Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee 

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was one of the great novelists of nineteenth century Bengal. He was a literary pioneer and nationalist who had an exceptional ability to communicate with and arouse the masses.
Bankim Chandra was born on 26th June 1838 in the village of Kathalpara, near Naihati, District 24 Parganas, West Bengal. He belonged to a distinguished family. Bankim was the yongest of three sons of Jadabchandra Chatterjee and Durgadebi. His father was a Deputy Collector.

Even as a child Bankim showed great courage and virtuosity and never had any fear of the 'gora sahebs'- [the British]. He was always brilliant in his studies and started writing poetry at a young age. Bankim studied law from the Presidency College in Calcutta and was one of the first two graduates of the Calcutta University in 1858. He was immediately appointed- Deputy Magistrate by the British colonial government - a job he grudgingly held for three decades.

A Literary Scholar

However, Bankim continued his literary pursuits. He chose fiction as his theme and the first novel by him to appear in print was Rajmohan's Wife. It was written in English. His first Bengali novel wasDurgeshnandini, and was published in 1865. The next novel Kapalkundala[1866] is one of the best romances written by Chatterjee.
However Bankim Chandra wanted to stimulate the intellect of the Bengali speaking people through his works and bringing about a cultural revival. With this end in view he brought out and edited the monthlyBangadarshan in 1872.


Bamkim was also a nationalist to the core. His goal was the revival of national pride in protest against British rule. In 1882, Anandamath was published. Anandamath became his most famous as well as his most political novel and a source of inspiration for the patriots fighting for the freedom of our country from the British rule. The chant of "Vande Mataram", was coined in this novel and it soon became a patriotic hymn that aroused the entire nation to fight for their freedom. Vande Mataram was later adopted by the Indian government as the nation's National Song.


Throughout his life, Bankim wrote on social and political issues facing the society and the country at that time like widow remarriage, education, lack of intellectual development and freedom. He believed that by communicating with the masses he could unite them against the British.
The British Government honoured him with the title "Ray Bahadur" in 1892. Bankim Chandra passed away on 8th April 1894.

Bankim Chandra -Author of Vande Mataram

National Song of India


Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in Sanskrit, the song Vande Mataram was primarily conceived to serve as a motivation to the people in their freedom struggle. Though it was penned down in 1876, the first publication emerged in the year 1882 in 'Anandamatha' amidst doubts of a ban by the British Raj. Sharing an equal status with Jana-gana-mana [National Anthem of India], the song was first sung in the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. Vande Mataram served as a voice against British rule during the freedom struggle. Initially, people with patriotic fervor flocked the streets of Calcutta and other metropolis, shouting the slogan 'Vande Mataram' or 'Hail to the Mother [land]!' 


Terrified by the impending danger, British banned the expression of song and imprisoned freedom fighters, who disobeyed the command. Vande Mataram initially served as the National Anthem of India, but later Jana-gana-mana was adopted as the anthem of independent India. This was because the Muslim sect in India felt that the song was biased, as it depicted the nation as 'Ma Durga', a Hindu Goddess. Though Vande Mataram aptly illustrated the pre-independence national zeal and passion, it was espoused as the National Song of India. In the following lines, the wordings are provided for the National Song of India and its English translation.


National Song Of India

Vande maataraM
sujalaaM suphalaaM malayaja shiitalaaM
SasyashyaamalaaM maataram ||

Shubhrajyotsnaa pulakitayaaminiiM
pullakusumita drumadala shobhiniiM
suhaasiniiM sumadhura bhaashhiNiiM
sukhadaaM varadaaM maataraM ||

Koti koti kantha kalakalaninaada karaale
koti koti bhujai.rdhR^itakharakaravaale
abalaa keno maa eto bale
bahubaladhaariNiiM namaami taariNiiM
ripudalavaariNiiM maataraM ||

