Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (April, 1809 – December, 1831) was an appointed teacher of the Hindu College of Calcutta and a scholar, poet and academic of Eurasian and Portuguese descent. He considered himself to be an Indian. In his poem To My Native Land he wrote: For other uses, see April (disambiguation). ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Presidency College, Kolkata,Official website: [1], located at 86/1, College Street, in Kolkata, India, offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. ... Map showing the location of Avar Khaganate, c. ...

My Country! In the days of Glory Past

A beauteous halo circled round thy brow

And worshipped as deity thou wast,

Where is that Glory, where is that reverence now?

Early life

Son of Francis Derozio, he was born at Entally-Padmapukur in Kolkata on 10th April 1809. While a student of David Drummond’s school at Dhurmotalla, he had had his first lessons in superstion-free rational thinking, apart from the good grounding in history, philosophy and English literature. Drummond was a vastly learned Scottish missionary famous for his free-thinking. He quit education at the age of 14 and initially joined his father’s concern at Kolkata and later shifted to Bhagalpur. Inspired by the scenic beauty of the banks of the River Ganges, he started writing poetry. Some of these were published in India Gazatte of Dr. Grant. A crticial reveiew he wrote of a book by Emmanuel Kant attracted attention of learned society. In 1828, he went to Kolkata with the objective of publishing a book of poems. On learning that a post was lying vacant in Hindu College, he applied for it and was selected. Amongst his poetic creations Fakir of Jhungeera is famous. Immanuel Kant (22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804), was a German philosopher from Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) in East Prussia. ...

It may be recalled that Ram Mohan Roy established the Brahma Sabha in 1828. That produced a massive commotion and backlash in orthodox Hindu society. Efforts started to scotch the religious revolt. It is in the perspective of this back drop that Derozio unleashed his ideas that led to a social revolt. An oil-painting of Raja Ram Mohan Roy by Atul Bose Ram Mohan Roy, also written as Rammohun Roy, or Raja Ram Mohun Roy (Bangla: রাজা রামমোহন রায়, Raja Ram Mohon Ray), (May 22, 1772 – September 27, 1833) was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj, one of the first Indian socio-religious reform...

Hindu College

He introduced the first generation of English educated students in this country to the ideas then flourishing in the West. Although he was a teacher of Class Four (the highest class was Class One), he attracted students of other classes also. He helped them with their studips even beyond class hours. Many of them went to his home and he entertained them as friends.

He encouraged free thinking and a questioning of orthodox Hindu customs and conventions on the basis of rationalism. He infused in his students the spirit of freedom, the yearning for knowledge and the passion to serve their native country. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

He created a sensation as a lecturer in Hindu College. His students were known as Derozians. He organised an Academic Association where they spoke on various subject and he used to listen to them. In 1830, they published a magazine named Parthenon. Apart from articles crticizing Hindu practices, the students wrote on women’s emancipation and criticized many aspects of British rule. It was banned after publication of the first issue. He wrote about his students: A name attributed to a group of radical free thinkers emerging from Hindu College, Kolkata in the early 19th century. ...

Expanding like the petals of young flowers

I watch the gentle opening of your minds…

Expulsion

Due to his unorthodox take on society, culture and religion, he was expelled as a faculty member from that college by a majority 6:1 vote. He faced penury and starvation. He died of cholera, on 23rd December 1831, at the early age of 22. He was buried at the Park Street cemeterey. It is now a place of pilgrimage.

Although his life was cut short, his ideas had a profound influence on the social movement that came to be known as the Bengal Renaissance in early 19th century Bengal. Bengal renaissance is the period of time that saw surge in creative and social activity in Bengal. ...

See also

• Young Bengal

A name attributed to a group of radical free thinkers emerging from Hindu College, Kolkata in the early 19th century. ...

External links

• Banglapedia

• Old Poetry

• Poetry of Derozio

References

• Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj in Bengali by Sivanath Sastri.
• Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical dictionary) in Bengali edited by Subodh Chandra Sengupta and Anjali Bose