Padmanath Bhattacharya

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Dacca College
SubjectAncient history
Notable worksKamarupa Sasanavali
Mr. Gait's History of Assam: A Critical Study

Padmanath Bhattacharya (Bengali: পদ্মনাথ ভট্টাচার্য; 1868-1938) was an Indian historian. His works generally centred on the ancient Kamrup region.[1] The Padmanath Vidyabinod Memorial Awards are named after him.[2]

Early life and education

Bhattacharya was born in 1868, to a Hindu family in the village of Baniachong in Sylhet district, Bengal Presidency (now part of Bangladesh). The neighbourhood where he was born is now known as Vidyabhushan Para.[3]

He passed his matriculation examinations in 1880, topping the scores across the newly-established

Dacca College in 1890, having studied English, Sanskrit and philosophy. In recognition of Bhattacharya's talent, he was conferred the titles of Swaraswati and Vidyavinod. In 1892, he completed a Master of Arts in English.[3]

Career

Bhattacharya started his career as a professor at the Murari Chand College in Sylhet where he taught English, Sanskrit, logic and history. He later joined the Assam Secretariat, and was appointed as the Deputy Inspector of the Province's Surma Valley Division in 1897. In 1901, he was promoted as a Governmental Censor Superintendent. From there, Bhattacharya joined the Guwahati College as professor of Sanskrit and History. The government awarded him the title of Mahamahopadhyaya (Great Professor). In 1911, he founded the Vangiya Anusandhan Samiti which led to many discoveries with regards to the history of South Asia. Bhattacharya also defended criticisms of Bengali Muslims, in addition to his own community. His article, Bhranti Nirash, was a response to Prafulla Chandra Ray's Bangali Mastisker Apabyabahar which attacked Hinduism and the Hindu society. Bhattacharya was also supportive to other researchers in the field, and was known to have donated five thousand takas in 1910 to fund Achyut Charan Choudhury's Srihatter Itibritta series.[3]

Bhattacharya became a leading

Cotton College and was one of the founding members of Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti. He was critical and dissatisfied with Gait's perception of historical events and processes of Assam, and his interpretations, constructed meaning and political undertone in his works.[1]

Authored works

Bhattacharya's notable works are Parshuramkunda O Badarikashrama Paribhramana (1914), Kamarupa Shasanavali (1931),[6] Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Prasanga (1924) and Mr. Gait's History of Assam: A Critical Study. He has also written articles that can be found in Epigraphia Indica vol. XII,[7] as well as for the Sahitya Parisad Patrika.[8] In 1931, he submitted his collection of 37 Bhatta poems and biographies of Bhatta poets to the Srihatta Sahitya Parishad.[3]

Death

Bhattacharya died in his own home in

Baniachong.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Sabyasachi Bhattacharya (2011), Approaches to History: Essays in Indian Historiography, Page 229
  2. ^ "Padmanath Vidyabinod Memorial Awards". Ramanath Bhattacharya Foundation. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  3. ^ a b c d e Miah, Fahim. "অধ্যাপক পদ্মনাথ ভট্টাচার্য ( ১৮৬৮-১৯৪৫)". Baniachong.info (in Bengali).
  4. ^ Choedhury, Dwoha (24 July 2020). "চন্দ্রপুর: যেখানে লুকিয়ে আছে দশম শতাব্দীর বিদ্যাপীঠ". The Daily Star (in Bengali). Sylhet. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  5. ^ Bhattacharjee Vidyabinod, Padmanath (1908). Sylhet Nagri.
  6. ^ Siba Pada Sen (1980), Sources of the history of India - Volume 3, Page 27
  7. ^ Kanak Lal Barua (1966), Early history of Kāmarupa, Page 32
  8. OL 30677644M
    . Retrieved 27 April 2024.
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