Monomohun Ghose
Encyclopedia
Monomohun Ghose (also spelt Monomohun Ghosh, Manmohan Ghosh) (March 13, 1844 – October 16, 1896) was the first practicing barrister
of India
n origin. He is notable for his contributions towards the fields of women’s education, for arousing the patriotic feeling of his countrymen and for being one of the earliest persons in the country in organised national politics. At the same time his Anglicised
habits often made him a target of ridicule in Calcutta
.
(now Munshiganj
in Bangladesh). His father was a renowned sub-judge and a patriot, and had acquired his broad frame of mind from Ram Mohan Roy
, when he came in contact with him.
As a child Ghose lived with his father in Krishnanagar
and passed the Entrance Examination (school leaving or university entrance) in 1859 from Krishnanagar College. In 1858, he was married to Swarnalata, daughter of Shyma Charan Roy of Taki-Sripur in 24 Parganas.
While he was still at school, the indigo movement was raging. He wrote an article against indigo merchants and sent it for publication in the Hindu Patriot but the same could not be published owing to the untimely death of its editor, Harish Chandra Mukherjee
. He joined Presidency College in 1861 and while a student there, he developed a friendship with Keshub Chunder Sen. Together they started the Indian Mirror.
In 1862, he and Satyendranath Tagore
were the first two Indians to sail to England to prepare for and appear in the Indian Civil Service examinations. The competition was one of the stiffest, if not the stiffest, in the world at that time, but more so because any plan to cross the seas and travel to Europe was bound to meet with the strongest opposition from the Indian society. Preparations for the examination was tough, as they had to pick up many subjects not taught in India. Moreover, Ghose was subject to racial discrimination. The examination schedules and syllabus were altered. He sat for the examinations twice but failed to succeed. Satyendranath Tagore went through and became the first Indian to join the ICS.
While in England, he extended support to the fellow Kolkata poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta who was going through difficult times in England.
. After being called to the English bar, Ghose returned to India in 1866. At that time his father died and he started practising as a barrister in Calcutta High Court
in 1867.
He was the first Indian barrister to practice in Calcutta High Court
. Gnanendramohan Tagore
was the first Indian to have been called to the bar in England in 1862 and Monomohun Ghose was the second Indian to be called in 1866. The third Indian to be called to the bar was W.C.Bonerjee
in 1870. Gnanendramohan Tagore never practised in Calcutta High Court before departing permanently for England, and as such Ghose is considered the first practising Indian barrister.
His talents were immediately recognised and within a short period he made his mark as a criminal lawyer. In numerous cases he exposed the character of the British ruling elite and protected the subjects who were not guilty.
On return from England, one of the first things he did was to put his wife in charge of the nuns at Loreto Convent, for her education. It was only after his wife had completed her education that he settled down to family life.
While in England, Ghose yearned for the Bengali
staple food, machher jhal and bhat (fish curry and rice), but back home he took on all the characteristics of an Anglicised Indian in defiance of opposition from the family and society. In later years, whenever the local press sought to criticize the denationalised Indian, Ghose invariably became the primary target of ridicule. In spite of the fact that he was close to the Tagore family
, who were leaders in upholding Indian culture and heritage while keeping their doors open to the world, and was a personal friend of Satyendranath Tagore, he was inclined towards westernisation. While Satyendranth Tagore’s wife, Gynadanandini Devi, struck to wearing the traditional Indian sari
, Ghose’s wife, Swarnalata, took to wearing the gown
, in the style of English women.
He had befriended the Unitarian
reformer, Mary Carpenter
, during his stay in England, 1862–1866. When she visited Kolkata in 1869 with a definite scheme for promoting women’s education, Ghose was among her most ardent supporters. She succeeded in setting up a normal school for training teachers under the Indian Reform Association led by Keshub Chunder Sen.
During his stay in England he had befriended another Unitarian, Annette Akroyd. On arrival at Kolkata with the objective of promoting women’s education, in October 1872, she was a house guest of Ghose and his wife. While Swarnalata, Ghose’s wife, impressed Annette Akroyd, she was “shocked” when she met Keshub Chunder Sen’s “unemancipated Hindu wife.”
He was associated with Hindu Mahila Vidyalaya
and after Annette Akroyd was married, with the revival of the school as Banga Mahila Vidyalaya
. Finally, he played a leading role in the amalagamation of Banga Mahila Vidyalaya with Bethune School
. By the time Monomohun Ghose died the institution had already turned, under his secretaryship, into a centre of higher studies where girls could read up to the postgraduate level.
established in 1885 and was chairman of the reception committee of its session held at Kolkata in 1890. He fought hard for separation of the judiciary from the administration and wrote a book on the Administration of Justice in India.He opposed child marriage and, in 1891, supported the bill requiring consent in marriage.
