One of India’s greatest novelists and poets was Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, also known as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. He is well-known for writing Vande Mataram, India’s national anthem.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was born on June 27, 1838 in the village Kantalpara of the 24 Paraganas District of Bengal. He came from a Brahmin family. The word ‘Bankim Chandra’ in Bengali signifies ‘the moon on the second day of the brilliant fortnight’. Yadav Chandra Chattopadhyaya, Bankim Chandra’s father, worked for the government. He was sent to Midnapur as a Deputy Collector shortly after his birth.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee had his initial schooling in Midnapur. He did extremely well in school. After receiving his primary education in Midnapur Bankim Chandra Chatterji, he enrolled in the Mohsin College at Hoogly and continued his education there for six years. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay used to read other books in his spare time in addition to his textbooks. The study of Sanskrit was a passion of his. He did well with his Sanskrit studies. Later, when he wrote books in Bengali, his Sanskrit knowledge was very helpful.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee enrolled at the Calcutta Presidency College in 1856. Although there was a significant uprising against the East India Company’s rule in 1857, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee continued his education and received his B.A. degree in 1859. In the same year, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was appointed Deputy Collector by the Calcutta Lieutenant Governor. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee retired from the government in 1891 after 32 years of service. He worked extremely meticulously.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was hitched when he was just eleven . His wife was just five years old at the time. When his wife passed away, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was only twenty-two. He got married once more after a while. Rajlakshmi Devi was his second wife. They had three girls however no child.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee started out in literature as a poet. Then he read fiction. His first Bengali romance, Durgeshnandini, was published in 1865. Kapalkundala (1866), Mrinalini (1869), Vishbriksha (1873), Chandrasekhar (1877), Rajani (1877), Rajsimha (1881), and Devi Chaudhurani (1884) are among his most well-known works. Anand Math (1882) is Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s most well-known work. The song “Bande Mataram” from Anand Math was later made the national anthem.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee needed to achieve a social restoration of Bengal by invigorating the keenness of the Bengali talking individuals through scholarly mission. In 1872, he published a monthly magazine called Bangadarshan with this goal in mind.
Bankim Chatterjee was a master of romance and a great storyteller. Chatterjee is the only Bengali author who has ever enjoyed such widespread and spontaneous popularity. His books have been deciphered in practically every one of the significant dialects of India. His death occurred on April 8, 1894.