seemed

him

to lead to the highest

and the
/

best.

Worldly
re-

rewards he never sought and worldlv honours he

fused.

His way of life, it is true, though an ideal to which every Faith might well strive to attain, was an
ideal
it

which men in the nineteenth century found hard to follow. It needed the enthusiasm and

devotion of the earlier ages when the world was

young

and

life

less

complex.

It

was

in

direct

contrast to the growing worldliness and the keen

competitive

was a was
in

of the day against which it The whole tendency of the time protest. the opposite direction. The decay of the
spirit

old faiths
of

had coincided with the great renaissance thought and education and but for the little
of
it

company
produced,
irreligion.

enthusiasts

whom

that

renaissance

How

might have ended in a cataclysm of great was the influence of Keshub

effectual

Chandra Sen and how

were

his

efforts

towards checking the prevailing tendency towards unbelief and immortality must not be judged merely by
the numerical strength of the Sanaa j that he founded.

His

influence

went

for

deeper

and

his

noble

170
life

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

and
character
left

an
of

abiding

impression

on the thought and

the

spirit

the
of

day.

Among
century

many

distinguished

Indians

the

there was none whose

in

name was more widely known

tide of
fellow-

Europe and throughout the East, and none who

exercised a greater influence in

irreligion

stemming the and immorality, and awakening his

of their moral,

countrymen to a sense

social,

and

intellectual responsibilities.

Nawab

Sir Khavvja

Abdul Ghani Mia

NAWAB

SIR

KHAWJA ABDUL
K.C.S.I.

GHANI MIA,

18301896.
THROUGHOUT the nineteenth century there was no name more revered in Eastern Bengal than that of Nawab Abdul Ghani. For over fifty years he
was the leading Muhammadan
in

Dacca and the

eastern provinces, occupying a unique position there

among Europeans and From a position alike.

ing

his
of

own fellow-countrymen
commandand
he
with

comparative insignificance
universal

he raised himself and his family to one of

eminence,
Loyal,
eliciting

admiration

respect.

generous
all

and

public-spirited
in contact

won
him.

the affection of

who came
of

The

original

founder

the

family

was one

Moulvi Abdulla who in the time of the Emperor Muhammad Shah came to India from. Cashmir, seeklike ing'Jiis fortunes

many

Imperial Court of Delhi. Empire, when the Imperial court ceased to afford

another in his day at the On the fall of the Moghul

opportunities for fortune building, Moulvi Abdulla

set out for the eastern provinces

on the outskirts
still

of the

Empire, where

all

things were

possible to

the

adventurer.

Finally

reaching

Sylhet

he

set

174

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

for himself as a

up

ledge of

merchant there, his wide knowthe world and of men enabling him to meet
success.

with

Sending for his father and brother from Cashmir, he succeeded in establishing a prosperous business, his house

immediate

and godown

occupying the site of the present Collectorate offices. After his death his son and successor moved to

Dacca which

offered a wider

and more convenient

the quarter

field of operations, settling in

known

as

Begum's Bazaar. It was a time of upheaval. The old order was changing and the old families who

had long held the neighbouring Zeminadries were dying out or, encumbered with debt, were being forced to relinquish their possessions. For the new

man

with brains, energy and capital there was a chance such as seldom offered. Zemindary after

Zemindary was bought up often at a nominal price and so successful did the enterprises of the descendants of Moulvi Abdulla prove that the trading from which their prosperity had originally taken its rise
gradually abandoned. A Abdul Ghani the family had

was

generation,

before

won

for

itself

an

acknowledged place among Zemindars of the Dacca district.

It

the

more important

was

not, however, until the time of

Khawja

Alimulla, father of Abdul Ghani, that the family

became known outside merely

local limits.

He was

one of the best types of the rising man of that generation. Endowed with great business capacity

NAWAB

SIR

ABDUL GHANI

175
seize the

and strong common sense he was quick to

golden opportunities that opened up before him. The time of change and unrest was drawing to its

Already the old order had well-nigh passed the old authority and the old line of rulers away,
close.

gradually disappearing from sheer exhaustion and inanition. The last of the old Nawabs of Dacca,

Ghaziuddin Mahomed, known as the Pagla Nawab on account of his eccentricity, was as typical of the
passing order of things as

Khawja Alimulla was

of

the rising generation. Well-nigh all the old families were sharing the fate of the Nawabs, coming to an

end
deep

in

in

weak, feeble specimens of humanity, sunk debt and vice. Their degradation and

helplessness were the opportunity of such

men

as

Khawja Gradually owners were forced to sell in order to pay their debts, he added to his already extensive estates, purchasing
Zemindaries not
further
afield

Alimulla.

as

the

embarrassed

only

in

the

Dacca

district

but

in

Chittagong,

Bengal,

Faridpur,
that

Mymensingh and Tipperah. touched prospered. Not the

of his business ability

Everything

he

least striking instance

was

his

purchase of the famous

It

diamond, the Dariya-i-Nur for only 60,000 Rs.

is

now worth several lacs. From the first he had

courted the society of

Europeans, realising what few of his co-religionists had then done that if the Muhammadan community

was

to

advance with the times and share

in the general

176

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

must cast prosperity that was coming to Bengal it exclusiveness and aloofness from aside the old
remaining strictly orthodox he with the Europeans of the station, mixed freely making many friends both among officials and nonaffairs.

While

officials.

Few Muhammadands

of

the

day

knew

English and though he himself never acquired a of the language he was careful to see perfect grasp
that the son

whom

he destined to succeed him

acquired
earliest

complete knowledge of it. From his years Khawja Alimulla had seen in his
a
all

favourite son Abdul Ghani

the traits of character

that he held necessary in his successor.

The vast

had accumulated needed a good properties that he business head to manage them, a man of the world
with experience of men and affairs. Very carefully Khawja Alimulla watched over the training of his
son,

and to

his father

Abdul Ghani often

in after

years acknowledged that he owed a very large share of his success in life.

Born
father on

in

1830 Abdul Ghani Mia succeeded his

latter's

the

death
fell

in

1848.

It

was a
in his

splendid

inheritance

that

to

him,
it

and there

belongs to

him the

credit of

handing

on

turn to his son, not diminished but enormously increased in value. Above all he administered his
estates not solely with

an eye to

his

own

benefit

but

always with the very real and

keen desire
of all

to contribute to the happiness

and prosperity

NAWAB
those in any

SIR

ABDUL _GHANI

177

way

connected with them.

Strictly

following the admirable example set by his father and adhering loyally to the principles laid down

by him for the conduct of business, he consolidated and greatly improved the property. A young man of charming address and manners he was as popular
with Europeans as with his fellow-countrymen. A model husband and father, he was equally successful
preventing friction in the family circle. The head of a large family he was continually called
in

upon

to arbitrate in petty family disputes

settle

and these

he never failed to

giving satisfaction to all parties

with tact and patience, who, even if the

Blessed

decision went against them, were convinced of his

wisdom

and

impartiality.

with

robust

health, he was fond of sport and of all manly games. As a shot he excelled, while at pigsticking to which he was devoted he was more than a match for many

European friends. Keenly appreciating music and poetry, he was a liberal patron of the acts and
of his

everything that tended to the spread of modern education among the Muhammadan community
received his

warm

support.

The events
Government.

of 1857

gave Abdul Ghani a striking

the British
of
first

opportunity of proving his loyalty to

When

the

rumours

mutiny

reached Dacca there were only two companies of the 73rd Native Infantry, numbering some ten

hundred and sixty men, with

12

artillery stationed in

178

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

These were known to be
dis-

the city at the time.

affected

and excited by rumours that daily reached Dacca of the excesses committed by the sepoys
elsewhere.
cf his

Abdul Ghani threw the whole weight influence 'on the side of law and order, and
threatened

though

with

robbery

and

personal

violence for so doing

by

certain evil characters

who

were endeavouring to raise the sepoys to revolt, he remained firm. His friends urged him to

knowing that in consequence of his loyal conduct he would be the first to suffer in case the mutiny came to a head. So far however
leave
station,

the

from running away Abdul Ghani actively associated himself with the officials, placing at their disposal
all his

vast resources and assisting in disarming the

sepoys

on

November 22nd

1857.

His

splendid

courage and example did much to allay the panic and keep loyal many who would otherwise have

wavered.
British

He

further showed his confidence in the

Government by subscribing largely to the Government loan which was opened about this time.
In
his

Zemindari

work he was
as

assisted

by

European
managers.
service.

and

Eurasian
all alike

well

as

From
of

he

won
it is

willing

by and

Indian
loyal

It has been said that

attributes

great

man

one of the greatest that he- shoulc^ be

able to surround himself with capable and devoted

servants
possessed

and
in

this
full

power Abdul

measure.

Ghani certainly Though courteous and

NAWAB
considerate to
all,

SIR

ABDUL GHANI

179

there was never a moment's doubt

that his was the directing and controlling mind.

He had

the whole of his vast business operations

completely within his grasp, no matter being too small for his personal attention. It was only thus, as he himself was wont to say, that a great Zemindari
'Could be

worked with complete

of
his

success.

In

spite

his
life

great

wealth
great

Abdul

Ghani

conducted

with

simplicity.

He

habitually rose early, either riding out, hunting or

busying himself in his garden or taking long walks in the cool morning air. On his return
shooting,
it

custom to repair to his Charkhana where between 7 and 8 A.M. he took tea holding a kind

was

his

of

informal reception that included not only the

of his family

male members
those

and

his friends,

but

all

who wished
to

to see
of
his

him

as well as those

who
and

came

partake

charity.

Many

old

invalid

Muhammadans, who had seen

better days, were

.always to be found at this early morning levee which

was a strangely assorted gathering where all were welcome whether in rags or gorgeously attired. It was a kind and considerate way
of

bestowing charity

upon those who needed

of tea of the

it,

for the early

Nawab

himself always

morning cup meant in their

case a substantial breakfast.

freely

Abdul Ghani moved

among

his guests listening to their grievances,

tendering his advice and settling their disputes in

-truly patriarchal manner.

At nine o'clock he used

180

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

to retire to his private apartments where he remained

which

occupied with his own private affairs until breakfast,, he took in company with all the chief
of his family,

members

was served.

From
his

eleven

till'

two o'clock he devoted himself to

wife

and

children in the seclusion of the Zenana, attending to

their needs, instructing

them

on family matters.
his office

them and conversing with At two o'clock he usually

in the

went to

room

Ahsan Manzil where

day claimed his attention. Exercising so close a control over all the affairs of his vast Zemindari, the business that he had daily
to transact

the chief business of the

was no

light task.

His work, moreover,

was by no means confined to his own affairs. He was always accessible during these hours to any of his friends or tenants who wished to see him, and so
great

was

his reputation as

his tact

and knowledge

of the world, that there

an arbitrator, owing towere

always
to

many who

preferred to bring their disputes

him

for decision rather than to take

them

to the

Law

Courts.

His business for the day over, he

usually rode or drove late in the afternoon, returning From eight till ten in time for the evening meal.
o'clock he sat with his friends and relatives, listen-

ing to music or discoursing on current topics.

Such

was the daily routine

of

Abdul Ghani

carried out

with almost unvarying consistency for nearly forty

years.

Extremely conservative as to
his old friends,

his personal habits

and loyal to

he desired no change.

