>Billjones94 at 15:46, 14 June 2021

2021-06-14T15:46:45Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Hara Chandra Ghosh
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = 23 July 1808
| birth_place = Sarsuna, [[South 24 Parganas district|South 24 Parganas]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
| death_date = 3 December 1868
| death_place = [[Kolkata]] (then Calcutta), [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
| occupation = Judge
| spouse =
}}
{{Young Bengal}}
[[Rai Bahadur]] '''Hara Chandra Ghosh''' (archaic Hurro Chunder Ghose) was one of the prominent leaders of the [[Young Bengal]] group (a group of radical [[Bengali people|Bengali]] [[freethought|free thinkers]] emerging from [[Presidency College, Kolkata|Hindu College]], [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] of [[British Raj|British India]] in the early 19th century).<ref>Sengupta, Nitish, 2001/2002, ''History of the Bengali-speaking People'', p. 228, UBS Publishers' Distributors Pvt. Ltd., {{ISBN|81-7476-355-4}}</ref> He was the first Bengali to be a judge of the Calcutta Small Causes Court from 1854 to 1868.<ref name = "Bose611">Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), 1976/1998, ''Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, {{in lang|bn}}, p. 611, {{ISBN|81-85626-65-0}}</ref><ref name="Cotton">Cotton, H.E.A., ''Calcutta Old and New'', 1909/1980, pp. 639-40, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref> [[Evan Cotton|H.E.A. Cotton]] says, "In his youth, he was a favourite pupil, as the Rev. [[Krishna Mohan Banerjee|K.M.Banerjee]] had been of [[David Hare (philanthropist)|David Hare]] and [[Henry Louis Vivian Derozio|Derozio]]: but unlike others he maintained his Hinduism."<ref name="Cotton"/> He earned fame as a judge and was not involved in religion and social reform.<ref name="Sastri">[[Sivanath Sastri|Sastri, Sivanath]], ''Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj'', 1903/2001, {{in lang|bn}}, pp. 85-87, New Age Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref>

==Formative years==
The family of Hara Chandra Ghosh hailed from [[Sarsuna]] in [[South 24 Parganas]].<ref name="Bose611"/> In those days, it was a custom to learn [[Persian language|Persian]], but Ghosh was not satisfied with learning Persian only. He was keen to learn English also. As a result of his own efforts, he joined the newly founded Hindu College and later became a favourite student of Derozio. He was one of the students actively involved in the [[Young Bengal#Academic Association|Academic Association]], where he used to deliver speeches.<ref name="Sastri"/>

==Career==
As a youngster, he attracted attention of [[Lord William Bentinck]], who wanted to appoint him on his personal staff and take Ghosh with him but the latter could not accept the offer because of opposition from his mother. However, in 1832, when the position of ''munsif'' was created for the Indians, Bentinck appointed him ''munsif'' of [[Bankura District|Bankura]].<ref name="Sastri"/> Within a few days of his arrival in [[Bankura]] the situation started changing. The court started working from ten to five. When there was shortage of staff, Ghosh himself took down notes and wrote out judgments. His honesty and devotion enhanced the respect for the judiciary in the eyes of the public.<ref name="Sastri"/>

After successfully working in Bankura for six years, he was transferred to [[Hooghly District|Hooghly]] in 1838, and in 1844, he became principal ''sadar amin'' of 24 Parganas.<ref name="Sastri"/> After serving for twenty years as a member of the subordinate Civil Judiciary in [[Bengal]], he was gazetted as junior police magistrate of Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) in 1852, on the unanimous recommendation of the judges of the ''Sadar Diwani Adalat''. In 1854, he was transferred to the Small Causes Court, where he remained till his death.<ref name="Cotton"/>

He was associated with [[John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune]] in the formation of the Bethune School and was a member of the school committee.<ref>Bagal, Jogesh C., "History of the Bethune School & College", ''Bethune School & College Centenary Volume'', 1949, p.22</ref> He joined the other Derozians for the construction of a memorial statue for David Hare.<ref name="Bose611"/>

==Honours==
He enjoyed the confidence of Lord William Bentinck, [[George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland|Lord Auckland]] and [[James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie|Lord Dalhousie]]. He was made a ''[[Rai Bahadur]]'' (a [[title of honor]] issued in [[British Raj|British India]] to individuals who have performed a deed of great service to the nation).<ref name="Cotton"/>

A memorial meeting was held in the Town Hall, on 4 January 1869, where Chief Justice Norman, mentioned Ghosh as ‘the very model of what a native gentleman should be.’<ref name="Cotton"/> A marble bust of Hara Chandra Ghosh was unveiled in the main entrance to the Small Causes Court by Sir Arthur Macpherson, then a judge of [[Calcutta High Court]] on 8 March 1876.<ref name="Cotton"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghosh, Hara Chandra}}
[[Category:1808 births]]
[[Category:1868 deaths]]
[[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata alumni]]
[[Category:Bengali people]]
[[Category:Hindu law jurists]]
[[Category:People from Kolkata]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Young Bengal]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian judges]]

Hara Chandra Ghosh - Revision history

>Billjones94 at 15:46, 14 June 2021