Ishwar Chandra Gupta
Encyclopedia
Ishwar Chandra Gupta (March 1812 - 23 January 1859) was an Indian
Bengali
poet and writer. Gupta was born in the village Kanchanpalli or Kanchrapara, 24 Parganas district
(currently in North 24 Parganas district
, West Bengal
, India
).
. At that time, poets were named Kobiwala and the kobiwalas were not so civilized in language. Sexual words and clashes were common. But Ishwar Chandra Gupta created a different style of poetry.
He started the newspaper Sambad Prabhakar
with Jogendra Mohan Tagore on on January 28, 1831. which finally became a daily on June 4, 1839. Many Bengali writers of the 19th century started their career with that magazine. He reintroduced into Bengali poetry the mediaeval style with double meaning (already seen in Sandhyakaranandi and Bharatchandra):
'Ishwar' means God, 'Gupta' means hidden and 'Prabhakar' is the sun.So a translation runs:
Also, Ishwar (Chandra) Gupta ran the journal 'Prabhakar'. So a second meaning of the poem, making a tongue-in-cheek reference to the author, runs:
Ishwarchandra Gupta always satires the so called modern class who blindly followed the colonial British power.
His literary works were included in the curriculum of school level, secondary and higher secondary Bengali Literature
in Bangladesh
.
movement as well as frowning on widow remarriage. His views on widow remarriage put him at odds with Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
. He was one of the earliest advocates of a Hindu view of Indian society. Later in his life, his views began to change and he championed the cause for the remarriage of virgin widows and women's education.
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...
Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
poet and writer. Gupta was born in the village Kanchanpalli or Kanchrapara, 24 Parganas district
24 Parganas
24 Parganas district is a former district of the Indian state of West Bengal. The district was split into two districts — North 24 Parganas district and South 24 Parganas district, with effect from 1 March 1986....
(currently in North 24 Parganas district
North 24 Parganas district
North 24 Parganas district is a district in southern West Bengal, of eastern India. North 24 Parganas extends in the [tropical zone] from latitude 22º11'6" north to 23º15'2" north and from longitude 88º20' east to 89º5' east...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
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...
).
Early life
Ishwar Chandra Gupta was brought up in his uncle's house after the death of his mother. Gupta spent most of his childhood in KolkataKolkata
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...
. At that time, poets were named Kobiwala and the kobiwalas were not so civilized in language. Sexual words and clashes were common. But Ishwar Chandra Gupta created a different style of poetry.
He started the newspaper Sambad Prabhakar
Sambad Prabhakar
Sambad Prabhakar was a Bengali daily newspaper founded by Ishwar Chandra Gupta and published in the first half of the nineteenth century. It began as a weekly newspaper in 1831 and became a daily eight years later in 1839. It was the first Bengali daily newspaper...
with Jogendra Mohan Tagore on on January 28, 1831. which finally became a daily on June 4, 1839. Many Bengali writers of the 19th century started their career with that magazine. He reintroduced into Bengali poetry the mediaeval style with double meaning (already seen in Sandhyakaranandi and Bharatchandra):
-
- কে বলে ঈশ্বর গুপ্ত, ব্যপ্ত চরাচর,
- যাহার প্রভায় প্রভা পায় প্রভাকর।
- কে বলে ঈশ্বর গুপ্ত, ব্যপ্ত চরাচর,
-
- Ke bole Ishwar Gupta, byapta charachar,
- Jahar prabhaye prabha paye Prabhakar..
- Ke bole Ishwar Gupta, byapta charachar,
'Ishwar' means God, 'Gupta' means hidden and 'Prabhakar' is the sun.So a translation runs:
-
- Who says God is hidden? He is omnipresent
- From Him the Sun gets its luminescence.
- Who says God is hidden? He is omnipresent
Also, Ishwar (Chandra) Gupta ran the journal 'Prabhakar'. So a second meaning of the poem, making a tongue-in-cheek reference to the author, runs:
-
- Who says Ishwar (Gupta) is hidden? His reach touches the world
- For his brilliance makes the Prabhakar luminiscent.
- Who says Ishwar (Gupta) is hidden? His reach touches the world
Literary style
He brought modern era of poetry in Bangla. He did not describe the life of Gods and Goddesses, but the daily life of human beings. He also wrote biographies of many Bengali poets and musicians.Ishwarchandra Gupta always satires the so called modern class who blindly followed the colonial British power.
-
- Tumi ma kalpataru
- Amra shob posha goru
- Shikhi ni shing bankano
- Khai kebol khol-bichuli-ghash
- Jano ranga amla
-
- Tule mamla
-
- Na bhange gamla
-
- Tule mamla
-
- Ma!
- Pele bhushi
-
- Tatei kushi
-
- Ghushi khele bachbo na!
-
- Tatei kushi
-
His literary works were included in the curriculum of school level, secondary and higher secondary Bengali Literature
Bengali literature
Bengali literature is literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and the Indian provinces of West Bengal and Tripura. The history of Bengali literature traces back hundreds of years while it is impossible to separate the literary trends of the two Bengals during the...
in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
Political views
In the early days he was a conservative, opposing the Young BengalYoung Bengal
The Young Bengal movement was a group of radical Bengali free thinkers emerging from Hindu College, Calcutta in the early 19th century. They were also known as Derozians, after their firebrand teacher at Hindu College, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio....
movement as well as frowning on widow remarriage. His views on widow remarriage put him at odds with 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....
. He was one of the earliest advocates of a Hindu view of Indian society. Later in his life, his views began to change and he championed the cause for the remarriage of virgin widows and women's education.
Sources
- Bangla Sahitya (Bengali Literature), the national text book of intermediate (college) level of BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
published in 1996 by all educational boards.