NAWAB
The
charities
of

SIR

ABDUL GHANI

181

the Nawab, both public and

private were on a most generous scale. He spent large sums on sacred shrines in and around Dacca,

and although himself a staunch Sunni, he did not

hesitate to maintain

at great expense the largest

is

Imambara
tion.

in
is

Dacca which

entirely a Shia institu-

This

thies

and

but one instance of his wide sympaliberal-mindedness. So great was his

influence with both Sunnis and Shias that

serious difference occurred

when a

to lead to open mutiny, he

between them, threatening was asked by the local

This he did
their
differences

authorities to arbitrate between them.

with

such

success

that

were

For those respectable Muhammadans who had fallen on evil days and of whom Dacca,
speedily healed.

an old

city

which had

itself

suffered decay, held

a large number, he evinced a special sympathy. His private benefactions to such as these will never
*be

known.
In Dacca and throughout his extensive estates

he was universally beloved.

No

tale of distress or

scarcity coming from any part of Eastern Bengal ever met with an unsympathetic reception from

him.

When

famine or cyclone had done their worst

he was always prompt to relieve distress by every generous means in his power. Of the wealth that

had come to him

.stinting

in such

abundance he gave with no

hand.

Dacca

in particular
fine

owed much to

.him.

In addition to the

gardens and houses

182

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

which he freely opened to the public, the greatest service that he rendered to the town was the construction of water works at a cost of
lacs.

two and a

half

Intended as a thank offering for the recovery

of the Prince of

Wales from

his
laid

severe illness in.

1871, the foundation stone

was

by the Viceroy

They were finally opened for use by the Commissioner of the Division in 1878.. In planning such works of improvement as this and
Lcrd Northbrook in 1874.
in the daily routine of
his his
life

in

Dacca he was

content

To

live

among

own

people, doing his

duty by all those whose fortunes were so largely committed to his charge, was all he desired. No

man

could have sought honours less than

Nawab
to

Abdul Ghani, yet honours necessarily came

in full measure.

him
the

Beginning early as an Honorary

of

Magistrate

he

was appointed a member

Bengal Legislative Council in 1866. In the following year he was made an additional member of the
Viceroy's
Legislative
fell

Council.

From

that

time
a-

onward honours

thick upon him.

Created

Companion of the Order of the Star of India in 1871, he was specially presented to the Prince of Wales

by Lord Northbrook and awarded a medal in 1874. year later he was given the title of Nawab as a
an honour which was made
later

personal distinction,
hereditary two years

on the occasion

of the Pro-

clamation of the Queen-Empress. In 1886. he was

made

a Knight Commander of the Order

of the Star of India..

NAWAB

SIR

ABDUL GHANI

183

For many years before his death he had given over the management of his estates to his eldest son, known later as the Nawab Sir Khawja Ahsanulla

whom
who

he had carefully trained as his successor and so worthily followed in his father's footsteps.

In 1896

Nawab Abdul Ghani

his long life

died, full of years

all

and

honour, loved and respected by

who knew him.

he had been consistently Throughout loyal both to the British Government and to the
interests of his

own community.

keen business-

of others.

man, he never aggrandised himself at the expense His sympathies were wide and generous

in vain.

and no deserving case was ever brought to his notice He was one of the best types of Zemindars

that Bengal had produced, content to live in the

midst of his own people and with an ear always open, to their petitions and complaints. His will always

remain one of the greatest and grandest figures in Eastern Bengal in the nineteenth century.

Maharaja Durga Charan

Law

MAHARAJA DURGA CHARAN LAW

C.I.E.

18221902
AMONG
name
rank.
of

Indian merchant princes in Bengal the Maharaja Durga Charan Law takes high
started
firms

The firm
first

by
to

his father

was one
business

of

the

Indian

conduct

on

English lines, and its wonderful success from its first small beginnings is one of the most typical
signs of the

awakening

of

Bengal in the nineteenth

century.

The ancestors
earliest period of
is

of the

Law
now a

family lived, at the

which

definite

knowledge

of

them

obtainable, at Barsul,

small village in the

it

District of

Burdwan.

In those days

was a place
it

of considerable importance, containing the residences

of several wealthy families

who

only deserted

on

account of the inroads of the Mahrattas during the early years of the eighteenth century. Rajib Lachan

for this

Law, the grandfather of the Maharaja, left the village reason, and came to reside at Chinsura
which was then a Dutch settlement.

How

long the
firm
in
It

iamily continued to reside here and

of

when the

Prawn Kissen

Law was

first

established

Calcutta cannot

now be

definitely ascertained.

must, however, have been early in the nineteenth century, since the firm had already obtained pro-

186

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

minence by the time that the future Maharaja first joined it as an assistant in 1839. Durga Charan

was the

eldest son of

Prawn Kissen Law, the

is

original

founder of the firm which

century known by
his

still

after nearly

name.

Prawn Kissen was

Almost

one of the pioneers of the Indian commercial world. all the European Companies which had

found their

way

to

India

had come

in the

first

instance solely in pursuit of trade and during their

first

years of commercial activity no Indian firm had

ventured to compete with them on their own lines. But as the English gradually emerged triumphantly

from the long struggle of the eighteenth century and trade was ceasing to be the first object of the

Company, more open conditions prevailed, and it became possible for Indian firms to enter into competition with the
their

methods

English merchants by adopting and standards of business. The

first

Indian community, however, was at

slow to

take advantage o'f the opportunity and to Prawn Kissen Law belongs the credit of being among thefirst

to see the great possibilities that were opening,

out before his fellow-countrymen in the way of trade and commerce under the new reign of peace,
order and security.

His firm, one of the

first

to

compete seriously with European firms was also one of the most successful, placing him and his descendants
princes.

among the

front rank of Indian merchant

MAHARAJA DURGA CHARAN LAW

187

Durga Charan Law was born on the 23rd of November 1822 at Chinsura. Receiving his early
training at the
1817, through

Hindu
the

College,

which was started in

exertions of David Hare,

Ram

Mohan Roy and others, was then the principal college in Bengal. From the first he was destined by his
father to succeed

him

as head of the firm

which he
of

had founded and which already gave promise

its

ultimate
still

remarkable

success.

Leaving college

while

in his

seventeenth year Durga Charan

his father's office to be-

was at once inducted into

initiated

into

mercantile

affairs.

With

true

wis-

dom, Prawn Kissen

insisted

that his son should

begin at the lowest rung of the ladder as an assistant, learning every detail of the business and working
his

way up through
by

the various

offices until

he was

fitted

experience to take the lead.

Durga Charan

at once exhibited business capacities that delighted

and promised well for the future of" the firm which was yearly growing in importance.
his father's heart

Rapidly mastering the routine of the office, heshowed the greatest application and an eager desireto acquire a sound knowledge of business principles,

and to such

effect did

father's death in 1853, he

he apply himself that on his was fully competent to

him

undertake the entire management of the firm. With in the business were associated his two younger
brothers

Sham Charan Law and Joy Govind Law,

and with their help during the years that followed.

188
lie

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

succeeded in greatly extending the operations of
Its

the firm.
scale.

transactions
all

were

on an immense
it

In almost

kinds of imports

had dealings,
prints,

huge

quantities of piece goods, yarns,

um-

brellas,

woollen goods, iron, copper, corrugated iron

sheets, paints, asphalts

its

and cements passing through

hands every year.

cotton,
tea,

Among
poppy

its

exports

were,
sugar,

wheat,

indigo,

hides,

musk,

molasses, linseed and

seed, with occasional

shipments of opium to Hongkong. The firm had .agents in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow
while in Calcutta
it

acted as banian to no fewer

than ten European firms. Such was the enormous, business over which Durga Charan Law exercised
for nearly half control.

From

a century personal and complete the outset of his career Durga Charan

and business not only industry but a high sense of commercial integrity capacity and honour. It was this reputation which the firm
early acquired that enabled it to win the respect and inspire the confidence of the Indian and European

had

shown

communities
spirit

alike.

As

its

that

directed

its

head and as the moving policy and its great

life.

undertakings,

Durga

Charan

into prominence in Calcutta

Law came rapidly He was consulted

so

not only on commercial matters, but, great were his interests, on all the social and Government was not political questions of the day.

by

all classes,

the public service.

slow to recognise his ability and his usefulness in He was the first Indian to be

MAHARAJA DURGA CHARAN LAW

189-

appointed a Port Commissioner .of Calcutta, and the many other honours and distinctions of all
kinds that came to him in rapid succession showed the esteem in which he was held by all classes of the

community.

appointed a Justice of the Peace for the town of Calcutta and an Honorary

He was

Presidency Magistrate early in his career, while later came the honour of nomination to the Bengal
Legislative Council.
of the Senate of
office

He was

also elected a

member

the Calcutta University and held

of

being appointed a member pi the Supreme Legislative Council in 1882. In the same year he sat on the Commission appointas
Sheriff

Calcutta,

ed for the reduction

years later came the

t5f

the Public Debt while two

titular honour, that of the
of the

first

Companionship
conferred upon

of

the Order

Indian Empire,
in recognition

him by Government

of the services he had rendered.

of the

On

the occasion

Jubilee of the Queen-Empress the title of was bestowed upon him. In the following Raja year he was again appointed a member of the

Supreme Legislative Council and in 1891 he was created a Maharaja. These high honours and
show not only in what high esteem Durga Gharan Law was held but the varied interests and
offices

activities

which he contrived to combine with the

of a large

management
His

and successful business.

unbounded.
Possessed
to place
it

charities

were

of

immense wealth he was always ready

at

190

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

the disposal of -every good cause. In support of education and in the relief of suffering his purse was

always open. To the Calcutta University he gave the handsome donation of fifty thousand rupees to form a

fund for the creation

of scholarships in various schools

and

colleges

-Charitable Association

throughout Bengal. To the District and the Suvarna Banik Charit-

able Association of which he was President, his sub-

scriptions at various times amounted to large sums. He was a Governor of the Mayo Hospital to which he
:also largely contributed,

after

him

in

memory

to his liberal

one of the Wards being named endowments. His

private charities
of

were very numerous, a large number

his

schools

and hospitals throughout

all

extensive

estates being entirely maintained

by him.

In Calcutta

he took a prominent part in

the great charitable

and philanthropic movements

and
financial support.

of the day,

no scheme

of public utility failing to receive his hearty

sympathy

The Maharaja was one

in Bengal.

of the largest landholders

He

possessed estates in several districts

landlord, firm

and

in all of

them he proved a model

and businesslike and heartily

fare of his tenants.

solicitous of the wel-

Many

of his estates

he personally
placing

acquired at auction and saved from ruin,

them by capable management on a sound and stable basis. The history of some of these estates furnishes
a romantic record of the advancement of civilisation

an Bengal.

Among

those acquired by the Maharaja

MAHARAJA DURGA CHARAN LAW

none
gunj
river
is

191

of greater interest

than the estate

that

of Morrel-

in

the

Sundarbatid,

immense tract
of

of

Bengal Bay which so long defied all reclamation. Great efforts had at various times been made to bring it under
cultivation.

and

forest at the

head

of the

Not only had individuals set forth into the unknown wilds of these immense forest tracks in the hope of reclaiming them and deriving from them
wealth

and

fortune,

but

Government had

itself

attempted the Herculean task.

