Hindoo Patriot
Encyclopedia
The Hindoo Patriot was an English
weekly published from Kolkata
in the later half of the nineteenth century. The Hindoo Patriot was a nationalist publication known for its active role in exposing the oppression of indigo planters in Bengal
.
newspaper. It was agreed that Bengal Recorder would be discontinued and Hindoo Patriot was chosen as the name for the new paper. The name is said to have been given by Girish Chandra Ghosh, however according to the Reis and Rayyet, the name was given by Kshetra Chandra Ghosh, the youngest of the Ghosh brothers. Kristo Das Pal
believed that the name was given by Harish Chandra Mukherjee
. Manmathanath Ghosh, the grandson and biographer of Girish Chandra Ghosh however has refuted the latter claim and on the authority of Madhusudan Ray concluded that the name Hindoo Patriot was given by Girish Chandra Ghosh himself, citing that Harish Chandra Mukherjee
had joined the Hindoo Patriot later and held a subordinate position in the initial years.
The Hindoo Patriot was first published on January 6, 1853 by Madhusudan Ray, under the editorship of Girish Chandra Ghosh. It began to be published every Thursday from Kalakar Street where Madhusudan Ray's press was located. In 1854, it was printed for some time from Cossitollah. Harish Chandra Mukherjee the promising correspondent of Bengal Recorder had joined Hindoo Patriot and gradually rose up to the editorial board. In 1855, he became the chief editor of Hindu Patriot. A year later he bought the newspaper from Girish Chandra Ghosh in the name of his elder brother Haran Chandra Mukherjee. Girish Chandra Ghosh continued to write till 1858, when he left Hindoo Patriot to start another English
newspaper named the Bengalee.
After the untimely death of Harish Chandra Mukherjee
, The Hindoo Patriot was facing the grim prospect of a financial disaster. At that time Kaliprasanna Singha
provided the necessary financial support and saved the paper from ruin. Girish Chandra Ghosh who had severed all ties with Hindoo Patriot three years ago, was moved by the plight of Harish Chandra Mukherjee
's bereaved mother and helpless widow and took up the editorship again. After he left Hindoo Patriot again in November that year, the paper was bought over by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
. Krishnadas Pal
became its new editor.
In 1865, the Indian Field an Indian-owned English
weekly newspaper founded by Kishori Chand Mitra in 1859, merged with the Hindoo Patriot. After the death of Krishnadas Pal
in 1884, Rajukumar Sarbadhikari became the new editor. It was largely due to his efforts that the Hindoo Patriot became a daily from 16th March 1892.
, whom he described as the rotten house of Tamerlane. In 1859, when Tatya Tope
was hanged, the Hindoo Patriot saluted his martyrdom and recognized the efforts of Lakshmi Bai
and Kunwar Singh
.
became the mouthpiece of protest against imperial injustices. In the late fifties, the Hindoo Patriot began to expose the oppression and atrocities on Indian
peasants by the indigo planters. The latter used to force the peasants into cultivating indigo.
In the late 1875, when one Jagadananda Mukherjee invited the Prince of Wales to his residence and zenana, The Hindoo Patriot commented that the national feeling had been outraged.
After the initial editorship of Girish Chandra Ghosh and Harish Chandra Mukherjee, Krishnadas Pal
was the editor of the paper for 23 years. During this period he opposed the imperial laws like the Immigration Bill, the Vernacular Press Act and the Ilbert Bill through the columns of the Hindoo Patriot. He protested against the oppression of tea workers and termed the Immigration Bill as 'The Slave Law of India'.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
weekly published from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in the later half of the nineteenth century. The Hindoo Patriot was a nationalist publication known for its active role in exposing the oppression of indigo planters in Bengal
Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency originally comprising east and west Bengal, was a colonial region of the British Empire in South-Asia and beyond it. It comprised areas which are now within Bangladesh, and the present day Indian States of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya, Orissa and Tripura.Penang and...
.
History
In 1853, one Madhusudan Ray, a Burrabazar banker approached Sreenath Ghosh, the founder editor of Bengal Recorder and his brother Girish Chandra Ghosh to start an EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
newspaper. It was agreed that Bengal Recorder would be discontinued and Hindoo Patriot was chosen as the name for the new paper. The name is said to have been given by Girish Chandra Ghosh, however according to the Reis and Rayyet, the name was given by Kshetra Chandra Ghosh, the youngest of the Ghosh brothers. Kristo Das Pal
Kristo Das Pal
Kristo Das Pal , was an Indian journalist, orator and the editor of Hindoo Patriot. In spite of being born of the Teli or oil-men's caste, which ranks low in the Hindu social hierarchy, he rose to be one of the important persons of his age....
believed that the name was given by Harish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee , was an Indian journalist and patriot, who fought tooth and nail for the indigo cultivators and forced the government to bring about changes.-Early life:...
. Manmathanath Ghosh, the grandson and biographer of Girish Chandra Ghosh however has refuted the latter claim and on the authority of Madhusudan Ray concluded that the name Hindoo Patriot was given by Girish Chandra Ghosh himself, citing that Harish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee , was an Indian journalist and patriot, who fought tooth and nail for the indigo cultivators and forced the government to bring about changes.-Early life:...
had joined the Hindoo Patriot later and held a subordinate position in the initial years.
