Vidyasagar, the Great Indian Educationist and Philanthropist/Chapter 2
CHAPTER II
ENTERS FORT WILLIAM COLLEGE.
"Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes."
After attaining great proficiency in almost all the branches of Sanskrit Literature taught in the College and manifesting magnificent possibilities of life, Vidyasagar instead of fishing for any job left for Birsingha to enjoy its bracing climate. Opportunities must now offer since he was fully qualified to battle with the stern realities of life and make his mark in the world. For the next half a century (1841-1891) the history of Bengal is the history of his noble achievements.
It came to pass that within a few days the Head-Punditship of Fort William College (an institution set up in Calcutta in the year 1800 for teaching oriental languages to Europeans in the East India Company's civil service) fell vacant owing to the decease of the previous incumbent. Mr. Marshal, the Secretary, formerly Secretary to Sanskrit College, had early discovered the merits and abilities of Vidyasagar and rightly believed that he would be the best man for the berth. Accordingly news was sent to him and on arrival he was appointed at the close of 1841 on Rs. 50 a month. His principal duty was to examine and correct all the Sanskrit, Bengali and Hindi answer papers of the would-be civilians. He did not know Hindi but soon mastered it with the help of a private tutor. And brought thus into frequent contact with the Europeans, he thought it desirable to learn English also and repented of his previous negligence. For some years he studied it under several competent men. His first teacher Babu Durga Charan Banerji was a master of Hare School. He was made Head-Writer of Fort William College on the recommendation of Vidyasagar. Later he became the famous medical practitioner of Calcutta and always befriended his patron in his unselfish works of benevolence. Little did he guess at the time that he would be the father of the first Indian orator of to-day, Babu Surendra Nath Banerji.
Vidyasagar's next instructor was his lifelong friend Babu Raj Narayan Basu. Then he took lessons under a relative of Raja Radhakanto Deva Bahadur of Shovabazar. In this connection he attracted the favourable notice of the Raja Bahadur who treated him with respectful cordiality. Here, also, he met Babu Akshaya Kumar Dutta whom he encouraged with useful suggestions and who in a few years was to become a writer of taste and erudition. The "Tattvabodhini Patrika," edited by Akshaya Babu, commenced publishing Vidyasagar's translation of the Mahabharata in February 1848. But it was soon discontinued at the request of Babu Kali Prasanna Singha, who was also ably translating the great epic.
While he was performing his appointed duties at the college and himself receiving private lessons in Hindi and English, he had to teach Mr. Marshal the Sanskrit language. In his own residence he also gave lessons to some. His was a novel mode of instruction which enabled the pupils to learn Sanskrit within a short space of time. To convenience them he composed a small Sanskrit Grammar in Bengal characters. As he became widely known as an expert teacher, the number of learners that flocked to his feet increased in no long time. It need hardly be added that they were all taught free of charge and ever after treated with perfect sympathy.
Neither was he apathetic to the interests of his fellow-students. When a teacher of Hindu Law was required for Fort William College, Madan Mohan Tarkalankar, a classmate of his, was appointed through his influence. On another occasion two of his friends applied for two vacant posts in the Sanskrit College and the Secretary did not dispose of the places properly. Vidyasagar directly brought it to the notice of the higher authorities. Through his exertions the wrong was righted. He always upheld justice, and stood up for the rights of others as well as his own. Mr. Marshal once telling him to examine the papers of the European pupils a little leniently, he firmly yet respectfully submitted that he would rather resign than do anything which his sense of justice did not approve. An upright and sensible man, Mr. Marshal allowed him to do just as he would rather than lose his valuable services. He always took him unreservedly into his confidence. And whenever Dr. Mouat, Secretary to the Education Council, sought any information about Sanskrit language, he would without hesitation refer him to Vidyasagar. In this way Dr. Mouat came to regard and trust him.
In 1844 Sir Henry Hardinge, then Governor-General of India, paid a visit to Fort William College. He had an animated conversation with Vidyasagar who among other things submitted that the post of jurisconsult having been abolished the students who passed from Sanskrit College had no opening left; consequently the number of pupils was rapidly falling off. To provide for them His Excellency promised to start some vernacular schools in different parts of the province. One hundred and one such "Hardinge Schools" were set up in the course of the next two years and the selection of teachers was entrusted to Mr. Marshal and Vidyasagar. It must be said to the infinite credit of the Pundit that in the exercise of his patronage, he showed no bias or favour, but always secured the services of the best men.