Hitherto, however,

the difficulties had always proved insuperable. Labour

had

all

to

be imported and

when

at

length the

labourers had been safely conveyed there at

much

expense,

it

had

been

found

difficult

to

prevail

upon them to stay. The land being everywhere lowlying and malarious, fever was prevalent while
the loneliness of the
life,

and the fear

off

of wild animals

which constantly carried

the ryots as they cut

down

earliest possible

the jungle, induced them to escape at the moment. So far the Sundarbans had

proved nothing but the graves of men and of all their hopes of fortune. None had succeeded in the fight
with nature and tamed
its

rampant luxuriance to any

great extent the dull routine of cultivation. But in one corner of the vast area it was reserved for an English

family to do, what others had failed to do, and by sheer force of character and energy to clear the splendid
estate which

was eventually to pass into the hands Maharaja Durga Gharan Law.

of

192

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

and Lords

The Sundarbans had been divided by Government

into lots with a view to reclamation
I, II,

III and

IV had been

settled with

one Babu Kalinath

Taki for a period of 99 years, the only stipulation being that he should bring under cultivation a

Koy

of

certain portion of the land within a fixed period. In spite of his efforts he had been unable to overcome the initial difficulties of cultivation in the-

Sundarbans and only 800 bighas had been reclaimed on the expiry of the time allowed. Government
therefore

issued

fresh

notice

to

resettle

the

remaining
a widow

portion of

the Lots.
Morrel,

An

English woman,
offering

named Mrs.

came forward

to take settlement in the

name

of her three sons,

and

in 1857

Government

settled the Lots with

them

for a period of 99 years.

The three brothers

set out

Robert,,

who had been

a Captain in a British Regiment,

William and Henry at once

to undertake personally the

from Calcutta

work

of cultivation, old

Mrs. Morrel in spite of her advanced age accompanying them. Arriving after a seven days' journey in

country boats,

they fixed upon the most suitable There was then nothing site for their head-quarters. but impenetrable forest, and the Morrels and the

men they had brought with them, were

live in their

forced to

boats until sufficient space had been

shelters.

cleared

whereon to erect temporary

It

was a splendid position that they

Morelgunj

selected

where

now

stands, the anchorage in the broad

MAHARAJA DURGA CHARAN LAW

river that washes its banksl[being so

193

commodious

that the place was later on declared a port in the hope that the largest steamers might visit it. For
themselves the
Morrels
constructed
a
fine

house

with large gardens close by the river bank, while a splendid avenue was opened out parallel with the
river,

and leading to the bazaar which quickly

cultivation extended.

sprang up with a thriving mart, as the limits of Within ten years no less than

four

thousand

bighas

had

been

cleared

and

as

Tumours
cleared

of the extraordinary fertility of the

soil

newly

neighbouring districts, hundreds of ryots hastened to the spot and eagerly took up land to clear and cultivate. It was not
long before practically the whole of the four lots was reclaimed, a large portion of them by the
Morrels themselves, the remainder by Talukdars to

reached

the

whom
his

they had given

settlement

leases.

With the

success of

enterprise

took

apparently assured, of other adjoining

his

Robert Morrel
lands

from

government O

until

estate

reached to the sea

extended over an immense area.

Far away from

the magisterial head-quarters at Khulna, which was then a subdivision of Jessore, and cut off from easy
Access
jungle,

by a network
interference in

of

rivers

and impenetrable
of

the Morrels were wellnigh independent of

their

outside

control

the large O

and

flourishing tract

which they had brought into

-existence.

13

194

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

largely

How
was seen

the prosperity of Morelgunj

of

was

due to the tact

as

and energy

Robert Morrel himself

soon as his presence was withdrawn.

His health had been seriously impaired by his great exertions in bringing the estate under cultivation

and he

finally decided to retire to

England, leaving
the good

and an agent Troubles which threatened

his brothers

in charge of his affairs.

to

undo

all

work he had done speedily occurred

ture.

after his depar-

between his agent and a dispute neighbouring Zemindar which not only brought the
arose
estate
in

former into trouble with the authorities but involved

the

long

and costly
still

litigation

in

the

Courts.

More unfortunate
attracted

many

of the tenants

who had been

by the

fertility of

the

soil

were frightened away by these disputes, which had more than once led to bloodshed. Hearing of these
unfortunate occurrences Robert Morrel, in spite of returned to he health, Morelgunj. There
affairs

ill

found that
his absence.

had indeed been going badly in Many of the tenants had abandoned and much
of the land

their holdings

which he had

brought under cultivation was lying fallow, and in places rapidly falling back again into jungle.

With
lost

characteristic energy he set to

work

to regain,

ground and to put things once more upon a satisfactory footing, but in the midst of his labours

he died at Barisal on the 13th of

obelisk

May
by

1869.

An

erected

at

Morrelgunj

his

tenants

MAHAKAJA DUKGA CHARAN LAW

testifies

195

how

great

was the

affection

and respect

that he inspired.
*

After his death the estate soon

his

became insolvent and

mortgage Lots
I,

brother was forced to

Law who
estate

III to Maharaja Durga Charan saw the great possibilities the quickly and econominally if offered judiciously
II,

managed.

Here was an immense tract

of

feritle

land already under cultivation with all the initial difficulties of labour and ^reclamation overcome.

The Morrels,

carried

their enterprise,

away by the initial success of had launched out into many un-

necessary entravagances and the Maharaja with his

keen business instinct only awaited the opportunity of getting possession of the estate to reduce it to
order and

make

of it a splendid property.

Unable to

satisfy his creditors, William, the last survivor of the

three brothers, was finally forced to

estate in 1878

sell

the whole

and
all

in the following year

Durga Charan

Law

purchased management soon entered upon another period of prosMorrelgunj Under a capable manager he introduced order perity.

four Lots.

Under

his

and

control, greatly developing the properties,

mak-

ing roads, excavating tanks, cutting canals, establishing hats, building schools and establishing a charitable

Dispensary.
still

Practically everything in Morrelgunj

is

done by the Maharaja's sons. The Dispensary and the schools are still maintained entirely at
their
for

expense, while their

all

tenants

look

to

them

almost

their

needs.

It possesses a thriving

196
hat,

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

and though cut off by land from other parts of the District by a network of rivers, it is on the

main steamer route from Calcutta to Eastern Bengal and Assam. It was fortunate for Morrelgunj that it
fell

as

and capable a Zemindar Maharaja Durga Charan Law. For some years before his death, failing health
into the hands of so just

prevented the Maharaja from taking his accustomed

active part in public affairs.
lost

He

never, however,

his

keen interest in

all

the current questions

of the

day and to the end he was consulted and

on a variety
of subjects

his opinion sought

classes

by

all

A man of few words, of the community. was never hasty in giving his opinion, but he
once given that opinion seldom proved wrong. His judgment consequently met with universal respect.

He had

a horror of falsehood or deceit in any shape

or form, and in the mercantile world his

name was

always synonymous with honesty and straightforward dealing. Though the strictness of his principles

gave him a somewhat severe mein, those who knew him were quick to realise that under a harsh exterior

he had a heart
great age
est

of gold.

The Maharaja died

at the

of eighty years in 1902,

one of the wealthiof Bengal.

and most respected merchant princes

Nawab Bahadur Syed Walayet

All

Khan

NAWAB BAHADUR SYED WALAYET

ALI KHAN,
C.I.E.

18181899
LOYAL
promoter
left

in the

helper in times of

dark days of mutiny, a generous famine and distress, and an eager

of learning,

Syed Walayet Ali Khan has

alive for

memory

that

is still

beyond the

limits

of his native city.

Throughout

his long life of over

fourscore years he was universally beloved as one of

the leaders

j>f

the

Muhammadan community
of his life
is

in

Patna

and Behar.

The story
at

one

of consistent

rectitude, steadfast loyalty

It

and high endeavour.

of
first

was

Patna on the 23rd

that the future

Nawab Bahadur

September 1818 saw the light.

imAli Reza,

He came

of a

Sayed family

of considerable local

portance, claiming descent from

Imam

the 8th Imam.

was himself the son had found

His father Syed Mehdi Ali Khan of Syed Abdulla Sahib, who was

a rich banker of Patna and

his

who

like

many

another

way from the north-west towards the

fields for

close of the

Moghul Empire, seeking fresh

His original
in

enterprise in Bengal.
at

home had been

ancestors

Karamanikpur

Oudh and

his

had

held honourable posts at the Moghal Court. Coming to Patna with a considerable sum of money, he

200

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

and

settled there, acquiring large landed properties

carrying on a banking business with eminent success. It was on the maternal side, however, that the

Nawab

could claim his most distinguished descent.

His father had married the

Nawaba

Hafizun-nissa

Begum who herself was the great grand -daughter of Nawab Basher-ul-Mulk Asad Jung, for many
Deputy Governor of Behar in the time of the Emperor Shah Alum. The latter had four sons
years
of

whom the most distinguished was Nawab Syed Gholam Hosein Khan, the well known author of

the famous history of the Moghul Court, the "Seirul-Mutakerin" which throws so strong a light on

the causes of the decay of the Moghul En%pire during the reigns of the last seven monarchs. The second son of

Syed Ali

Nawab Basher-ul-Mulk was Syed-ud-dowlah Khan Shumser Jung, the grandfather of

Begum.
The third son was Fakir-

Hafizun-nissa

ud-dowlah Syed Najim Ali Khan Zafar Jung on

whom the Pergana Japla in the district of Palamau was conferred as a revenue free gift in recognition of his services to the Moghul Empire, a grant which
was confirmed by the East India Company on the
5th August, 1815, three years before the birth of the subject of this memoir. Having no son, Fakir-

ud-dowlah had adopted his brother's grand-daughter,

Hafizun-nissa

Begum who

thus acquired by adoption

a share in the property.

Nawab Syed Walayet

Ali

Khan

thus came of stock which had done good

SYED WALAYET ALI KHAN

service to the state

201

and which

in so doing

had acquired
little is

considerable wealth and position. Of the early years of the Nawab but
recorded.

He was

brought up under the immediate

supervision of his grandfather

Syed Abdullah, and so well did he profit by the old man's teaching that at the early age of eighteen he was placed in charge
of the family property in Tirhoot.

Thrown

largely

upon
him.

his

own

resources there, he quickly

himself worthy of the trust that

proved had been placed in

Turning a deaf ear to all the temptations of youth he set himself diligently to master business methods and all the wT ork of an extensive Zeminadri
with such success that he had the satisfaction
of

seeing the property enormously increase in value

From

under his personal supervision and management. the first he was distinguished by his remarkable tact and winning manners, and
it

was not long

before he began to take an active interest in public

affairs

beyond the

limits

of

his

own Zemindaru

Although unable to speak English, he early in life won the esteem of European officials, who recognised
in

him one

of

the best types of the

Muhammadan

gentleman of- the old school. While remaining strictly orthodox he was eager to accept western ideas where they tended to the greater well-being

and

countrymen. Of western methods in medical science and hygiene he was

prosperity
of

his

quick to see the advantage.

The old saying that

202
cleanliness

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

is

next to godliness had in him a firm believer and in season and out of season he preached greater cleanliness and better sanitation as one of

the chief needs of the day.