The Hindoo Patriot was first published on January 6, 1853 by Madhusudan Ray, under the editorship of Girish Chandra Ghosh. It began to be published every Thursday from Kalakar Street where Madhusudan Ray's press was located. In 1854, it was printed for some time from Cossitollah. Harish Chandra Mukherjee the promising correspondent of Bengal Recorder had joined Hindoo Patriot and gradually rose up to the editorial board. In 1855, he became the chief editor of Hindu Patriot. A year later he bought the newspaper from Girish Chandra Ghosh in the name of his elder brother Haran Chandra Mukherjee. Girish Chandra Ghosh continued to write till 1858, when he left Hindoo Patriot to start another English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
newspaper named the Bengalee.
After the untimely death of Harish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee , was an Indian journalist and patriot, who fought tooth and nail for the indigo cultivators and forced the government to bring about changes.-Early life:...
, The Hindoo Patriot was facing the grim prospect of a financial disaster. At that time Kaliprasanna Singha
Kaliprasanna Singha
Kaliprasanna Singha is remembered for his two immortal contributions to Bengali literature viz. translation of Mahabharata, the largest epic, and his book Hutom Pyanchar Naksha...
provided the necessary financial support and saved the paper from ruin. Girish Chandra Ghosh who had severed all ties with Hindoo Patriot three years ago, was moved by the plight of Harish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee , was an Indian journalist and patriot, who fought tooth and nail for the indigo cultivators and forced the government to bring about changes.-Early life:...
's bereaved mother and helpless widow and took up the editorship again. After he left Hindoo Patriot again in November that year, the paper was bought over by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar CIE , born Ishwar Chandra Bandopadhyaya , was an Indian Bengali polymath and a key figure of the Bengal Renaissance....
. Krishnadas Pal
Kristo Das Pal
Kristo Das Pal , was an Indian journalist, orator and the editor of Hindoo Patriot. In spite of being born of the Teli or oil-men's caste, which ranks low in the Hindu social hierarchy, he rose to be one of the important persons of his age....
became its new editor.
In 1865, the Indian Field an Indian-owned English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
weekly newspaper founded by Kishori Chand Mitra in 1859, merged with the Hindoo Patriot. After the death of Krishnadas Pal
Kristo Das Pal
Kristo Das Pal , was an Indian journalist, orator and the editor of Hindoo Patriot. In spite of being born of the Teli or oil-men's caste, which ranks low in the Hindu social hierarchy, he rose to be one of the important persons of his age....
in 1884, Rajukumar Sarbadhikari became the new editor. It was largely due to his efforts that the Hindoo Patriot became a daily from 16th March 1892.
1857 revolt
During the revolt of 1857, the Hindoo Patriot used to publish stories of the revolt as the lead articles. He believed that the rebels had harmed their own cause by placing their trust in the leadership of MughalsMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, whom he described as the rotten house of Tamerlane. In 1859, when Tatya Tope
Tatya Tope
Ramachandra Pandurang Tope , popularly known as Tatya Tope , was an Indian leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and one of its finest generals. He was a personal adherent of Nana Sahib of Kanpur. He progressed with the Gwalior contingent after the British reoccupation of Kanpur and forced...
was hanged, the Hindoo Patriot saluted his martyrdom and recognized the efforts of Lakshmi Bai
Rani Lakshmibai
Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, situated in the northern part of India...
and Kunwar Singh
Babu Kunwar Singh
Veer Kunwar Singh , one of the leaders of the Indian rising of 1857 belonged to a royal Kshatriya house of Jagdispur, currently a part of Bhojpur district, Bihar state, India...
.
Indigo revolt
The Hindoo Patriot, under the able editorship of Harish Chandra MukherjeeHarish Chandra Mukherjee
Harish Chandra Mukherjee , was an Indian journalist and patriot, who fought tooth and nail for the indigo cultivators and forced the government to bring about changes.-Early life:...
became the mouthpiece of protest against imperial injustices. In the late fifties, the Hindoo Patriot began to expose the oppression and atrocities on Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
peasants by the indigo planters. The latter used to force the peasants into cultivating indigo.
In the late 1875, when one Jagadananda Mukherjee invited the Prince of Wales to his residence and zenana, The Hindoo Patriot commented that the national feeling had been outraged.
After the initial editorship of Girish Chandra Ghosh and Harish Chandra Mukherjee, Krishnadas Pal
Kristo Das Pal
Kristo Das Pal , was an Indian journalist, orator and the editor of Hindoo Patriot. In spite of being born of the Teli or oil-men's caste, which ranks low in the Hindu social hierarchy, he rose to be one of the important persons of his age....
was the editor of the paper for 23 years. During this period he opposed the imperial laws like the Immigration Bill, the Vernacular Press Act and the Ilbert Bill through the columns of the Hindoo Patriot. He protested against the oppression of tea workers and termed the Immigration Bill as 'The Slave Law of India'.