Soon after accepting office he had requested his toil-worn father to retire home to enjoy hard-earned rest. After much hesitation he consented. Vidyasagar used to remit him Rs. 20 a month. With the remaining thirty rupees he maintained himself, his two brothers, five cousins and one servant, besides entertaining several guests. He kept no professional cook, all the inmates including himself taking their turn in doing the meals. He also helped many with money. He had to live from hand to mouth, yet he was never unduly alive to his own interests. While he was thus severely pressed for money, the teachership of Grammar fell vacant. The salary attached to it was Rs 90. Dr Mouat in concert with Mr Marshal offered it to him. He declined, commending Pundit Taranath Tarkavachaspati whom he had given his word to provide. Taranath was then keeping a tole at Kalna, some fifty miles from Calcutta. It was a Saturday afternoon, and his application must reach the office by next Monday, if it was to be entertained at all. There was no system of railways nor telegraphs in the pre-Dalhousie period; and the dilatory, irregular postal service of the day would serve no useful purpose in this case. Returning from office Vidyasagar began to rack his brain till an idea came. He started afoot that very night and got back on the Monday morning with the application and the benediction pronounced by Taranath's parents! His heart gave a leap of relief and joy when his nominee was selected for the place. Their cordial relations were, however, ruptured by some fundamental difference on the question of the abolition of polygamy, as will be see hereafter.
At this time another thrilling incident occurred, which deserves record. Vidyasagar's mother wrote to him desiring his presence home at the marriage of his younger brother Sambhu Chandra. When he applied for leave of absence Mr. Marshal did not see his way to grant it. Next day he renewed his efforts, intimating that he would rather give up the post than make his mother unhappy. Considering the depth of his filial devotion Mr. Marshal entered into his personal feelings and was quite agreeable. He set out for home that very afternoon on foot, as usual. Caught in a terrific storm and pelting rain after sundown, he was forced to seek shelter and safety for the night in a wayside inn. At break of day he resumed the journey and after a while reached the shore of Damodar. The river was brimming with monsoon-floods; the current was rapid and rough. There was no bridge over it and the ferry boat was then on the opposite side. Even in this extremity he kept cool and self-possessed. Not a moment did he lose. Making up his mind to set forward at any price, he plunged into the terrible river and with the greatest difficulty landed on the other bank. On he hurried with breathless speed, soon to sight a second stream swollen and swift. No bridge could be espied. Nor was there any boat in which he could trust himself to the tides. Though assailed with fatigue he again buffeted the waves and swam across safely. The day was drawing to a close; still he had many miles to cover. He was footing it since sunrise and had put nothing in his mouth. Yet dreading to pass another night of misery on the way, he quickened his pace and through the gathering darkness made steadily towards home which he reached by nine on that wedding-night of his brother. Bhagavati Devy who had been weeping and fasting on his account was so delighted and excited that she could only burst into happy tears. Those precious drops were more eloquent than words. This devotion, which he retained down to the dying day, was the crown and glory of his life.
Another incident showing his selflessness may be recorded here. Mr. Cost, a pupil of his, once requested him to compose some Sanskrit poems, which he did offhand. Perfectly satisfied the student offered him a reward of Rs 200. On his suggestion the money was deposited in the Sanskrit College and a prize of Rs 50 was announced to be awarded annually to the best essayist for four successive years. He was appointed examiner. Once, among other,s his brother Dinabandhu Nyayaratna and another youth Shrish Chandra Vidyaratna by name hotly disputed the "Cost-prize" and fared equally well. Shrish Chandra was struck with wonder to receive the entire amount.
