Bengal renaissance
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The Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the late 19th and early 20th century in the state of Bengal, India during the period of British rule.
Contents
Background
During this period, Bengal witnessed an intellectual awakening that is similar to the Renaissance in Europe during the 16th century. This movement questioned existing orthodoxies, particularly with respect to women, marriage, the dowry system, the caste system, and religion. The alternative religious movement, the Brahmo Samaj, developed during this time period and counted many of the leaders of the Bengal Renaissance among its followers [link]. Rabindranath Tagore and his family were leaders of this period and had a particular interest in educational reform [link]. Indeed, Tagore's 1901 Bengali novella, Nastanirh was written as a critique of men who professed to follow the ideals of the Renaissance, but failed to do so within their own families.Movement leaders
- Raja Rammohun Roy (1774-1833)
- Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-31) and his radical disciples called Young Bengal
- Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905) (including his son Rabindranath Tagore)
- Akshay Kumar Datta (1820-86)
- Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-91)
- Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824-73)
- Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-94)
- Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
Institutions which contributed to the Bengal Renaissance
- Asiatic Society (est.1784)
- Fort William College (1800)
- Serampore College (1817)
- Hindu College (1817) (later rechristened Presidency College)
- General Assembly's Institution (now known as Scottish Church College)(1830)
- Calcutta School-book Society (1817)
- Calcutta Medical College (1835)
- University of Calcutta (1857), and Bethune College (1879)
See also
External links
- [Influence of the Tagore family from the Rabindra Bharati Museum]
- [Banglapedia]
- [Some relevant articles]
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