Tumi vidyaa tumi dharma
tumi hR^idi tumi marma
tvaM hi praaNaaH shariire

Baahute tumi maa shakti
hR^idaye tumi maa bhakti
tomaara i pratimaa gaDi
mandire mandire ||

TvaM hi durgaa dashapraharaNadhaariNii
kamalaa kamaladala vihaariNii
vaaNii vidyaadaayinii namaami tvaaM

Namaami kamalaaM amalaaM atulaaM
SujalaaM suphalaaM maataraM ||

ShyaamalaaM saralaaM susmitaaM bhuushhitaaM
DharaNiiM bharaNiiM maataraM |"

English Translation

Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Dark fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When the sword flesh out in the seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Though who savest, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foeman drove
Back from plain and Sea
And shook herself free.

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nervs the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair

In thy soul, with jewelled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Lovilest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
Mother great and free!
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Poet,Novelist,Essayist,Journalist

Trivia

• Once Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, playing on the meaning of Bankim [Bent A Little], asked him what it was that had bent him. Chatterjee jokingly replied that it was the kick from the Englishman's shoe.
• After the Vishabriksha [The Poison Tree] was published in 1873,The Times of London observed:

“

Have you read the Poison Tree Of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee?

”

• When Bipin Chandra Pal decided to start a patriotic journal in August 1906, he named it Bande Mataram, after Chatterjee's song..Lala Lajpat Rai also published a journal of the same name.
• Bibliography
  Fiction
  • Durgeshnandini [March 1865]
  • Kapalkundala [1866]
  • Mrinalini [1869]
  • Vishabriksha [The Poison Tree, 1873]
  • Indira [1873, revised 1893]
  • Jugalanguriya [1874]
  • Radharani [1876, enlarged 189])
  • Chandrasekhar [1877]
  • Kamalakanter Daptar [From the Desk of Kamlakanta, 1875]
  • Rajani[1877]
  • Krishnakanter Uil [Krishnakanta's Will, 1878]
  • Rajsimha [1882]
  • Devi Chaudhurani [1884]
  • Kamalakanta [1885]
  • Sitaram [March 188])
  • Muchiram Gurer Jivancharita [The Life of Muchiram Gur]
  
  
  and 
  #Anandamath  is a Bengali novel, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee  and published in 1882. Set in the background of the Sannyasi Rebellion  in the late 18th century, it is considered one of the most important novels in the history of Bengali and Indian literature. Its importance is heightened by the fact that it became synonymous with the struggle for Indian independence from the British Empire.  The novel was banned by the British. The ban was lifted later by the Government of India after independence.
  The national song of India, Vande Mataram  was originally published in this novel.
  However, the value of the novel is in its patriotic nature, and being a significant voice amidst the oppression that inspired struggle for independence in the generations to come. Many of the lines of the novel became immortal and have been quoted by scores of authors, even in present times.
  Film Adaptation
  This was later adapted into a film, Anand Math, in 1952, directed by Hemen Gupta, starring Bharat Bhushan, Pradeep Kumar and Geeta Bali.  Musi was by Hemant Kumar, who gave a version of the Vande Mataram, which became a cult success.
  
  

  

  Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

  Some of the Religious Commentaries are:
  • Krishna Charitra [Life of Krishna, 1886]
  • Dharmatattva [Principles of Religion, 1888]
  • Devatattva [Principles of Divinity, Published Posthumously]
  • Srimadvagavat Gita, a Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita [1902 - Published Posthumously]
  Poetry Collections : Lalita O Manas [1858]
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  More about Bankim Chandra Chatterjee:
• Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wanted to bring about a cultural revival of Bengal by stimulating the intellect of the Bengali speaking people through literary campaign. With this end in view he brought out monthly magazine called Bangadarshan in 1872.
• Bankim Chatterjee wasalso a superb story-teller, and a master of romance. No Bengali writer before or since has enjoyed such spontaneous and universal popularity as Chatterjee. His novels have been translated in almost all the major languages of India