It

was

in the

dark days

of the

mutiny that Syed

Walayet AH Khan first came prominently forward and won golden opinions from government for his Patna, the second loyalty and practical assistance.
city in Bengal,

was looked upon

disloyalty.

at that time as

the

centre

of

large

number

of

Muhammadans
refusing
British

there hankered after the old regime,

that

strong

support

and loyalty to the

Government which they have since accorded. Syed Walayet Ali Khan's loyalty thus stands out all the more conspicuously, as being one of the first to
see in

what direction the true

interests of his co-

religionists
first

and fellow-countrymen lay. From the he followed his own convictions without thought

of fear or favour.

"With regard

to
of

Khan," wrote the Commissioner

time
of

Walayet Ali Patna at the

the Mutiny,

one of

my

official

"the following extracts from reports will show the opinions I

held regarding his loyalty and the valuable assistance

I

had received from him during tha most

"It
is

critical

period of danger."
also gratifying to

me
I

to be able at this

time to record the assistance

have received from

several of the respectable native residents of Patna,

more

especially

from .among

others,

Walayet Ali

203
has been conspicuous from the very commencement of the disturbance and the bravery and frank;

Khan

ness with which he has, at a very great risk to himself,

cast his lot

on the side

of the authorities, is deserving

of special recognition at the present time,

and has

been in

itself of

great use."
after the

"A few days

news

of the

Mutiny reach-

ed us, he presented to me a petition, stating that he was ready to devote life and property to the service of the state, and from that day he has incessantly exerted himself in the cause of Government,

seeking for information, ferreting^out bad characters, watching the city and obtaining good information

through emissaries employed at^his expense from the neighbouring villages. Walayet All Khan has
accordingly taken possession of an English house at the west end of the city near my compound and

began living there day and night at a considerable

scale of sacrifice to his life."

was not only in time of emergency, however, that he showed his loyalty to the crown and his
It

earnest desire to serve his country.

At a time when
their

Muhammadan

influence

and education were at

lowest ebb, he

came

to the front as a leader in

every movement of social progress in Behar.

There

was no public
this

spirited enterprise of

any kind from

which

time forward with which his name was not

associated.

Of

the

Patna

College,

now

occupies

so

prominent

a place

among

educational

204

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

in

institutions

Behar he

was

one

of

the

chief

promoters.

The

Temple

Medical

School,

named

after the Lieutenant-Governor of the

Behar School

of

Engineering also

day and the met with his

generous support. These, however, are but a few and the best known instances of his generosity and
the encouragement he gave to
utility.
all

works

of public
gifts

There are innumerable unrecorded

to

schools

and

colleges,

hospitals

and

dispensaries,

clubs, societies, mosques and public buildings, to all Those donations of which he liberally subscribed.

that have been recorded form a long

typical of the large-heartedness

list

and

it

was

ness of the
to his

man

and public spiritedthat his charities were not confined

his

own country and

own

co-religionists.

He

was ready to subscribe as generously to abroad as in Behar.

During the famine
of 1874,

relieve distress

he took a prominent part in relieving the distress, contributing no less than a lac of rupees to the relief funds and himself
taking

an

active

part

in

their

distribution.

In

1874, Lord Northbrook, the Viceroy of India, paid a visit to Behar and, granting Syed Walayet All

Khan

a private audience, he consulted

him

in a long

conversation concerning the condition of Behar. In the cold weather of 1875-6 His Royal Highness

the Prince of Wales paid his memorable

India,

visit

to

and among those invited to Calcutta to meet him was Syed Walayet AH Khan, who took part in

SYED WALAYET ALI KHAN

all

205

the festivities of welcome as one of the leading

of

men

Behar.

Immediately afterwards he returned

to Patna to receive His

Royal Highness there

also,

being one of the few privately presented to the Prince during his visit. His Royal Highness received

him most

graciously, eulogising

him

for his

past services

and especially for

his courage

and loyalty

during the Mutiny.

year later a certificate of

honour was presented to him on the auspicious

occasion of the assumption by the Queen of the title
of of India.

Empress

On
tion.
of

the 1st of January 1878 came further recogni-

The Companionship of the most Eminent Order the Indian Empire was conferred upon him on

account of his prominent and devoted services rendered

during the Mutiny and of his munificent liberality. His investiture took place at a Durbar held by the

Commissioner

of

13th of March,

1878.

the Division at Sonepur on the In presenting to him the

insignia of the order, the Commissioner paid this

glowing tribute to his services

'Syed Walayet Ali Khan, you have always been a most devoted and loyal subject of Government.

During the Mutiny you have eminently distinguished yourself by displaying remarkable and inflexible
loyalty.

Your

services

during

that

crisis

were

invaluable

Professions of loyalty are valuable in

proportion as they are voluntary and timely and

their sincerity
is

tested

by

acts.

"The

proffer of

206

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

services
crisis

Walayet Ali Khan's and most dangerous

"This

was made

in our darkest

and the

proffer throughout

was supported by deeds.

character has

ever since

been laudably

maintained by you.

"You have
lity

also been conspicuous in

spiritedness,

your

libera-

and public

having hitherto conlate

tributed no less than Rs. 70,000 towards Charitable

and Public

Institutions.

During the

famine

generosity, having unostentatiously spent about 40,000 Rs. or 50,000 Rs. in

relieving the distressed people.

you exhibited

marked

Your

services

have

now

received the recognition of

of

Her Majesty the

Queen -Empress
to be the

India and
of

it

gives

me great
the,

pleasure

medium

conveying to you

token of

royal favour and I sincerely

hope that you

may

long

enjoy the

honour thus graciously conferred

later

on you."

Only four years

he received the

title

of

Nawab

as a personal distinction. at

special
of

Durbar

was held

Bankipur on the llth

November

1882 by the Lieutenant-Governor Sir Rivers Thompson in order to invest him with the insignia of the new title. His Honour in handing him the Sanad

spoke as follows

"Syed Walayet Ali Khan

of

It is at the instance

His Excellency the Viceroy that I am present here to-day to confer upon you in this public Durbar the title and dignity of Nawab. In any career of

SYED WALAYET ALI KHAN

life,

207

apart from the testimony of a good conscience,

that a

man

has striven honourably to do his duty,

the highest reward which

one can secure

is

the

esteem and approbation of one's fellow-countrymen. I believe that element of contemporary approval is not wanting in your own position but it is quite
:

fitting that where an eminent citizen has used un-

ostentatiously

and disinterestedly the wealth

his

hands have gained him, to advance the public good, government should not be backward in recognising
such
efforts.
it

This

is

not the

first

occasion upon
receive at the

which hands

has

fallen to

your

lot to

of

official

authority

the

approval

which
liberal

government
I

desires to express to a loyal

and

on the auspicious occasion subject. of Her Majesty's assumption of the title of Empress of India, among the natives who were selected for
note that,

marks

of

distinction,

you were one

I

of those

who

received a Certificate of Honour.

note that at a

more recent period you were

of

enrolled as a

companion

the Order of the Indian Empire, and now it devolves upon me, both as a pleasure and privilege to confer upon you to-day the rank and title of

Nawab.

We may

be sure that they could be no

light services for

which such accumulated honours

of those

were reserved, and speaking in the presence

who know you best, I indulge in neither extravagance nor flattery when I say that in view of the prominent
and devoted
services rendered

by you during the

208

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Mutiny and your munificent liberalities for the good of your people and district, the bestowal of such
titular distinctions as these brings

honour

alike to

the government and to yourself.

in this city as

You
and

stand forward

an example

of loyal patriotism, difficulty

you
the

have shown
reality

in

cases of danger

and sincerity of that patriotism, and in times of peace and order you have proved that the responsibilities of wealth and lofty position have
been rightly appreciated by you in the co-operation you have given to the advancement of every useful

and good w ork.

y

congratulate you therefore in

the presence of this large and distinguished audience

upon your accession to a dignity so well merited and I wish you sincerely many years of health and future usefulness in the enjoyment of the honour
:

which the Viceroy

of India has confered

upon you."

On the

occasion of his receiving the title of

of

Nawab,

his fellow-countrymen

Patna both Hindu and

Muhammadan

presented

him with an address on

the 17th of April 1883 which forms a splendid tribute from those amongst whom he had lived and worked.
It ran

"We, the undersigned

presenting this address to

residents

of

Patna,

in

you only

give expression

to the sincere feeling of pleasure

and

satisfaction

which we experience
ed.

in seeing

you deservedly honour-

The benevolence which has distinguished your career has elicited from Government its due

SYED WALAYET ALT KHAN

recognition in the shape of honours
this, while
it

209

conferred,

and
that

serves to perpetuate the

memory

of

benevolence, furnishes a strong and lasting incentive

to others to follow your philanthropic example.

"Believe us, you are as thoroughly esteemed as

you are widely known, both for your moral worth and your kindly disposition, and your name is known to

fame even

in the

more distant parts

of

the world.

"In the dreadful Mutiny of 1857 you consistently and firmly displayed to a just and watchful Government the pleasing spectacle of a subject unhesitatingly

honest

when

his

conscientious

dissent

was

based upon personal experiences and peculiar means

of

knowledge,

and throughout

all,

disinterestedly

loyal, regardless of the

extreme personal risk involv-

ed

and

it

was

for this right loyal service at a

most

that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales perosnally thanked you, for it was admittedly owing in a great measure to your cool vigilance, wise
critical time,

moderation and unswerving loyalty that Patna owed Nor have its escape from overwhelming disaster.
matters of great individual, and
general political importance,
social,
if

of

less
;

escaped your notice and notably in the cause of education has your liberal hand been at work, so long back as the year

1856 when you

made over

to the

Government a large

and support of an Industrial and Agricultural School, a scheme which we regret has not yet been carried into completion, and again
estate for the establishment

14

210
in 1862

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

you were
first

to give a large donation for

the purpose of assisting the establishment of the Patna College, an institution that has steadily progressed, .and

whose sphere

of useful influence it is

hard to overestimate, and which can be compared only as to the good it has done with the Temple
Medical School, with which also you are identified by the large donation given by you at its institution in
1874.

These contributions, the

spirit

that promoted

them, and the universal good that has resulted from them, are the results on which is based the gratitude
of the people of

Patna

of

whatever creed,

sects, caste

or class.
in

famines Again India and in Ireland (your contribution aggregat-

in connection with the late

ing the

sum
of

of Rs.

1,20,000) your subscription to

the fund for the

children

relief

and support

of the

wives and

Afghan Campaign, your gifts to the Zoological Garden at Calcutta and the Mangles Tolah in this city, all witness how wide and how generous were your sympathies, how liberal and how universal your
philanthropy.

the

soldiers

who

fell

in

the

"In the discharge of your duties as a Municipal Commissioner and as a member of different other
societies

connected with the social and moral imof

provement
us

be

how made

the people of this city, you have shown private and selfish individual prejudices must
to yield to a sense of

what

is

most conducive

to the public good.

SYED WALAYET ALI KHAN

".In

211

presenting this address, allow us to express

the hope that you will continue to take the keen

interest

city

you have hitherto done in the welfare of this and its inhabitants, and we sincerely trust that

the Almighty

prolong a life conspicuous for its energy in the cause of good and its activity in the cause of liberality and philanthroppy."

may

The Nawab

replied as follows

"GENTLEMEN, To-day my dearly beloved Hindu and Muhammadan fellow- citizens (whom I affectionately greet) have
;

made me

feel

both very happy and

very proud happy that you approve of what I have done, in the belief that I was doing right, and proud in that I have gained your esteem and your

me, I am keenly and deeply honour you have now conferred on sensible of the me by the address you have just presented to me, and that the pleasing memory of it will remain
regard.

