Renaissance Revisited Murshidabad 1853-1953

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The influence of renaissance on the socio-cultural life of nineteenth century Bengal other than Calcutta is the subject matter of this book. This involves a thorough probe into role of contemporary academic institutions and intelligentsia that played the pivotal part in the life, culture and society of the common people. The nineteenth century Bengal renaissance had its influence on the life and culture of Murshidabad, at the same time the history of Krishnath College is associated with a long list of men of eminence; it educated generations of student from all over Bengal who have made their mark in different fields of life. The economic condition and social milieu in Murshidabad in the second half of the nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth century relevant for argument has also been analyzed. The book shows the history of Murshidabad as an alternative centre of the Renaissance.

Dr. Aniruddha Das was a student of Krishnath College School, Berhampore and then Jadavpur University. Dr. Das taught History at St. Joseph's College, Darjeeling and at present he is an Assistant Professor at Fakir Chand College, Diamond Harbour, West Bengal. He has edited two books, viz., 'Discursive Hills: Studies in History, Polity and Economy and 'History and Culture of Ancient India' (in Bengali), alongwith other co-editors. His popular articles have been published in the newspapers like 'The Statesman', 'Murshidabad Sandesh' etc. A good number of his scholarly articles have been published in the 'Journal of the Asiatic Society', 'Quarterly Review of Historical Studies', 'South Asian Journal of Human Rights', 'The Historical Review', 'Proceedings of the Indian History Congress', 'Murshidabad Zilla Gazetteer' (in Bengali) etc. Dr. Das is interested and is now working on the social and economic history of Modern India.

Renaissance is a many-splendoured episode of History whether in Italy or in Bengal.Each country has its own type of Renaissance. It is fatuous to make an invidious comparison between the two. The author, therefore,begins his book with the Renaissance debate trying to show that some structural and cultural similarities exist between the two. Then he concentrates on his case study Murshidabad, the seat of a parallel Renaissance in Bengal with the core archetype Calcutta. He delves into the social moorings of Murshidabad to unravel its social mobility and cultural quest. An educational Institution is generally the storm-centre of such efflorescence. As Hindu College was for Calcutta so was Krishnath College in Murshidabad. The intelligentsia of Murshidabad swarmed round this citadel of excellence. The resultant was the rise of Murshidabad as an alternative centre of Bengal Renaissance.The author has kneaded all the above aspects in his remarkable tome with perfect sequence and balance. When published, it will be a fitting reply to scholars who hold that Bengal Renaissance was a non-starter because there was no bourgeoisie to back it up. It also challenges those who see in Italian Renaissance the acme of perfection. It goes without saying that both had moles and warts on their face. There are others who deny the possibility that there were any ripples of Renaissance to the mufassil and confine their closed mind to only a Calcutta Renaissance. The book dispels all these doubts and firmly establishes the cultural flowering in Murshidabad. I am confident that the book will surely shake up all complascency and force readers to rethink about Renaissance.

I feel deeply indebted and grateful to my research guide Professor Chittabrata Palit. He has been incredibly munificent with knowledge and advice over the length of this work. He not only guided me in course of my research but had always been a source of inspiration and gave me academic freedom. My sincere thanks are due to the Principals and colleagues of St. Joseph's College, Darjeeling and Fakir Chand my other College, Diamond Harbour, without whose co-operation and advice it would not have been possible for me to complete this work. During the course of my research, I took help of different Archives and Libraries, viz. State Archives; Government of West Bengal, National Library; Kolkata, Bangiya Sahitya Parishat; Kolkata, Secretariat Library; Writers' Buildings; Kolkata, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences Calcutta; Kolkata, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture; Kolkata, Digital Library; Jadavpur University; Kolkata, Fr. Whelan Library; St. Joseph's College; Darjeeling, Carey Museum and Library; Serampore College; Serampore, District Library; Murshidabad; Berhampore and also library and archives of Itihas Parikrama; a government registered research centre; Berhampore. My sincere thanks are due to the staff and librarians of these Archives and Libraries. I am specially thankful to my colleague at Fakir Chand College Prof. Dolly Ghosh for making useful suggestions for the language part of this project. My gratitude and thanks are due to my father Shri Syamal Das for his timely and much needed advice. My sincere thanks are due to B R Publishing Corporation, New Delhi for the publication of this book. I am also thankful to my family members for extending their constant support and care that enabled me to finish this work.

The influence of renaissance on the socio-cultural life of nineteenth century Bengal other than Calcutta is an undeservingly neglected field of study. This involves a thorough probe into the role of contemporary academic institutions and intelligentsia that played the pivotal part in the life, culture and society of the common people. The nineteenth century Bengal renaissance had its influence on the life and culture of Murshidabad; at the same time the history of Krishnath College is associated with a long list of men of eminence; it educated generations of students from all over Bengal who have made their mark in different fields of life. The history of the College witnessed a significant contribution to the awakening of Bengal and symbolized socio- economic and cultural change in Murshidabad. Krishnath College, (Known as Berhampore College, from 1853 1902) situated at Berhampore municipal area in Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, was founded as early as 1853, with Rani Swarnamayi of Kasimbazar as the chief patron, and therefore has a glorious history of more than 150 years of socio-cultural contribution in forming mass consciousness. Educationists like Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal, Rev. E.M.Wheeler, Rev. Lalbehari Dey, Sir Gurudas Bandopadhyay, some of the most eminent teachers; and Kali Kinkar Datta, Rejaul Karim and the like are some of the brightest offsprings of this prestigious institutions. Radha Kumud Mookerji, Radha Kamal Mookerji, Rakhaldas Bandopadhyay etc. as the students of Krishnath Collegiate School, are among those who played glorious roles in helping the college reach its summit, wherefrom it enlightened an area otherwise remote from the city. The scope of the topic would provide with an opportunity to study the rich heritage of the Krishnath College and the locality as far as cultural awakening is concerned. The history of this college is an important part of history of western education in Bengal and in a wider sense, forms a chapter in the history of social and cultural progress of Bengal in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The historically and culturally significant role of the college in the spread of education among the common masses and in the production of scholarly figures, who, in turn had considerable amounts to add in this respect, during the years of regeneration and throughout more than hundred years henceforth, has been really immensely valuable. This reveals that moffusil areas, though within their own limited sphere, did not lag far behind Calcutta as far as Bengal renaissance is concerned. The scope of the study involves the societal study of the nineteenth and twentieth century Murshidabad. It also involves the economic developments in the district, that is, the financial resources from where the patrons of the renaissance intelligentsia received their strength and sustenance e.g. land, industry and banking. The social and cultural awakening generated national feeling and its impact was manifested in the struggle for independence that the district witnessed during the colonial period.

**Contents and Sample Pages**