Nirmal Kumar Bose
Encyclopedia
Nirmal Kumar Bose (22 January 1901 – 15 October 1972) was a leading India
n anthropologist, who
played a formative role in "building an Indian Tradition in Anthropology". A humanist scholar with a broad range of interests, he was also a leading sociologist, urbanist, Gandhian, and educationist. Also active in the Indian freedom struggle with Mahatma Gandhi
, he was imprisoned in 1931 during the Salt Satyagraha
.
, the Scottish Church College, and later the Presidency College, which was then affiliated with the University of Calcutta
. He dropped out of the MSc program in geology
as a gesture of solidarity with the Non Cooperation Movement. Later he would earn an MSc degree in anthropology
from the University of Calcutta
.
. His anthropological work was founded on extensive field work and had a pragmatic prescriptive basis, and was considered radical against the background of earlier descriptive work by British anthropologists.
His initial work was among the Juang
of Orissa
, as part of his master's work at Calcutta University (1924–25). In 1929, he brought out Cultural Anthropology, presenting a developing world view of anthropology and culture. 1932 saw the publication of Canons of Orissan architecture, 1932, announcing his interest in art and architecture. His sociological interests were reflected in
Some aspects of caste in Bengal (1958), and his urbanist interests in
Calcutta 1964: a social survey (1968) and Anthropology and some Indian problems (1972).
Among his major works is the study Peasant Life in India (1961), based on a wide study with data collected from 311 out of 322 districts of India. Here he comments on the considerable interpenetration in the material culture of rural India,
"on the whole independent of language as well as of physical types". Other important work includes The Structure of Indian Society (1949).
He was also the editor, from 1951 until his death, of the journal Man in India
. He was the director of the Anthropological Survey of India
from 1959 to 1964. In 1957–58, he visited the University of California, Berkeley
and the University of Chicago
. In 1965, he undertook a survey of the Hill districts of Assam
and in the following year, the tribal regions of Arunachal Pradesh
(then NEFA).
Over a long career during much of which he was also involved in political struggle and government offices, he "found time to write more than 700 articles and almost thirty books", writing in both Bengali
and English, for the general public and a scholarly audience.
Prof Bose had also written a descriptive book on the Sun Temple of Konarak in Orissa, in Bengali, titled Konaraker Bibaran. This title was out of print for a long time till recently, when New Age Publishers Private Limited of Kolkata published a new edition, annotated by Prasenjit Dasgupta and Soumen Paul.
since his college days, and his Selections from Gandhi (1934) remains a broad and useful anthology of Gandhi's work.
Between 1934 and 1947, Bose started working closely with Gandhi, and served as his secretary in the mid-1940s. He developed a broad appreciation for his ideology, which is reflected in his analytical Studies in Gandhism (1940).
This period is covered in his My Days with Gandhi (1953) which describes the last decade of Gandhi's life, particularly his courageous stance in personally moving into areas with fierce communal violence (Noakhali 1947). While Bose held Gandhi's philosophy in high esteem, he was far more sceptical of his experiments with suppressing his own sexuality. In a letter to a friend, he wrote:
Eventually, an episode involving Gandhi's celibate sleeping with camp physician Sushila Nayyar
contributed to a rift.
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts has organized the N. K. Bose memorial lectures once every two years since 1993. Anthropologist Surajit Chandra Sinha
has written a field biography: The Anthropology of Nirmal Kumar Bose (1970).
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 anthropologist, who
played a formative role in "building an Indian Tradition in Anthropology". A humanist scholar with a broad range of interests, he was also a leading sociologist, urbanist, Gandhian, and educationist. Also active in the Indian freedom struggle with Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, he was imprisoned in 1931 during the Salt Satyagraha
Salt Satyagraha
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagrahah began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, and was an important part of the Indian independence movement. It was a campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider...
.
Early life
He attended the Puri Zilla SchoolPuri Zilla School
Puri Zila School is a government educational institution imparting education in high school level and one of the oldest school in Orissa, India. The school was established in 1853 in the holy city of Puri and was originally located in Kundheibenta Sahi. Puri Zila School moved to another building...