Believe

in

my

recollection as long as

it

shall

seem

fit

to

the

Almighty

to

spare

me.

You

estimate

too

highly the poor services that I have been able to render, and I attribute the high praise that you
.are

pleased to accord to
in

them rather

to the liberality

Government marking their sense of them and to the kindly sentiments you entertain towards
of the

me, than to the inherent value of the services

themselves.

With

particular

reference

to

what I

have been enabled to do on the occasions of public calamity and disturbance, and in the cause of

212
forwarding

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

our
social

and

moral

progress,

regard it in the one case as other as the expenditure of a

my
little

duty, and in the

Capital to securein the vernacular

a great amount
'a little

of

good

(as

we say

word

in a big mouth').

Gentlemen, do not

if I say that the money which has been spent in connection with the presentation of this address might have been productive of some

be offended

infinite

good

if

wisely

employed

in

some public

works.

But
to

I will

made me very happy,

accorded

not deny that you have this day while you have nevertheless
services
all

my

higher

merit

than

they deserve.
honour,

be spared to enjoy every May you and prosperity that I sincerely reward

wish you, and

may

be spared to witness such a

consummation
thank you."
officials

of a life acceptable to

man and

pleasing

in the sight of God.

Again, gentlemen, I heartily

The very great popularity of the Nawab among and non-officials, among Hindus and Muhamalike

madans
occasion

gratulatory letters that

of

was evidenced by the number of conpoured in upon him on the

each new
honour.
Officials

without
freely

exception placed entire confidence in

consulted

him and

him upon

all

matters relating to Behar

Sir

and the Muhammadan community.

as

Ashley Eden, Lieutenant-Governor, honoured him on several

occasions

by asking

his opinion

and on

his visit to

Patna in 1880 finding that he was too

ill

to

pay

his

SYED WALAYET ALI KHAN

respects to him,
lie

213
call-

paid him the compliment of

ing upon him to enquire after his health. On two other occasions he had the rare honour of receiving a
visit

from a Lieutenant-Governor at
visit

his

own

house.

In 1889 he received a

from

Sir Stuart
ill,

and
by

in 1896,
Sir

when again

seriously

Bayley, he was visited

Alexander Mackenzie.

From

the highest to

the lowest in the land the straightforwardness of his

character, his personal disinterestedness
spirit

and public
have con-

won

universal confidence
of life

and esteem.
justly

At a time

when he might

templated withdrawal from public duties to enjoy a well-earned leisure, the Nawab was ever ready to
incur fresh responsibilities in a good
cause.

The

number
list.
-a

of public offices that

he held makes a long

He was

for

many

years an Honorary Magistrate,

Municipal Commissioner, and a

member
and

of

the

District
societies

Board as well as
connected
of

of

many
social

other local

with

the

moral
active

improvement

the

people.

He was an

member
Central

of

the British Indian Association, of the

of

Imperial Institute in India, a Vice-Patron of the Lady DufEerin Fund,

life

Committee

the

and a

member

of

the Zoological Gardens and of

the Agricultural-Horticultural Society of India at Calcutta. He was also at one time President of
the Behar Text-Book Committee.
All these offices

were to him no mere sinecures.

forward his best
efforts,

In each he put 9
a leading

playing

part

214

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

of

and endeavouring to make a success

undertook.

whatever he

On January, 1st
crown
eight
his well

1896 came the

life.

final

honour to
seventytitle

spent

He was now
of

years

old

and the bestowal

the

of

Nawab Bahadur came

list

of

as a fitting close to the long honours and distinctions that had been con-

ferred
lations

upon him. Once more the heartiest congratucame from all sides and the Hindu and

residents of Patna again presented him with an address expressive of the affection and esteem in which he was universally held.

Muhammadan

The Nawab Bahadur lived only three years to enjoy his latest honour. He had lived a long and
strenuous
life,

mental to the

using his energies both physical and full in the casue of progress, never

sparing himself in his devotion to his Queen and

January 1899 of his only son Syed Tajamul Hussain Khan, who promised worthily to follow in his father's footsteps was a
country.
in

The death

severe blow from which he never fully recovered.

He

gradually sank and died five months later on

June 3rd 1899.

Perhaps no funeral has ever so stirred Patna or given occasion for such an outburst of popular feeling
as that of the

Nawab Bahadur.

Had

there been

any room
in

for

doubt as to the esteem and affection

which he was held, the crowds who flocked to do him this last honour would have been sufficient

SYED WALAYET ALI KHAN

proof.

215

Among t those who

followed his remains to

of

the

grave

were the Commissioner

the

Patna

Division and the Collector of Patna, both of

whom

wrote letters of condolence to his grandson in terms that showed the high respect in which they held him. "I have heard with the most profound wrote the Commissioner, "the sad news of regret,"
the

death of your illustrious grandfather, esteemed friend, this morning and beg you
,

my
to

accept my most sincere sympathy in this sad event. Your grandfather had been the trusted friend of all the officials for nearly half a century and his death
will

be a serious loss to Government as well as to

the

many

friends he

in this country.

The public has

numbered among the Europeans lost a trusted and

will

recognised leader.

His memory

long survive
fill

and

it

will

be

difficult for

many

years to
less

his place."

The

Collector

wrote in no
just

appreciative

langrief

guage.

"I

have

received

with

great

the news of the death of

my

honoured friend the

grandfather.

Nawab

Bahadur,

your

illustrious

For upwards of seven years that I have known Patna I have been indebted to him for advice and assistance and for a kind and continued friendship, which has been one of the things I have been most proud of in my service. He has gone full of years, wisdom

and honour, not long surviving the son to whom he was so deeply attached. It will be many years before his place will be filled and we see the like of

216

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

again.

him

The Muhammadan nobles

and
the^

of

Patna have

lost a recognised leader

.Government and

the cause of law and order a prominent supporter. I beg you to accept the assurance^of my deepest

sympathy and condolence

Commissioner and myself
funeral.
this
last

in

your

sorrow.
join

The
the

will

come and

We

accept
of

mark

opportunity of showing respect to our departed friend.

this

The

offices of

the Commissioner and

my own
his

have

been closed as a mark of respect."

To

devise

means to commemorate

memory

public meeting was held in Patna on the 2nd July, 1899. It was presided over by the Commissioner

and

all

the leading

present.

the neighbourhood were It was resolved to raise funds to add a

of

men

wing to the Muhammadan Anglo-Arabic school to bear his name, and subscriptions were invited for the

They flowed Europeans and Indians

purpose.
resulted

in

from

all

sources,

from

alike,

and the building that

whose honour
it

was a

fitting

memorial, a tablet perpetuat-

ing the
raised.
It- is

memory

of

Mm

in

was and
will

not, however, in memorials of brick

stone that the

chiefly live.

memory

of the

Nawab Bahadur

influence for good that, throughout his long life which covered nearly the whole of the century, he exercised over the fortunes of his

The

fellow-countrymen is a more enduring monument. In strengthening the loyalty of his co-religionists,

SYED WALAYET ALI KHAN

in setting

217

them an example
of

of straightforwardness

and

rectitude, in

promoting every

social

and educa-

the day that tended towards tional movement the general advancement and prosperity of the
people,
his
chief

work

lay,

and in them
one
of

lie

his

claims
figures

to

be

regarded
the

as

the

greatest
in

among

Muhammadan community

Bengal in the nineteenth century.

-all

At a time when

was change and uncertainty, when the people of Bengal after long years of oppression and unrest had at length time and opportunity for social, moral and educational advancement, the strong and courageous figure of the Nawab Bahadur was a

tower

of strength to his co-religionists. of

The Muhamof

madans
the

Behar,

not yet in

the earlier days

nineteenth century fully reconciled to British

supremacy and not yet recovered from the period of decadence into which they had fallen in the last days
of the Moghul Empire, were neither in the mood nor had the equipment wherewith to play a leading part in public life. It is to the lasting credit of

the

Nawab Bahadur

that, beginning in their darkest

days, he consistently showed them the better way of loyalty and high endeavour. His own success
in public life

occupy

in the opinion of all

and the honoured position he rose to who knew him were them-

selves sufficient proof of the

wisdom

of his teaching,

and might well serve as an example to

inspire each

-one of his co-religionists to follow in his steps.

Maharaja

Sir Jotindra

Mohan

Tag-ore

MAHARAJA

SIR JOTINDRA
K.C.S.I

MOHAN

TAGORE,

18311908.
THERE was no prominent
in Indian society in

or

honoured figure
of*

Bengal during the latter half

the nineteenth century than that of Maharaja Sir Jotindra Mohan Tagore. An acknowledged leader
of the

in all the great

fifty

Hindu community, he played a foremost part movements of the day. For over
at
tall

years,

wellnigh

every public gathe^ng in

Calcutta his

upright figure and dignified bearing

won

universal admiration and respect.

There was
of the con-

no scheme tending to the improvement

ditions of his fellow-countrymen physically, mentally

or morally that did not meet with his ready

sympathy

and support.

"He combined

the polished politeness

of the old school with the educational accomplish-

ments

of the new," wrote Sir Richard Temple, while Lord Roberts, speaking in the House of Lords, gave it as his firm conviction that "there is no more

loyal

or

enlightened

subject

in

Her

Majesty's

dominions.'
Sir Jotindra

came

of

a family remarkable alike

for its long

won by

so

descent and for the high distinctions many of its members. Few other families

220
in

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Bengal can show so

long and distinguished a record of public usefulness and benevolence. Tracing back its origin to the legendary days of King Adisur,
it

claims descent from one of the five

Brahmin

priests

whom

that king sent for from Kanouj to restore

in Bengal.

Brahminism

From

the earliest days of

recorded history, the family

position,
integrity.

famed

for its

has held a prominent learning, its wealth and its

the

first

generations in Jessore, to take up his permanent residence on the

Settled for

many

banks

of the

Hooghly was Panchanana, who was

his

also the first of his family to receive the title of

Thakur,

which

descendants in

its

corrupted

form
It

Tagore have ever since continued to bear. was in Govindpur, one of the villages destined
of
settled, a choice of domicile that

later to develop into the great city of Calcutta, that

Panchanana

was to

prove fortunate for his family in the next generation. Here he first came into close contact with the
English and, eager to obtain the advantages that close association with them promised, he secured the

appointment

of

amin
It

of the

24-Perganas for his son

JToyram Tagore.

was a responsible and important

post in those days, involving the conduction of all the settlement operations in the district as well as

the

collection

Calcutta

by whelm the rising family

capture of Seraj-ud-dowlah threatened to overof

the

revenue.

The

fortunes, all their posses-

sions being lost during the

Mussulman occupation

SIR JOTINDRA
of the city.

MOHAN TAGORE

221

With the

restoration of the English,,

selected

however, better days soon dawned again. The site by the Company for the new Fort included
part of the land which Panchanana had purchased at

Gobindpur on

his first arrival

and whereon he had

erected his family house and temple.

