Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee
Encyclopedia
Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee Taluqdar of the formerly confiscated taluq of Shankarpur in the United Provinces (1814 – 15 July 1898) was one of the leaders of the Young Bengal
group in 19th-century India
. An orator, editor of several periodicals, and a social reformer, he had donated land for the Bethune School and assisted David Hare
in his social works.
, had married into the Pathuriaghata
branch of the Tagore family and agreed to be a ‘ghar-jamai
’ (a groom who remains back with his in-laws as part of their family). Dakshinaranjan studied at Hare School
and Hindu College
. While a student of Hindu College, he was influenced by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, the main person behind the Young Bengal movement. When his friend Krishna Mohan Banerjee
was turned out of his house for converting to Christianity, Mukherjee provided him protection and support.
and contributed regularly to the Bengal Spectator. He practiced as a lawyer and was the first Indian to be appointed as a collector of Calcutta Municipality
. Later he also worked in the court of the Nawab
at Murshidabad
.
He had once given a loan of Rs. 60,000 to David Hare. As Hare was unable to pay back the loan, he gave Mukherjee some land in lieu of it. Mukherjee, in turn, donated that land in 1849 to John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
for the establishment of Kolkata’s first secular school for girls.
in 1832, Mukherjee visited the family home in connection with some legal disputes. He met Tej Chandra’s young widow, Basanta Kumari, the maharaja's 8th wife, whom Mukherjee later married by registration. The episode created quite a sensation in Calcutta, since Mukherjee and Basanta Kumari, chose to elope and get married, but were later caught by the girl's father, Pran Chand Kapoor,
, he was rewarded with the Shankarpur taluk in 1859. He was made honorary assistant commissioner of Lucknow and Awadh
. He started publishing Lucknow Times, Samachar Hindustani and Bharat Patrika from Lucknow. He established the Canning College at Lucknow. He was honoured with the title of ‘Raja’ by the Viceroy, Lord Mayo
in 1871.
He established the Awadh British Indian Association in 1871 and campaigned for the formation of a provincial government with equal number of nominated and elected legislators and lost some favour with the British government. Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee died in Lucknow on 15 July 1898.
Young 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....
group in 19th-century 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...
. An orator, editor of several periodicals, and a social reformer, he had donated land for the Bethune School and assisted David Hare
David Hare (philanthropist)
David Hare was a Scottish watchmaker and philanthropist in Bengal. He founded many important and prestigious educational institutions in Kolkata, such as the Hindu School, and Hare School and helped in founding Presidency College.-Early life:...
in his social works.
Early life
Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee's father Jaganmohan Mukherjee, who belonged to BhatparaBhatpara
Bhatpara is a city and a municipality under Jagatdal police station of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is situated on the bank of Hoogly river. It is mainly known for its rich traditions in the field of Sanskrit learning...
, had married into the Pathuriaghata
Pathuriaghata
Pathuriaghata is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is one of the oldest residential areas in what was Sutanuti. Once the abode of the Bengali rich, the neighbourhood and its surrounding areas are now dominated by Marwaris...
branch of the Tagore family and agreed to be a ‘ghar-jamai
Gharjamai
Across the Asian sub-continent, the term Gharjamai refers to a live-in son-in-law. The term literally means househusband in Indian languages such as Hindi and Gujarati. The term is used across the sub-continent with different pronunciations and synonyms. In Urdu the word Ghardamad is used where...
’ (a groom who remains back with his in-laws as part of their family). Dakshinaranjan studied at Hare School
Hare School
Hare School is one of the oldest schools in Kolkata, India, teaching grades 1 to 12 under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education. The boys-only school was established by the Scottish watch-maker David Hare with the help of social...
and Hindu College
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata, formerly Hindu College and Presidency College, is a unitary, state aided university, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. and one of the premier institutes of learning of liberal arts and sciences in India. In 2002 it was ranked number one by the weekly news magazine...
. While a student of Hindu College, he was influenced by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, the main person behind the Young Bengal movement. When his friend Krishna Mohan Banerjee
Krishna Mohan Banerjee
Krishna Mohan Banerjee was a prominent member of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio’s Young Bengal group, educationist, linguist and Christian missionary.-Early life:...
was turned out of his house for converting to Christianity, Mukherjee provided him protection and support.
Activities at Kolkata
While a student Mukherjee published the magazine Jnananneswan in 1831. The next year it became a bilingual magazine. He spoke against suppression of newspapers by the government. He was one of main initiators for the establishment of the British Indian AssociationBritish Indian Association
The British Indian Association was established on 31 October 1851. Its formation was a major event of 19th century India. Its establishment meant Indians had come together and could no longer be ignored...
and contributed regularly to the Bengal Spectator. He practiced as a lawyer and was the first Indian to be appointed as a collector of Calcutta Municipality
Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Kolkata Municipal Corporation is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city of Kolkata. The organization is known, in short, as KMC . This civic administrative body administers an area of 185 sq. km. Its motto, Purosree Bibardhan, is inscribed on its emblem in Bengali...
. Later he also worked in the court of the Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
at Murshidabad
Murshidabad
Murshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this...
.
He had once given a loan of Rs. 60,000 to David Hare. As Hare was unable to pay back the loan, he gave Mukherjee some land in lieu of it. Mukherjee, in turn, donated that land in 1849 to John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune , previously John Elliot Drinkwater, a barrister and law member of the Governor-General's Council, was an Anglo-Indian lawyer and a pioneer in promoting women's education in 19th-century India....
for the establishment of Kolkata’s first secular school for girls.
Marriage
After the death of Maharaja Tej Chandra Ray of BardhamanBardhaman
'Bardhaman or Burdwan , is a city of West Bengal state in eastern India. It is the headquarters of Bardhaman District....
in 1832, Mukherjee visited the family home in connection with some legal disputes. He met Tej Chandra’s young widow, Basanta Kumari, the maharaja's 8th wife, whom Mukherjee later married by registration. The episode created quite a sensation in Calcutta, since Mukherjee and Basanta Kumari, chose to elope and get married, but were later caught by the girl's father, Pran Chand Kapoor,
Later life at Lucknow
Mukherjee prospered in Lucknow. For helping the British during the Sepoy MutinyIndian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, he was rewarded with the Shankarpur taluk in 1859. He was made honorary assistant commissioner of Lucknow and Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
. He started publishing Lucknow Times, Samachar Hindustani and Bharat Patrika from Lucknow. He established the Canning College at Lucknow. He was honoured with the title of ‘Raja’ by the Viceroy, Lord Mayo
Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo
Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo KP, GMSI, PC , styled Lord Naas between 1842 and 1867, was a statesman and prominent member of the British Conservative Party from Dublin, Ireland....
in 1871.
He established the Awadh British Indian Association in 1871 and campaigned for the formation of a provincial government with equal number of nominated and elected legislators and lost some favour with the British government. Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee died in Lucknow on 15 July 1898.