The governing body of his college now desired him to compose a good Bengali text-book for the use of European students. He complied Vasudeva Charita, free translation of a portion of Srimadbhagabata, a religious book treating of Sri Krishna. This work which was rejected has never been published. The ground of disapproval must have been the religious nature of the theme; otherwise it was, as a contemporary biographer records, a work of merit written in lucid, easy, graceful style. Up to the close of the first quarter of the 19th century Bengali literature existed only in a debased form. In its earlier phrases of development it had struggled to revert to its original Sanskrit element. Subsequently, under the influence of Mahomedan conquest, it had become largely Persianised. When Lord Wellesley established the College of Fort William in 1800 he directed some of the Sanskrit scholars to supply good textbooks in Bengali. The result was that Dr. Carey wrote the Bengali grammar and Mrityunjoy Vidyalanker, Ramram Basu, Haraprasad Roy, Rojib Lochan and Chandi Charan Munshi produced several prose works which were studied for some time. The names of other pioneer authors like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Rev. K. M. Banerji, Raja Rajendra Lala Mitra, Messrs. Halhead, Forster, Marsham and Ward, also deserve honourable mention. But they were not specimens of chaste Bengali; there were still too many Persian words in them. Their spelling was original; their style rather laboured, lacking precision and directness. In justice to them it ought to be said that they did much to foster the revival of vernacular literature. Vidyasagar's credit lay in assimilating the various works produced for half a century past and improving upon their style. His Vetala-Panchavingsati composted in 1847 was the first work in chaste prose to appear in the renaissance period of Bengali literature. In April 1846 he was transferred to Sanskrit College as Assistant Secretary, his salary remaining the same, Rs 50. His next brother Dinabandhu Nyayaratna, who was well qualified, filled the vacant place. This would save him to some extent from an embarrassing situation; he would soon find occasion to lean on his brother when out of employ.
An unpleasant affair which happened shortly after he joined the new post deserves notice. Once he called on Mr. Karr, Principal of the Hindu College, whom he found lolling in the easy-chair, with his legs resting on the table before him. The gentleman neither welcomed him nor offered him a seat nor removed the legs from the table. Naturally, the caller took the cold, if not unmannerly, behaviour to heart but wisely restraining his fury walked out of the room as soon as the purpose of his visit was served. He had the courage to pay Mr. Karr in his own coin when a few days after he came to see him on a matter of business. The Principal referred the fact to Dr. Mouat who called for an explanation. When Vidyasagar detailed the circumstances of the case, the Doctor saw that the best way out of the difficulty would be to get Mr. Karr settle the matter amicably, which was done. Vidyasagar took offence since it compromised the dignity of Indian professors in general. No man was ever less exacting of forms and ceremonies when he alone was concerned.
To improve his alma mater, he set to work with characteristic ardour. His first duty was to enforce strict punctuality, especially on the part of the professors. It was a delicate task, seeing that most of these venerable gentlemen had formerly been his own teachers. Yet he managed it very easily, by greeting them once or twice at the college gate when they came behind their time. He next initiated the pass system. No student was allowed on any pretext to leave the class during college hours without pass. The system of periodical examination was also instituted by him. To expunge obscene passages from the text-books and to devise a new method of teaching Sanskrit grammar, he took much pains. Gradually other solid improvements were made.
The chair of Literature falling vacant, he was offered it but declined. He saw that though it was better in point of salary, he would lose all opportunity of effecting further reforms in case he accepted it. Through his influence with Dr. Mouat, Madan Mohan Tarkalanker was promoted to fill up the vacancy.
At this time he lost one of his younger brothers who succumbed to cholera. Shortly after this melancholy event he threw up his post, as some of his proposals for reform were not well received by the Council of Education. It was in vain that his friends urged him to retain office. He was soon hard pressed for money. Having no savings of his own to fall back upon and his brothers resources not proving sufficient, he was occasionally compelled to borrow. He occupied most of his time with acquiring a thorough knowledge of English. For some months he had to lesson Captain Bank in oriental languages at the request of Dr. Mouat. The officer offered him tuition fee at the rate of Rs. 50 per month, when he finished the course. He refused the tempting offer on the ground that he had given lessons at the instance of his friend, not from purely interested motives. This is remarkable since at the time he was in contracted circumstances.
In 1847 asked by Mr. Marshal to compose a Bengali text-book for the use of youths of Fort William College, he rendered Vetala-Panchavingsati (i.e., the twenty-five stories narrated by the daemon Vetala to king Vikramaditya) from Hindi into Bengali. It was at first rejected by the authorities who, sharing the view of Mr. K. M. Banerji, thought it unfit for a text-book. When Vidyasagar secured the good opinion of Mr. Marshman, a Christian missionary of Serampore, it was approved and published. Though this was the first work in pure and undefiled Bengali prose, the literary world was not quick to appreciate its merits. It did not command a large sale for some time. The bright idea now flashed across his mind that if he had a press of his own he might eke out his income by turning author. He set up the "Sanskrit Press" in conjunction with Madan Mohan. The partnership however was soon dissolved, and Vidyasagar became the sole proprietor of the firm. The works of Bharat Chandra, court-poet of Maharaja Krishna Chandra Roy (born 1710, died 1782) of Nadia, were the first to appear in print. The manuscripts were procured from Maharaja Satish Chandra Roy with whom Vidyasagar was intimate.
