Ekramuddin Ahmad
Encyclopedia
Ekramuddin Ahmad was a Bengali
litterateur. He was born in 1872 in the village of Kulia under Raina thana in Burdwan district. His father Mahtabuddin Ahmad was a village physician. Ekramuddin passed the Entrance exams from Burdwan High School in 1892 and the FA exams from Burdwan Raj College in 1894. He also studied at Hooghly College for the BA degree, but there are conflicting reports on whether he completed his graduation. In 1896, he entered government service as a surveyor
. He was later promoted to the post of sub-deputy magistrate. In 1918, he wrote an important report on the oppression of the indigenous Santhal population by a zamindar
of Birbhum district which drew the attention of the government. In 1927, he retired from government service and moved permanently to his in-laws' residence in the village of Kaitha in Birbhum.
Ekramuddin Ahmad gained renown as a literary critic and author. He was one of the leading Muslim
commentators on the work of Tagore
, and his 1914 book Robindro-Protibha (or The Genius of Tagore) was widely praised. He also wrote volumes of literary criticism
on Michael Madhusudan Dutt
and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
. He wrote several novels, among them the romantic novel Kaanch o Moni (1919). His novels were serialized in Saogat
and Mohammadi
, both of which were important Bengali Muslim literary journals of the period. He was also a humorist, essayist and short story
writer, and one of his stories "Bhikkhuk" (or "The Beggar") was a set text in secondary schools in East Pakistan
.
Ekramuddin Ahmad died in Kaitha village on 20 November, 1940.
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...
litterateur. He was born in 1872 in the village of Kulia under Raina thana in Burdwan district. His father Mahtabuddin Ahmad was a village physician. Ekramuddin passed the Entrance exams from Burdwan High School in 1892 and the FA exams from Burdwan Raj College in 1894. He also studied at Hooghly College for the BA degree, but there are conflicting reports on whether he completed his graduation. In 1896, he entered government service as a surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
. He was later promoted to the post of sub-deputy magistrate. In 1918, he wrote an important report on the oppression of the indigenous Santhal population by a zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
of Birbhum district which drew the attention of the government. In 1927, he retired from government service and moved permanently to his in-laws' residence in the village of Kaitha in Birbhum.
Ekramuddin Ahmad gained renown as a literary critic and author. He was one of the leading Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
commentators on the work of Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
, and his 1914 book Robindro-Protibha (or The Genius of Tagore) was widely praised. He also wrote volumes of literary criticism
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
on Michael Madhusudan Dutt
Michael Madhusudan Dutt
Michael Madhusudan Dutt or Michael Madhusudan Dutta was a popular 19th century Bengali poet and dramatist. He was born in Sagardari , on the bank of Kopotaksho [কপোতাক্ষ] River, a village in Keshobpur Upozila, Jessore District, East Bengal . His father was Rajnarayan Dutt, an eminent lawyer, and...
and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was a famous Bengali writer, poet and journalist. He was the composer of India’s national song Vande Mataram, originally a Bengali and Sanskrit stotra personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring the activists during the Indian Freedom Movement...
. He wrote several novels, among them the romantic novel Kaanch o Moni (1919). His novels were serialized in Saogat
Saogat
Saogat was a leading Bengali literary journal. First published in Calcutta in 1918, its editor was Mohammad Nasiruddin....
and Mohammadi
Mohammadi
Mohammadi is a city and a municipal board in Lakhimpur Kheri district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Demographics: India census, Mohammadi had a population of 38,427. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Mohammadi has an average literacy rate of 48%, lower than the...
, both of which were important Bengali Muslim literary journals of the period. He was also a humorist, essayist and short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer, and one of his stories "Bhikkhuk" (or "The Beggar") was a set text in secondary schools in East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
.
Ekramuddin Ahmad died in Kaitha village on 20 November, 1940.