, the Scottish Church College, and later the Presidency College, which was then affiliated with the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. He dropped out of the MSc program in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
as a gesture of solidarity with the Non Cooperation Movement. Later he would earn an MSc degree in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
from the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
.
Career in anthropology
Bose was originally from 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...
. His anthropological work was founded on extensive field work and had a pragmatic prescriptive basis, and was considered radical against the background of earlier descriptive work by British anthropologists.
His initial work was among the Juang
Juang
Juang , a jungle tribe of Orissa, India. They are found in only two of the tributary states, Dhenkanal and Keonjhar, most of them in the latter. They are estimated to amount in all to about 10,000. Their language belongs to the Munda family...
of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, as part of his master's work at Calcutta University (1924–25). In 1929, he brought out Cultural Anthropology, presenting a developing world view of anthropology and culture. 1932 saw the publication of Canons of Orissan architecture, 1932, announcing his interest in art and architecture. His sociological interests were reflected in
Some aspects of caste in Bengal (1958), and his urbanist interests in
Calcutta 1964: a social survey (1968) and Anthropology and some Indian problems (1972).
Among his major works is the study Peasant Life in India (1961), based on a wide study with data collected from 311 out of 322 districts of India. Here he comments on the considerable interpenetration in the material culture of rural India,
"on the whole independent of language as well as of physical types". Other important work includes The Structure of Indian Society (1949).
He was also the editor, from 1951 until his death, of the journal Man in India
Man in India
Man in India is a journal on anthropology with a focus on South Asia. From 1951 to 1972, it was edited by the noted anthropologist Nirmal Kumar Bose....
. He was the director of the Anthropological Survey of India
Anthropological Survey of India
Anthropological Survey of India is the apex Indian organisation involved in anthropological studies and field data research for human and cultural aspects, working primarily in the fields of physical anthropology and cultural anthropology...
from 1959 to 1964. In 1957–58, he visited the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. In 1965, he undertook a survey of the Hill districts of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
and in the following year, the tribal regions of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
(then NEFA).
Over a long career during much of which he was also involved in political struggle and government offices, he "found time to write more than 700 articles and almost thirty books", writing in both Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and English, for the general public and a scholarly audience.
Prof Bose had also written a descriptive book on the Sun Temple of Konarak in Orissa, in Bengali, titled Konaraker Bibaran. This title was out of print for a long time till recently, when New Age Publishers Private Limited of Kolkata published a new edition, annotated by Prasenjit Dasgupta and Soumen Paul.
Association and works on Mahatma Gandhi
Bose had been reading the works of Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
since his college days, and his Selections from Gandhi (1934) remains a broad and useful anthology of Gandhi's work.
Between 1934 and 1947, Bose started working closely with Gandhi, and served as his secretary in the mid-1940s. He developed a broad appreciation for his ideology, which is reflected in his analytical Studies in Gandhism (1940).
This period is covered in his My Days with Gandhi (1953) which describes the last decade of Gandhi's life, particularly his courageous stance in personally moving into areas with fierce communal violence (Noakhali 1947). While Bose held Gandhi's philosophy in high esteem, he was far more sceptical of his experiments with suppressing his own sexuality. In a letter to a friend, he wrote:
- Gandhi sometimes asked women to share his bed and even the cover which he used, and tried to ascertain if even the least trace of sensual feeling had been evoked in himself or his companion ... Whatever may be the value of the [experiment] on Gandhiji's own case, it does leave a mark of injury on the personality of others who are not of the same moral stature."
Eventually, an episode involving Gandhi's celibate sleeping with camp physician Sushila Nayyar
Sushila Nayyar
Sushila Nayyar, also spelled 'Nayar' , was the younger sister of Pyarelal Nayyar, personal secretary to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the Gandhis' personal physician.-Biography:...
contributed to a rift.
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts has organized the N. K. Bose memorial lectures once every two years since 1993. Anthropologist Surajit Chandra Sinha
Surajit Chandra Sinha
Surajit Chandra Sinha was an Indian anthropologist and a former Maharajkumar of Susang in undivided Bengal.-Background:He was born in Mymensingh District in 1926...
has written a field biography: The Anthropology of Nirmal Kumar Bose (1970).