A brief visit to the historic city of Burdwan followed. Maharaja Mahatab Chand Bahadur, learning that he had not accepted the articles of food presented by him, invited him to his palace. At the close of a long interview the nobleman offered him a pair of shawls and Rs. 500 in cash by way of compliment. The visitor politely declined the proffered gift, making a suggestion that such liberality would immensely benefit the poor pundits of toles. His self-abnegation moved the admiration of the Maharaja who cemented a lasting friendship with him.
Next year he published his History of Bengal, a free translation of Marshman's book. It narrates incidents from the time of Nawab Sirajuddowla to that of Lord William Bentinck. Its style is elegant but it falls short of being a reliable history.
In March 1849 he reentered Fort William College as Head-Writer and Treasurer on Rs 80. In September he published his Jiban-Charita, a Bengali version of the lives of some learned men of Europe, compiled from Chambers's 'Biography'. There was great rejoicing in the house two months later when his wife presented him with the only son and heir. She afterwards gave birth to four daughters. His joy, however, was soon marred when he lost another of his younger brothers, a darling of eight.
His interest in female education dated from about this time when he came into intimate contact with the Hon'ble J. E. Drinkwater Bethune, member of the Legislative Council and President of the Council of Education. Mr. Bethune started a girls' school in Calcutta and made him its honorary secretary, which post he filled with exceptional ability for twenty years. There were about fifty other girls' schools in Calcutta at the time, mostly the result of missionary effort; and they followed western principles. People had begun a furious agitation, finding that some of the pupils had embraced Christianity. Responding to popular demands, Mr. Bethune set up the school in 1849 to impart purely secular education. Its original name was Hindu Girls' School, subsequently changed into Bethune School to perpetuate the memory of its founder. Since then it has been raised to a first-grade college. The college department admits girls of all ages and nationalities; while the school is open only to girls of Hindu extraction, between six and eighteen years of age. The founder received hearty cooperation from some influential gentlemen, conspicuous among whom were Vidyasagar, Raja Radhakanto Deva Bahadur, Pundit Madan Mohan Tarkalanker, Ram Gopal Ghose, Sambhu Nath Pundit and Raja Daksina Rajnan. He himself contributed largely to the expenses, his sympathy being real and tangible. Hindus in general are exceedingly conservative in social matters and look upon all schemes of innovation with serious misgivings. It was no easy task that Mr. Bethune had undertaken. Yet in the face of opposition he made some genuine progress. He was not to be long connected with his cherished institution. In August 1851 while he was on a visit to a girls' school at Janai, some twelve miles from Calcutta, he was caught in a heavy shower of rain and chilled to the marrow. This brought on a sharp attack of pneumonia, that before long cut his precious life short. On Vidyasagar devolved the task of making the institution a success. He treated the little girls tenderly, gave them valuable presents and prizes, and had a merry word for everyone.
He was now transferred to Sanskrit College as Professor of Literature. He joined the post on December 9, 1850, upon a clear understanding that he would be allowed to exercise the powers of a principal. At that time the College had no principal; his powers were exercised by the two secretaries. Vidyasagar thought, not without reason, that unless he possessed some real authority he would not be of much use there. He was forthwith asked by the Education Council to report on the working of the institution. There was a considerable falling off in the number of pupils. Knowledge of English becoming a recognised passport to preferment in the public service, there were no prospects for the Sanskritknowing pundits. Before a week was over he submitted an exhaustive account of the existing mode of instruction, also suggesting better methods. His plan was to shorten the period of study by selecting better text-books and discarding useless works and to systematise everything. He it was who first advocated the use of Bengali books and the making of English a compulsory subject of study. All these proposals impressed the Council favourably.
Babu Rassomoy Dutta, the Secretary, was naturally offended when Vidyasagar, his subordinate, was required to draw up the report. Knowing that the time had come for his retirement, he prudently laid down the reins of office. In a few days the two secretaryships were abolished and in their stead was created the post of the principal. Vidyasagar became the first principal in January 1851, when about thirty.