Right from 1869, he delivered speeches at various places arousing the patriotic feelings of his countrymen. In 1885, he went to England and lectured at various places enlightening people there about the state of affairs in his home country.
Satyendranath Tagore’s house on Park Street (after his retirement) was a meeting place for important people of the age in Kolkata. Ghose joined Taraknath Palit, Satyendraprasanna Sinha, W.C.Bonnerjee
, Krishna Govinda Gupta, and Biharlilal Gupta, as a regular visitor.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
of 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...
n origin. He is notable for his contributions towards the fields of women’s education, for arousing the patriotic feeling of his countrymen and for being one of the earliest persons in the country in organised national politics. At the same time his Anglicised
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
habits often made him a target of ridicule in Calcutta
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...
.
Formative years
He was the son of Ramlochan Ghose, of BikrampurBikrampur
Bikrampur pargana is situated 12 miles south of Dhaka, the modern-day capital of Bangladesh. It lies in the Munshiganj District of Bangladesh. It is a historic region in Bengal. The region is famous for its early Buddhist scholarships and in the later period for its cultural influences...
(now Munshiganj
Munshiganj District
Munshiganj also historically known as Bikrampur is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka District.-Geography:...
in Bangladesh). His father was a renowned sub-judge and a patriot, and had acquired his broad frame of mind from Ram Mohan Roy
Ram Mohan Roy
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was an Indian religious, social, and educational reformer who challenged traditional Hindu culture and indicated the lines of progress for Indian society under British rule. He is sometimes called the father of modern India...
, when he came in contact with him.
As a child Ghose lived with his father in Krishnanagar
Krishnanagar
Krishnanagar can refer to:* Krishnanagar, Agartala, a locality in Agartala, Tripura, India.* Krishna Nagar, Hyderabad, a neighbourhood of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.* Krishnanagar, Nadia, a town in Nadia district, West Bengal, India.....
and passed the Entrance Examination (school leaving or university entrance) in 1859 from Krishnanagar College. In 1858, he was married to Swarnalata, daughter of Shyma Charan Roy of Taki-Sripur in 24 Parganas.
While he was still at school, the indigo movement was raging. He wrote an article against indigo merchants and sent it for publication in the Hindu Patriot but the same could not be published owing to the untimely death of its editor, 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:...
. He joined Presidency College in 1861 and while a student there, he developed a friendship with Keshub Chunder Sen. Together they started the Indian Mirror.
In 1862, he and Satyendranath Tagore
Satyendranath Tagore
Satyendranath Tagore was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service. He was an author, song composer, linguist and made significant contribution towards the emancipation of women in Indian society during the British Raj.-Formative years:...
were the first two Indians to sail to England to prepare for and appear in the Indian Civil Service examinations. The competition was one of the stiffest, if not the stiffest, in the world at that time, but more so because any plan to cross the seas and travel to Europe was bound to meet with the strongest opposition from the Indian society. Preparations for the examination was tough, as they had to pick up many subjects not taught in India. Moreover, Ghose was subject to racial discrimination. The examination schedules and syllabus were altered. He sat for the examinations twice but failed to succeed. Satyendranath Tagore went through and became the first Indian to join the ICS.
While in England, he extended support to the fellow Kolkata poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta who was going through difficult times in England.
Barrister and Anglicised Indian
Monomohun Ghose was called to the bar from Lincoln's InnLincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. After being called to the English bar, Ghose returned to India in 1866. At that time his father died and he started practising as a barrister in Calcutta High Court
Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It was established as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William on 1 July 1862 under the High Courts Act, 1861. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court...
in 1867.
He was the first Indian barrister to practice in Calcutta High Court
Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It was established as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William on 1 July 1862 under the High Courts Act, 1861. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court...
. Gnanendramohan Tagore
Gnanendramohan Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationGnanendramohan Tagore was the first Asian to be called to the bar in England, in 1862.- Early life :...
was the first Indian to have been called to the bar in England in 1862 and Monomohun Ghose was the second Indian to be called in 1866. The third Indian to be called to the bar was W.C.Bonerjee
Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
Womesh Chandra Banerjee was an Indian politician and the first president of Indian National Congress.- Early days :...
in 1870. Gnanendramohan Tagore never practised in Calcutta High Court before departing permanently for England, and as such Ghose is considered the first practising Indian barrister.
His talents were immediately recognised and within a short period he made his mark as a criminal lawyer. In numerous cases he exposed the character of the British ruling elite and protected the subjects who were not guilty.