The Company

now purchased
price

the land at a considerably enhanced

from

his son

Joyram who reaped further

with the building

profit

from

his association

of the Fort.

The new dwelling-house and bathing ghat which he built for himself at Pathuria Ghatta still remainsin the possessions of his descendants

to-day.

as

Joyram Tagore who may thus be looked upon the modern founder of the family died in 1762,
since that date his descendants

and

have without a

break continued to hold a prominent position in Bengal. His sons Darpa Narain and Nilmoni

Tagore early acquired wealth and distinction, the former through successful mercantile enterprises, the latter as sheristadar of the Magistrate's Court
at Alipore.

Nilmoni Tagore was the grandfather

in that great reformer's

of

Dwarkanath Tagore who was

so closely associated with

Ram Mohan Roy

for

schemes

the
is

career

regeneration Bengal. one of the romances of the Rennaissance

Starting
life

of

Dwarkanath's

of Bengal. on' at the

finally

as a law agent, he carried

same time an extensive commercial agency,

both
to

relinquishing

enter

government

service

and acting

for six years as sheristadar to-

222

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

the Collector of the 24-Parganas. Promoted to be Dewan to the Board of Revenue, he held that post

with honour and distinction for

many
1834.

years, retiring

from

Government

service

in

Once

more

drawn towards commercial

enterprises, he entered into partnership with Mr. William Carr and Mr. William Prinsep, establishing the firm of Carr

Tagore

&

Co., being one of the first Indian

gentlemen
in

to enter into mercantile business in Calcutta on the

European model.
establishment
of

Associated

with

others
a

the

the
a

Union
dozen

Bank,

leading
friend

Zemindar
of

in

half

districts,

the

Ram Mohan Ray

of

scheme

advancement

and a keen supporter of every and every institution

destined to promote the welfare of the

Hindu Comhonour

munity, he was for long one of the most prominent

and respected men

to the

in Bengal, bringing fresh

His grandson Satyendranath Tagore had the distinction of being tlje first Indian to pass the competitive examination for the Indian
bore.
Civil

name he

Service. Maharaja Ramnath Tagore C.S.I, was the loyal associate of his brother Dwarkanath

Tagore in all his enterprises, being connected with almost every public society in Calcutta, literary, scientific and charitable. His whole career was one
of public usefulness

and benevolence.
elder son of

From Darpa Narayan, the

Joyram

Tagore, from whom Sir Jotindra himself was descended, have sprung others of the name no less worthy

of

their great traditions.

Tagore's

Darpa Narayan most successful ventures had been the

One

of

purchase at auction of part of the immense estates of the Raja of Rajshahi, extending in area to some 249 square miles. His son Gopi Mohan inherited his
father's business instincts

and added to the splendid

by yet further purchases in Rajshahi, Dinajpur and Jessore. His wealth increased so rapidly under his able management that he was
estate

he inherited

regarded as one of the richest men in Bengal, and it was said of him that he never sat down without a
lac of rupees beside him, his jewelled paridan

and

hookah alone being worth that sum.

maintained
the
public-spirited

He

worthily
of

traditions

his
all

family, being a liberal patron of the arts and of

branches of learning. Like so many members of his family he was a learned Sanskrit scholar and devoted
to music.

One

of his six sons

was the famous Pra-

sanna

Kumar

Tagore.

Educated at Mr. Sherbourne's

well-known school in Calcutta and later at the Hindu

College, losses in business induced

enrolled as a Pleader.

him to get himself a profound knowledge of To

Law, he united strong common sense and a keen sagacity that quickly secured him the first position at
the Bar.

By

his dignity, ability

and character he did

much
and

to raise the legal profession in public estimation

so great

was

his practice that

of

he

is

said to

have

made an income
year.

over twenty thousand pounds a

He

played a leading part in founding the

224

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

Bengal Landowner's Society in 1838 and was elected President of the British Indian Association on its
inauguration in 1857. On the formation of the Legislative Council of the Governor-General in 1854

he was appointed clerk assistant and

of the Legislative Council
itself.

later a

member
Huro

He

bequeathed

the half of his immense wealth to his brother

Kumar

Tagore, the father of Sir Jotindra.

his

Huro Kumar Tagore, unlike

to music, he

more famous
life.

brother, figured but little in public

Devoted

was not only

its liberal

patron but was-

himself no

mean

performer.

As a Sanskrit scholar

he excelled, even in a family noted for its scholarship. He was not only able to write with ease and literary
grace, he
is

was able to converse

in it fluently.

There

a story told of

him that when he and

all

his brother

wished to raise a tablet to his father's

offered a prize
of the
in.

memory they

among

the most learned Pandits

day for the best commemorative verses sent Huro Kumar annonymously sent in some verses

that he had himself composed and these were at once

the greatest Sanskrit scholars of the day had competed. He died in 1858 and so well had he managed the family

adjudged the best although

many

of

inheritance to his sons Jotindra

property that he was able to hand on a splendid Mohan and Sourindra

Mohan, who were themselves worthily to uphold the

great traditions of their house.

Jotindra

Mohan was born

in Calcutta in

1831.

SIR JOTINDRA

MOHAN TAGORE
Hindu
for nine years

225

He was

entered as a student at the

College

at the early age of eight

and

he conhis

tinued his studies there,

fellow-students
for
his

distinguished
application

among

and

ability.

Leaving the college

when seventeen years

old he

finished his English education

under the tuition of

Captain D. L. Richardson, the distinguished scholar and writer. Brought up under strictly orthodox
influences, Jotindra

Mohan always
by
one
of the

retained his ortho-

dox

beliefs,

furnishing

his piety, his charity

and the

sincerity of his life

ples of all that
is

most striking exambest in Hinduism, at the same time

of the

that his broadmindedness, his wide sympathy and

his intense

humanity was typical

first

awakening
all

that had come to Bengal.

From
so

the

he was keenly interested in

that concerned education.

many members

of his

The great cause which house had ardently chamless

'pioned found in him a no

keen supporter.

Following the family tradition, he had early acquired proficiency in Sanskrit, a language he always
venerated as the guardian of the written tenets His modern studies, however, his faith. of

kept place with his classical learning and from the he had a perfect command of English. first In his younger days, before the management of a
great estate and
his time,

many

public duties occupied all

of considerable literary

he gave evidence

ability,

and many contributions to various papers

15

226

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

journals,

and

not

only

in

prose

but

in

verse,

survive to attest his ability and grace of diction. To the Provakar and the Literary Gazette he was a
frequent contributor on a variety of subjects, social,
literary

and

political.

His best-remembered literary

are
his

productions
in Bengali

however,

dramas

and

farces

The
had

which attained considerable popularity. like art almost dramatic other every
first

branch of art in the

half of the 19th century

fallen on' ''evil days,

and

it

was
the

Sir Jotindra's
level

endeavour to raise the stage to a higher

excellence

of of

and

to

improve

character

the dramas acted.

One
better
his

of his

was

the
to

Bidya
set

Sundara

most famous plays which did Natak,

much

standard

among Bengali
Belgachhia
the

compositions.

At

house

at

Maharaja organised theatrical entertainments on a elaborate scale, and by providing refined and clever
plays and competent actors he succeeded in infusing

a healthier moral

and

artistic

tone

into

modern

Bengali dramatic art.

his

At the same time he turned

music.

attention

to

stage

Here

he had the

assistance of his

younger brother Raja Sourindra Nath Tagore whose investigation into the theory of Hindu music have won him such a world-wide
such unprecedented honours from Hindu music, well-nigh every country in the world. like dramatic art, had suffered eclipse during the
reputation and

troublous years of the eighteenth century and a

SIR JOTINDRA
wide
ists.

MOHAN TAGORE
new system
of

227

field

was open to enthusiastic musical revivaldeveloping

a

By

concerted

music, by examining the different theories of music and by comparing English and Indian methods, he
set

Hindu music on a sounder and higher basis. Succeeding his father in 158, he found himself
most
splendid
in

at the age of twenty-seven in possession of one of

the

inheritances

to

which

any

Bengal has succeeded in modern times. Eight years later the death of his uncle Prasanna Kumar Tagore, who had bequeathed
the

young man

bulk

of

his

vast

property
still

to

his

brother,
his

who predeceased him,

great

further
career

added to
lay
rich

wealth.

splendid
literature

before

him.

Devoted to

and

art,

beyond
house,

the dreams of avarice, the bearer of an honoured

name and the head

immense
possibilities
first

of

distinguished

opened
thrust

out

before
aside

him.
the

From

the

he

resolutely

innumerable temptations that his great possessions Inducements to inevitably brought with them.

and indolence, to self-indulgence and personal enjoyment, must assuredly have come to the man
ease
to

whom

it

might well have seemed that there was

nothing

else left to strive for.

But voluntarily and

whole-heartedly Jotindra Mohan set himself worthily to carry on the great traditions of his house and to
fulfil

the great responsibilities that his exceptional

position entailed.

228

TWELVE MEN
The
no
than

OF"

BENGAL
province,

largest land-owner in the

in
less

property

eighteen

districts

owning and

numbering some

six

hundred thousand souls among

his tenants, Jotindra

Mohan

first

came prominently
In

into public notice during the famine of 1866.

Orissa

and Midnapore, where he held extensive

which
to
deal.

Zemindaries, the distress proved more severe than

any
yet

with

the
It

British

Government
of

had

had

was

one

the

greatest

catastrophes of the century in Bengal.

With no

previous experience of famine on so extensive a scale and unware that the drought of the previous year-

would have
supply,

so disastrous

an

effect

upon the grain

unprepared
to

Government

was

utterly

meet the calamity that faced it during the hot weather months of 1866. With no organised
of famine relief and hampered by lack of means of speedy communication and transit, the starvation had overtaken thousands of the unfortunate

measures

'

people before relief could come. The area affected w as some twelve thousand square miles with a
T

population of four million souls, and it is estimated that something like a quarter of this number
perished.
relieve

How

loyally the local officers

distress

worked to
of

this

terrible

the

reports

the

Commissioners appointed later to enquire into the cause of the famine prove, while so eager was

Government to come to the assistance

of

the people,
is

once the true facts of the case were known,

shown

SIR JOTINDRA
by
its

MOHAN TAGORE
less

229

importation of no
rice,

than forty thousand

of scarcely half.

tons

of

of

which even the most generous

distribution
It

was unable to dispose

was the

scale

first great natural calamity on such a with which the British Government had had to
it

deal and bitter as the experience was

led to the

organised

measures

of

famine

relief

which have

coped so effectively with similar calamities in more recent times. Throughout all the anxious days of 1866 Jotindra Mohan loyally supported every scheme
of

Government

relief

and himself took energetic

personal measures to lessen the distress

among

his

-own tenants.

From
appointed

this

time onwards Jotindra

figured largely in the public eye.

Mohan Tagore In 1870 he was

Legislative

member

of

the

Bengal

Council by Sir William Grey

,year

who

in the following
of India

recommended him
some

to the

Government

as

deserving valuable services.

of

mark of distinction "Babu Jotindra Mohan

for
is

his

man

great enlightenment," he wrote in making the recommendation, "and has had a thoroughly good

English

education.

He

is

one

of
is

the
of

leading

members

of the native

tional private character

community, and is held by

unexcepa useful

his fellowis

countrymen

in the highest respect.

