Benimadhab Barua
Encyclopedia
Benimadhab Barua was a Bengali Indian scholar of ancient Indian languages and law. He was a prominent educationist and writer .
. Among the schools and college he attended were the Chittagong Collegiate School
, Chittagong College
, Scottish Church College and Presidency College
, Krishnath College
from where he passed BA (Hons) in Pāli in 1911. In 1913 he earned an MA degree in Pāli from University of Calcutta
. Thereafter he also studied law at Calcutta City College and Calcutta Law College, affiliated with the same university .
. He went to England on a government scholarship in 1914. He earned an MA in Greek and Modern European Philosophy from the University of London
. In 1917 he was awarded a D.Litt. by the University of London. Remember that he was the FIRST ASIAN to do so. After returning to India in 1918, Benimadhab rejoined Calcutta University and was promoted to professorship. He improvised the syllabus of the MA course in Pali, apart from his work in the departments of Ancient Indian History and Culture (1919–48) and Sanskrit (1927–48) in the same university.
He also wrote over a hundred essays and speeches which were published in different journals.
of Bengal, member of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, the Mahābodhi Society of India, Calcutta and of the executive committee of Iran Society. He edited Indian Culture, Buddhist India, Jagajjyoti and Vishvavani. In recognition of his contribution to Buddhist studies, he was awarded the title of ‘Tripitakāchārya’ in 1944 by the pundits of Sri Lanka. The Asiatic Society awarded him the Bimalacharan Laha Gold Medal. He died on 23 March 1948 in Calcutta.
Early life
He was born on 31 December 1888 in ChittagongChittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
. Among the schools and college he attended were the Chittagong Collegiate School
Chittagong Collegiate School
The Chittagong Collegiate School is a secondary school in Chittagong, the southern port city in Bangladesh. Established in 1836, it is one of the oldest schools in the country.The headmaster of the school is Mohammad Aziz Uddin.-History:...
, Chittagong College
Chittagong College
Chittagong College is a well-respected college in Bangladesh. It is also the second college established in Bangladesh after Dhaka College. Having started out as Chittagong District school in 1836, it was upgraded to an Intermediate college in 1869. It started providing science education in...
, Scottish Church College and Presidency College
Presidency College
Presidency College could refer to the following Indian institutions:* Presidency College, Chennai* Presidency College, Kolkata*Presidency College, Bangalore...
, Krishnath College
Krishnath College
Krishnath College its a liberal arts and sciences college in Berhampore, Murshidabad, in the state of West Bengal in India. Initially this college was affiliated with...
from where he passed BA (Hons) in Pāli in 1911. In 1913 he earned an MA degree in Pāli from University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. Thereafter he also studied law at Calcutta City College and Calcutta Law College, affiliated with the same university .
Career
Benimadhab joined Mahāmuni Anglo-Pāli Institution as headmaster in 1912. From 1913-14 he worked as a lecturer in the Pāli department of the University of CalcuttaUniversity of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. He went to England on a government scholarship in 1914. He earned an MA in Greek and Modern European Philosophy from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. In 1917 he was awarded a D.Litt. by the University of London. Remember that he was the FIRST ASIAN to do so. After returning to India in 1918, Benimadhab rejoined Calcutta University and was promoted to professorship. He improvised the syllabus of the MA course in Pali, apart from his work in the departments of Ancient Indian History and Culture (1919–48) and Sanskrit (1927–48) in the same university.
In English
- A History of Pre-Buddhist Indian Philosophy
- A Prolegomena to the History of Buddhist Philosophy (1918)
- A History of Pre-Buddhistic Indian Philosophy (1921)
- The Ajivikas (1921)
- Prakrit Dharmapad (which he wrote jointly with Shailendranath Mitra)
- Old Brāhmi Inscriptions in the Udayagiri and Khandgiri (1926)
- Barhut Inscriptions (which he wrote jointly with Gangananda Singh)
- Gaya and Buddha Gaya (1st part 1931, 2nd part 1934)
- Asoka and His Inscriptions (1946)
- Brahmachari Kuladananda and His Guru Bijaya Krishna Goswami (1938)
- Ceylon Lecture (1945)
- Studies in Buddhism (1947)
- Philosophy of Progress (1948)
In Bengali
- The Bangla translation along with the original Pāli text of his first book, Lokaniti, which was published in the annual report (1912) of the Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha.
- Madhyam Nikay (1st part, 1940)
- Bauddha Granthakos (1st part, 1936)
- Bauddhaparinay
He also wrote over a hundred essays and speeches which were published in different journals.
Later life
He was a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic SocietyAsiatic Society
The Asiatic Society was founded by Sir William Jones on January 15, 1784 in a meeting presided over by Sir Robert Chambers, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at the Fort William in Calcutta, then capital of the British Raj, to enhance and further the cause of Oriental research. At the time of...
of Bengal, member of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, the Mahābodhi Society of India, Calcutta and of the executive committee of Iran Society. He edited Indian Culture, Buddhist India, Jagajjyoti and Vishvavani. In recognition of his contribution to Buddhist studies, he was awarded the title of ‘Tripitakāchārya’ in 1944 by the pundits of Sri Lanka. The Asiatic Society awarded him the Bimalacharan Laha Gold Medal. He died on 23 March 1948 in Calcutta.