On return from England, one of the first things he did was to put his wife in charge of the nuns at Loreto Convent, for her education. It was only after his wife had completed her education that he settled down to family life.
While in England, Ghose yearned for the 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...
staple food, machher jhal and bhat (fish curry and rice), but back home he took on all the characteristics of an Anglicised Indian in defiance of opposition from the family and society. In later years, whenever the local press sought to criticize the denationalised Indian, Ghose invariably became the primary target of ridicule. In spite of the fact that he was close to the Tagore family
Tagore family
The Tagore family, with over three hundred years of history, has been one of the leading families of Kolkata, and is regarded as a key influence during the Bengal Renaissance...
, who were leaders in upholding Indian culture and heritage while keeping their doors open to the world, and was a personal friend of Satyendranath Tagore, he was inclined towards westernisation. While Satyendranth Tagore’s wife, Gynadanandini Devi, struck to wearing the traditional Indian sari
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
, Ghose’s wife, Swarnalata, took to wearing the gown
Gown
A gown is a loose outer garment from knee- to full-length worn by men and women in Europe from the early Middle Ages to the 17th century ; later, gown was applied to any woman's garment consisting of a bodice and attached skirt.A long, loosely-fitted gown called a Banyan was worn by men in the 18th...
, in the style of English women.
Contribution in the field of women’s education
Ghose will long be remembered for his contributions towards the improvement of the position of his countrymen, particularly in the field of women’s education.He had befriended the Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
reformer, Mary Carpenter
Mary Carpenter
Mary Carpenter was an English educational and social reformer. The daughter of a Unitarian minister, she founded a ragged school and reformatories, bringing previously unavailable educational opportunities to poor children and young offenders in Bristol.She published articles and books on her work...
, during his stay in England, 1862–1866. When she visited Kolkata in 1869 with a definite scheme for promoting women’s education, Ghose was among her most ardent supporters. She succeeded in setting up a normal school for training teachers under the Indian Reform Association led by Keshub Chunder Sen.
During his stay in England he had befriended another Unitarian, Annette Akroyd. On arrival at Kolkata with the objective of promoting women’s education, in October 1872, she was a house guest of Ghose and his wife. While Swarnalata, Ghose’s wife, impressed Annette Akroyd, she was “shocked” when she met Keshub Chunder Sen’s “unemancipated Hindu wife.”
He was associated with Hindu Mahila Vidyalaya
Hindu Mahila Vidyalaya
Hindu Mahila Vidyalaya was a boarding school located at 22 Beniapukur Lane, Entally, Kolkata, India, founded by Annette Akroyd The school made a break with the idea of a less taxing curricula for girls, and provided the same kind of learning for its students as was available for boys. Sources...
and after Annette Akroyd was married, with the revival of the school as Banga Mahila Vidyalaya
Banga Mahila Vidyalaya
Banga Mahila Vidyalaya was the first women’s liberal arts college in India. Established at Kolkata on 1 June 1876, by the liberal section of the Brahmo Samaj, it was successor of Hindu Mahila Vidyalaya set up on 18 September 1873 by Annette Akroyd...
. Finally, he played a leading role in the amalagamation of Banga Mahila Vidyalaya with Bethune School
Bethune College
Bethune College is a women's college in India. It was founded as a school in 1849 by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune and in 1879 developed as the first women's college in India. It is located at 181, Bidhan Sarani, Kolkata -700006, just opposite the current campus of Scottish Church College,...
. By the time Monomohun Ghose died the institution had already turned, under his secretaryship, into a centre of higher studies where girls could read up to the postgraduate level.
Politics
When the Indian Association was established in 1876 he was one of the advisers. Numerous meetings with Surendranath Banerjee, Ananda Mohan Bose and others attending were held in his house.He was one of the founders of the Indian National CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
established in 1885 and was chairman of the reception committee of its session held at Kolkata in 1890. He fought hard for separation of the judiciary from the administration and wrote a book on the Administration of Justice in India.He opposed child marriage and, in 1891, supported the bill requiring consent in marriage.
Right from 1869, he delivered speeches at various places arousing the patriotic feelings of his countrymen. In 1885, he went to England and lectured at various places enlightening people there about the state of affairs in his home country.
Satyendranath Tagore’s house on Park Street (after his retirement) was a meeting place for important people of the age in Kolkata. Ghose joined Taraknath Palit, Satyendraprasanna Sinha, W.C.Bonnerjee
Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
Womesh Chandra Banerjee was an Indian politician and the first president of Indian National Congress.- Early days :...
, Krishna Govinda Gupta, and Biharlilal Gupta, as a regular visitor.