He

member
progress

of the Council of the

Lieutenant-Governor

.and takes

a deep and thoughtful interest in the of the country. He has always been

230

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

found ready to contribute liberally to schools, roads and other objects of public interest, both in
Calcutta and in the districts in which his estates are
situated,
literature

and has helped to promote science and

amongst
his

countrymen

by

large

'

regularly maintains eighteen poor students in Calcutta, and he fully accepted the obligations of his position in the famine

contributions to that end.

He

of 1866, remitting the rents of his ryots

and feeding

250 paupers daily in Calcutta for a period of three months."

In
title

consequence

of

this

recommendation

the

of

March

Raja Bahadur was conferred upon him in 1871. Sir George Campbell, who had

succeeded Sir William Grey as Lieutenant-Governor in conferring the honour upon him in a Durbar
held at Belvedere spoke of
tive terms.

him

in equally apprecia-

"I have the honour to convey to you," he said turning to the newly -made Raja Bahadur, "the high honour which His Excellency the Viceroy,

as the representative of

Queen

Victoria, has been

pleased to confer upon you.

I feel a peculiar pleasure

in being thus the channel of conveying the

honour

to you.

"You come from

of Calcutta, I

a family great in the annals

may say great in the annals of the British dominions in India, conspicuous for loyalty to the British Government and for acts of
beneficence.

public

SIR JOTINDRA
'But
it is

MOHAN TAGORE

231

not from considerations of your family alone that the Viceroy has been pleased to confer
the high honour upon you.
self

worthy

of

it

You have proved own merits. Your by your

your-,

great

intelligence

and

ability,

distinguished public spirit,

high character and the services you have rendered to the state deserve a fitting recognition.
'I

have had the pleasure

of receiving

your

assis-

tance as a

member
which

of the

Bengal -Council,
to

and can

assure you that I highly appreciate the ability

and
ita

information
deliberations.

you

bring

bear

upon

able to
is

me

Indeed nothing can be more acceptthan advice from one like yourself. It
occasion to
differ,

true

we have had
of

and honest

differences

always prevail between but at the same time I can honestly tell you that when we have been on the same side, I have felt your support to be of the utmost value,
opinion will

man and man

and when you have chanced yours has been an intelligent,

opposition.'

to

be in opposition, loyal and courteous

Later in the same year, Sir George Campbell wrote asking him to allow himself to be nominated
for

further

term

of

office

as

member

of

the

Legislative
fair

Council.
of dealing

"Your
with
all

high

character

and

mode

questions render your

assistance

especially

valuable,"

he wrote, "and I

have much confidence that you are a

man

not bound

to class interests but prepared to look to the good of

232

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

the whole community, high and low alike." About the same time the Raja Bahadur was exempted

from appearance in the Civil Courts and in 1877 on the assumption of the Imperial title by Her

Queen Victoria the higher dignity of Maharaja was conferred upon him. In the same year he was appointed a member of the Legislative
Majesty
Council of the Governor-General, and
office to

which

the

he was reappointed again in 1879 and in 1881. In discussions of many of the most important measures of the day he took a prominent part. The
Civil

Procedure Code was then under the considera-

tion of the Legislative Council and the criticisms of

one who knew Indian conditions and Indian needs

so thoroughly as Maharaja Jotindra

Mohan Tagore were listened to with consideration and respect. His opinion often decided the fate of a proposed
clause in the Bill

and

Sir A.

Hobhouse, the Legal

Member

Council, generously acknowledged the he had received from his criticisms and advice. help "Whatever can be said on that subject will be
of

by my friend Maharaja Jotindra Mohan Tagore," he said when speaking in the Council, "for in comsaid

mittee he has supported the views of the objectors with great ability and acuteness, and I must add

with equal good feeling and moderation." Later, in speaking of a much discussed clause he added, "If
the clause stood as in Bill No. IV, I confess I should

not be able to maintain

my

ground against such an

SIR JOTINDRA

MOHAN TAGORE

233

argument as we have heard from your honourable I have friend, Maharaja Jotintra Mohan Tagore.

shown that conviction

succumbing to his voting with him on his proposal to Again as the largest landowner
especially

most practical way by arguments in committee and

in the
alter Bill

No. IV."

in Bengal,

he was

interested

in

the

long discussions that

Bengal Tenancy Act had long been obvious that the law regulating the relations between landlord and tenant called for thorough revision and amendment. These
finally led to the passing of the

in

1885.

It

relations

strained, both parties complaining of injustice

had been gradually growing more and more and

hardships.

of the tenants to
ties

The zemindars complained of the failure pay their rents and of the difficul-

they experienced in enforcing payment, while

the ryots on their part complained of oppression, the exaction of illegal cesses and illegal ejectment

from occupancy rights. There can be no doubt that there was a considerable amount of truth on both
sides

but

constant

friction

had

so

embittered
fast

relations

between

them that matters were

coming to a deadlock. This was particularly the case in Behar and in the Indigo districts. In 1893
serious agricultural disturbances occurred at

Pabna,

while the Behar famine of the following year reduced the ryots to a hopeless condition of poverty. The

Famine

Commission

urged
of

the

necessity

of

the

immediate introduction

measures to

fix definitely

234
the

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

relations

between landlord and tenant.

of

The

Agrarian Disputes Act

1876 was passed as a

temporary measure to meet urgent cases, and a Bill to provide at the same time immunity of the
ryot from oppression and greater facilities for the

speedy realisation of arrears of rent was taken in hand. The Select Committee on the Bill, however,
urged that a more comprehensive measure revising the whole rent law of Bengal was urgently needed. Consequently in 1879 the Government of India
appointed a special commission to enquire thoroughly into the matter. So great was the subject with

which the
it

Bill dealt
it

and

so keen the controversy

until 1885 that the Bill

aroused that

was not

emerged Tenancy Act (VIII of There were at one time during its progress 1885). no less than two hundred amendments to the Bill
finally

as the Bengal

down

for discussion

and no

bill

that preceded

it

had

ever come in for so large a share of criticism and

discussion.
It

has been called with

much

reason

the

most

important

measure

of

the
that,

nineteenth

century,

and there can be no doubt

though no

measure can be regarded as perfect, the Bengal Tenancy Act has been productive of an immense
good to both landlords and tenants. The Maharaja in all the discussions in which he took

amount

of

part was fully alive to the necessity of strengthening the position not only of the landlord but also
of

the ryot.

He was

anxious above

all

that the

SIR JOTINDRA
relations
of

MOHAN TAGORE

235

both should be definitely put on a He agreed with Sir Courtney Ilbert, definite basis.
a

member

of the Select

Committee, who during the

course of the debate on the Bill aptly

summed up
to consider
is

the position.
as practical

'What the Council have

men

is,

not whether this

it is

an ideally
settlement

perfect measure, not whether

of questions

final

between landlord and tenant in Bengal, not whether it is likely to usher in a millenium
either
for
it

the

Zemindars

or

for
in

the

ryot,

but

whether
it

represents a step

advance, whether

does

something

substantial

towards

admitted

defects in the existing law,

removing whether it does

not give some substantial form of security to the tenant, some reasonable facilities to the landlord.
It is because I believe that the measure,

however

it

may

fall

short

of

ideal

perfection,

does

embody

substantial improvements to the existing law that I

considered
Council.'

it

to be favourable consideration of the

The main object

same time that
collection of
it

of the Bill as finally

to give the ryot full

passed was security in his holding at the

gave the landlord facilities for the rent actually due and a fair share in
soil.

the increased value of the

While

it

threw on

the landlord the onus of disproving the tenant's claim to occupancy, it relieved it, by means of a

system

of price lists, of the difficulty of

proving the

increased value of the land.

Above

all it

attempted

236
to lay

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

down
rules

which might once and for all put an end to disputes between landlord and tenant,
reducing such disputes to single issues and laying

down

equitable

principles

for

their

decision.

To

maintain the general principles of the act, an application was allowed in any case of dispute between
landlord and tenant to

determine incidents of

tenancy, while the clauses which

right

relate to records of
effect in

and settlements have had wide-spread

determining the position of both parties. Honours came fast to Jotindra Mohan
these busy years.

during In 1879 he was created a Com-

panion of the Order of the Star of India, being raised to the dignity of a Knight Commander of
the same Order three years later.
of

In 1890 the

title

Maharaja Bahadur was conferred upon him as a personal distinction, and in the following year the

title

was

declared

hereditary.

Having

no

son

own he adopted the son of his brother, Raja Surendra Mohan Tagore, who has now succeeded to his hereditary honours and, known as the Maharaja
of his Sir

Prodyot

Kumar Tagore Bahadur,

was chosen President

is

so worthily

following in his adopted father's footsteps.

Sir Jotindra
of the

In 1890

Committee formed on the occasion

Prince

of the visit of

Reception the

of Wales, a grand fete on the maiden and illuminations being arranged in his honour. The Maharaja was also a Fellow of the Calcutta

University, one of the governors of the

Mayo

Hospital,

SIR JOTINDRA
and a Trustee

MOHAN TAGORE

237

of the Central Dufferin

of the Asiatic Society, a Justice of

Fund, a member the Peace and an

These,,

Honorary Magistrate for the town

however, are but a few

of Calcutta.

among

his

many

activities.

His charities were unbounded.

The possessor

of

great wealth, he showed himself determined from the first to use it for the public good and there was

no charitable scheme
which had not
his

in Calcutta for half a century

sympathy and generous support. Though an orthodox Hindu himself, his charitieswere without distinction of caste or creed. Wherever
humanity called for help his response wasand unfailing. The relief of physical suffering prompt by organised Hospital work particularly appealed
suffering

to him.

He gave

large donations to the District

Charitable Society and

of the land

made

a free gift to the trustees

on which the Mayo Hospital is built. In the Dufferin Fund from its inception he took a keen

and personal interest, being a member of the committee and one of the trustees of the Central Fund.

firm believer in the value of open spaces in the-

great city he gave, with his brother Raja Surendra

Mohan, a piece
public square

of land in the heart of Calcutta for a

to

be named after his father.

In

memory
by a

of his

mother he founded an endowment,

gift of

widows, to be

one lac of rupees, for the benefit of Hindu known as the 'Maharajmata Sivasundari

Devi Hindu Widow Fund.' For the permanent maintenance of the Moolajori Temple he made a

238

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

settlement of an estate worth eighty thousand rupees.

estates

His subscriptions to local schools all over his vast amounted to a large sum. He annually

gave a gold medal for proficiency in Sanskrit literature and a gold medal in connection with the Tagore Law
Lectures.
in

Another gold medal was for proficiency physical science, while other scholarships were

founded by him for Law and Sanskrit. He himself was vice-president of the Faculty of Arts in 1881 and President in the following year. In the same
year he was appointed by the Government of India a member of the Education Commission to investigate
the working of the system founded in 1854 and to ascertain the actual position of education at the time.
Presided over by Sir William Hunter, the Commission

went thoroughly into the needs

inaugurated was doing

of

Indian education

and, while finding that in Bengal the system already

well,

made

number

of
it

recommendations which have gone far to perfect

still

further in recent years.

Sir Jotindra's social entertainments

were famous

in

His hospitability was on a princely scale and there were few European or Indian visitors
Calcutta.

or residents of distinction in the capital

who

did not

partake of
seat

it.

At Tagore Castle and

at his country

Emerald Bower outside Calcutta he surrounded

of art, his library

himself with a valuable collection of pictures, books

and objects

being one of the most

complete private collections in India.

Here, engaged

SIR JOTINDRA

MOHAN TAGORE

239

in his favourite literary pursuits

and enjoying the music

of trained musicians,

discoursed

by

his

own company

he spent his last years, failing health preventing him from taking his former active part in public affairs,
yet never ceasing to prevent him until the last from

taking a keen interest in all the great public questions of the day. He died on the 10th of January, 1908, and with him passed away one of the few remaining
figures of the old school

and one

of

the finest characters

in Bengal in the nineteenth century.

NAWAB

HASSAN ALI MIRZA KHAN BAHADUR, RAIS-U-DOWLAH, AMIR-UL OMRAH, MAHABUT JUNG, G.C.I.E.
SIR SYED

18461906
holder of these proud titles was the direct representative of the old Nawab Nazims of Bengal, round whom for generations the whole history of the

THE

Province had centred. From the time when the Musulman Emperors at Delhi first sent a representative to preside over the destinies of the far
-off

eastern .Province

until

the

establishment

of

British

supremacy, the

Nawab Nazims had been

the real rulers of Bengal.

Dowlah,

With the fall of Siraj-udtheir long period of absolute power however,

Mir
Jaffer, placed

came

on the Musnud by Lord Clive after the battle of Plassey, was the of the new line of Nawabs under British first
to an end.

suzerainty.

subject of this sketch,

of

The father of the Nawab Bahadur, the was the last to hold the title
a
title

Nawab Nazim,

which he resigned to the

British

Government on the first of November, 1860. His son Sir Syed Hassan Ali was the first of a new
line of hereditary

Nawab Bahadurs,

the acknowledged

Premier nobles
Sir

of Bengal.

Syed Hassan Ali was born on the 25th of August 1846. He was the eldest son of a family consisting of nineteen sons and twenty-one daughters.

As the

his birth

son and heir of the Nawab Nazim was the occasion of great rejoicings, which were made especially memorable by a fire that
eldest

16

242

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

accidently occurred during a display of fireworksand resulted in the entire destruction of the

Imambara.
by
of his power,

This was the famous

Imambara

built

heyday and though it had Been shorn of much of its glory in the hundred years that had elapsed, The present it was still a magnificent building. Imambara which was built to replace it cost sixty lacs
and exceeds
of the in size

Siraj-ud-Dowlah at enormous cost in the

even the splendid Imambara at

last

Hooghly, remaining the

architectural triumph

Nawab Nazims of Bengal. The future Nawab Bahadur spent From the entirely at Murshidabad.
his education

his early
first,

days
he-

however,

was entrusted

to English tutors

and

was
life

carefully trained for the important position in that he was destined to occupy. He early showed

a fondness for sport and all manly games, but these henever allowed to interfere with his studies which hepursued
scientious
of all his

with

great

zest

and

application.

Con-

and painstaking he won the approbation instructors. As he grew towards manhood

the question of sending him to England to completeMs education was long and seriously discussed. The-

voyage

to

Europe

was not

then

the

common

occurrence among Indian Princes that it has since become, and the Nawab Nazim exhibited a natural
reluctance to part for so long a period from his eldest
Realising, however, what great advantages were likely to accrue to him from a European tour he at length consented. Not only would be he
son.

brought into touch with the

Home Government

and.

SIR SYED HASSAN ALI

the leaders
of

243

and thought but by he would be visiting the famous centres of industry enabled to realise the great resources of modern times and to gain a wide and comprehensive view It was in the spring of 1865 of modern conditions. that arrangements were finally completed and the
English
life

Nawabzada

at the impressionable age of nineteen, accompanied by two of his younger brothers, set

out under the guidance of Colonel Herbert who had been especially selected to escort him. The party
left

Calcutta by the Peninsular and Oriental Steamer 'Candia' on the 9th of March, and after visiting

Cairo and other parts of Egypt en route finally reached Southampton on April the 19th.

On

arrival in

London the Nawabzada and

his

brother at once began a round of sight-seeing that must have been a continual source of delight to the

young men whose previous knowledge of the world had been limited to Murshidabad. Practically everything of interest in London was shown to them. At the British Museum, the Tower and various
hours.

other places of interest they spent many fascinating The Crystal Palace was a never-failing

source of delight, while the opera and the theatres were a revelation to them in their utter dissimilarity

from eastern plays and music. Innumerable parties were given in their honour and there were few of the most interesting people of the day whom they
did not

meet.

No

efforts

were spared to make

their stay in

London enjoyable and instructive. At the Levee held by His Royal Highness the Prince

244
of

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

of

Wales on behalf
the
20th,
of

Her Majesty the Queen on

were
accorded ^the
special

May
had

they

privilege

the

private

entree.

The Nawabzadaof

also the

honour

of being privately presented to

Queen
India.

Victoria

by^ the

Secretary

State

for

After the conclusion of their visit to London,

the princes stayed for a time at Sandgate on the south coast, making many interesting excursions
in the neighbourhood including one to

Portsmouth

where the
the

great

naval

dockyard
to

From Sandgate they went

wonders
of

was insepcted. Birmingham, where

modern industry were displayed

before

them

of their

in amazing variety. Perhaps no part whole tour interested them more than this.

Here

in the great workshops they saw actually in the making before their eyes those things "Made in Birmingham with which they had been so long

familiar in the finished product. factory, excited the keenest interest,

The small arms and they watched

for several hours a large order given by the Sultan of Turkey actually in course of execution. At Coventry

they had the pleasure of seeing silk stuffs woven from silk which had come from their own estates in Murshidabad
;

at Kidderminster they

saw carpets demanufacture

of
;

tined for their

own home

in course of

while Worcester furnished

famous glove

factories

them with the sight and its still more famous

its-

royal

porcelain works.

At Chester they saw one of the finest English Cathedrals, and at Eaton Hall close by,

the residence of the

Duke

of

Westminster,

they

SIR SYED HASSAN ALI

saw one
of

245

the

finest

country seats in England.

At Manchester they were once more in the midst of the noise and stir of modern industry, all that
related

to

the

cotton

trade

being

of

absorbing

London they spent a few more busy days sight-seeing and bidding farewell to the many friends they had made during their stay, leaving early in December for a short tour
interest to them.

Returning to

on the Continent preparatory to their return home.

They visited among other places Paris, Bologne, Genoa and Florence, embarking at Leghorn for Civita Vecchia in order to see Rome, Pompeii and Naples. They
finally

bade farewell to Europe on January

the 19th, 1866, reaching Calcutta on March the 2nd. Though at the outset it had only been contemplated
that the tour should last six months, almost to double that length of
it

had extended
Colonel

time.

had remained in charge of the party throughout, and though so much of the young men's time had been taken up with travelling and sight-seeHerbert
ing, their regular education

had not been interrupted, a tutor having been especially appointed while in
England to continue their ordinary course of study. The affairs of his father, the Nawab Nazim, had
not meanwhile been proceeding satisfactorily, and in 1869 he resolved to go to England to lay his
case in person before the Secretary of State. He took with him his eldest son and continued to reside

there for twelve years only returning to India in he young Nawabzada by his two visits to 1881.

England

fclrtfc

enjoyed a far more liberal education

246

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

fell

to the lot of most young Indian noblemen of his day. He was reported most favour-

than that which

ably upon by Colonel Herbert, who, during his long association with him, had every opportunity of fully guaging his character. He showed himself to be
amiable,

He

steady and extremely anxious to learn. displayed under unusual circumstances that
less well

might have turned the head of any

balanced

youth, strength tone and great honesty of purpose. In the long and unfortunate disputes in which his
father

much

of

character, a high moral

was a great
settled.

was involved he was keenly interested, and it relief to him when they were finally

On November

the

1st,

1880, the

Nawab

Nazim, by an Indenture signed by himself and the

and
of

Secretary of State, voluntarily resigned his styles titles in favour of the Crown, his eldest son

being

subsequently

granted

the

Nawab Bahadur. Four years later Nawab Nazim died, and Syed Hassan Ali

hereditary rank the last

succeeded

as the head of the family. In 1887, the year of the Queen's Jubilee, he was created a Knight Commander
of the Indian

Empire, the assumption of the

titles

of Intisham-ul-Mulk,

Rais-ud-Dowlah, Amir-ul-Omra and Mahabat Jung being at the same time officially
recognised.

Grand

Commander

year later the higher dignity of a of the Indian Empire was

conferred upon him. In 1891 a further agreement was entered upon between the Nawab Bahadur and

the

the Secretary of State whereby the former confirmed agreement entered upon by his-^ther in

SIR SYED HASSAN ALI

November
and landed
1880,

247
settled

while

the Nawab's position,

Government granting him a

finally

settled

income

estates in several districts, at the

same

time recognising him as the Premier noble of Bengal with the hereditary title of Nawab Bahadur and

Amir-ul-Omra.

As the head
Bengal the
respect

of the Muhammadan community in Nawab Bahadur held a position of great

and

his

influence

however, from his social

respected
for
his
liberality, his ready

was widespread. Apart, position he was universally

loyalty.

In the

own personal qualities, for his sympathy and his unswerving management of his estates he took

a keen personal interest and in times of suffering and distress he was always anxious to go personally to enquire and to render help. When heavy floods ruined the crops and swept away the unfortunatecultivator's cattle and homesteads, it was to the

that they looked for loans and gifts to help them to tide over the evil times. During the severe earthquake of June the 12th, 1897, he
himself only barely escaped with his life. He was sitting at the time in one of the ground-floor rooms of the palace facing the river, and being in feeble

Nawab Bahadur

health he had to be carried outside by his attendants.

They were only

just in time, for, as they reached

the open space on the river bank the whole of the second floor of the palace fell in, completely burying beneath the debris the room in which the Nawab

BahacWr had been

sitting.

Jlfu Ulher buildings

The damage done to the amounted to three lacs

248
-of

TWELVE MEN OF BENGAL

in

The havoc wrought by the earthquake the district was very great, but the Nawab, alrupees.

though heavily handicapped by the expenditure entailed in restoring his own home, came forward
relieve the distress. generously to Thus, busy with the management of his estate and the control of his family affairs, the Nawab

Bahadur lived his quiet uneventful life at Murshidabad until his death in 1906. The relatives of the Nawab were numerous and it required much tact to decide petty disputes and generally prevent friction among them. So numerous were they that the Nizamat College was built exclusively for their education at a cost of Rs. 1,20,000. The Palace in which the Nawab Bahadur resided is a splendid
building,

and one
ft.

of

the largest in Bengal being

ft.

425

ft.

long, 200

wide and 804

high.

It con-

tains a fine

Banqueting Hall 290 ft. long with sliding doors encased in mirrors, and a magnificent chandelier
with one hundred and
fifty

Nawab by Queen

Victoria.

branches presented to the The Palace contains

some fine pictures, notably one of King William the Fourth presented to the grandfather of the Nawab by the King himself. The hospitability of the Nawab Bahadur was proverbial, and every visitor of whatever rank or -class was always sure of a welcome at
the
Palace.

Thus worthily maintaining the best

his

traditions of his house, the Premier noble of Bengal

and a loyal subject of the Empire, he passed closing days amid universal respect and este5a. n THE END

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