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{{Short description|Bengali doctor, journalist and social worker (1857–1938)}}
[[Acharya]] '''Madhusudan Jana''' (also written as '''Madhusudhan Jana''') (26 September 1857- 21 October 1938) was a [[Bengalis|Bengali]] journalist, [[Medical doctor|doctor]], teacher and Social Worker.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":6" /> He was the founder of the famous ''Nihar Press'' in [[Contai]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bengal (India) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZE-AQAAMAAJ&dq=madhusudan+jana+nihar&pg=RA2-PR270 |title=Report on the Administration of Bengal |date=1899 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhowmik |first=Arindam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5xu4DAAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%A8+%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE+%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%81%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BF&pg=PT232 |title=Medinikatha - Purba Medinipur (Midnapore), Tourism & Archaeology (মেদিনীকথা - পূর্ব মেদিনীপুর, পর্যটন ও পুরাকীর্তি): Combination of History, Heritage, Tourism, Culture of East Midnapore. |publisher=Arindam Bhowmik |isbn=978-81-931892-3-8 |language=bn}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

[[File:Bust of Madhusudan Jana.jpg|thumb|Bust of Madhusudan Jana, at [[Contai]], [[Midnapore district|Midnapore]].]]

==Early life==
Madhusudan Jana was born on 26 September 1857 at Birulia village in [[Nandigram II|Nandigram]], [[Midnapore district]], [[Bengal Presidency]], in a [[Brahmo]] [[Mahishya]] family to Narasimha Jana and Bidyabati Debi.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Chatterjee |first=Srilata |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2L81DgAAQBAJ&dq=madhusudan+jana+nihar&pg=PA65 |title=Congress Politics in Bengal 1919-1939 |date=2003-01-01 |publisher=Anthem Press |isbn=978-1-84331-366-3 |language=en}}</ref> His grandfather had converted to [[Brahmoism]] as a result of the influence of [[Raja Ram Mohan Roy|Ram Mohan Roy]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ray |first=Rajat Kanta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K15uAAAAMAAJ&q=madhusudan+jana+nihar |title=Social Conflict and Political Unrest in Bengal, 1875-1927 |date=1984 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-561654-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite thesis |last=Gupta |first=Swapan Das |title=Local Politics in Bengal: Midnapur District 1907-1934. |date=1980 |degree=phd |publisher=SOAS University of London |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/34081/ |language=en}}</ref> The family later migrated south to [[Contai]], where Madhusudan attended the newly founded [[Contai High School]], being a graduate of one of its first batches. He stood first in his class.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Senapati and Das |first=Uma and Dulal Krishna |title=মাহিষ্য রত্নাবলী জীবনী শতক |publisher=Tuhina Publications |year=2018 |isbn=9788194434641 |edition=2nd |location=[[Kolkata]] |publication-date=2020 |pages=165 |language=Bengali |trans-title=Mahishya Ratnavali Biographical Century}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Manmatha Nath |title=MEDINIPUR CHARITABHIDHAN |publisher=Arindam's |edition=1st |language=Bengali |trans-title=Biographical dictionery on undivided Medinipur District}}</ref> Subsequently, he took admission into the [[Midnapore College]].<ref name=":8"/>

==Career==
Following his education he began to thoroughly study [[Homeopathy]] because he was deeply affected by the scarcity of [[Medical doctor|Doctors]] in the rural areas of [[Midnapore]], and the countless medical hurdles that the rural population had to face due to a combination of both, the lack of financial means to afford medical care as well as a lack of [[Health professional|medical practitioners]]. Gradually his fame as doctor spread throughout [[Midnapore district]] as well as outside.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=কাঁথির ঈশ্বর মধুসূদন /সন্তু জানা |url=https://www.jaladarchi.com/2021/01/god-of-contai-madhusudan-jana.html |access-date=2025-12-23 |language=bn}}</ref> He specialised in diseases affecting to rural populace in those days such as [[Cholera]], [[Smallpox]] etc. He came to be called "'''Iswar'''" by the people because of the free of cost treatment that he rendered to the sick.<ref name=":8"/><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
[[File:Contai Model Institution.jpg|thumb|[[Contai Model Institution]] at [[Contai]], [[Medinipur district|Midnapore]]. One of the oldest institutions of Medinipur established in 1883, by [[Babu (title)|Babu]] Madhusudan Jana, Padmalochan Panda and others.]]
He was also one of the foremost in spreading education across the district. He was instrumental for establishing many schools in [[Contai]]. He was the founder and the first [[Headmaster]] of the [[Contai Model Institution]], the second school established in Contai in 1883.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contai Model Institution - About School |url=https://contaimodel.github.io/about_school.html |access-date=2025-12-23 |website=contaimodel.github.io}}</ref> This school went on to become a later model for the "National Schools", established by [[Birendranath Sasmal|Deshapran Birendranath Sasmal]] all across the [[Midnapore district]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Manmatha Nath |title=মুক্তিযুদ্ধে মেদিনীপুর |publisher=Dey's Publishing |edition=1st |location=[[Kolkata]] |language=Bengali |trans-title=Mukti Yudhdhe Medinipur}}</ref> On behalf of the [[Brahmo Samaj]], he along with [[Rai Sahib]] [[Bipin Bihari Sasmal]] and others established the [[Contai Chandramani Brahmo Girls' School]] in the year 1909. He was also involved in the foundation of the Contai Club, an anti British, club only for Indian members at [[Contai]].<ref name=":8"/><ref name=":2" />
[[File:Nihar newspaper of Contai, Medinipore.jpg|thumb|Issue 33 of Nihar newspaper of Madhusudan Jana in [[Contai]], Medinipore published in 1901.]]
Apart from his contributions in the fields of [[Medicine]] and [[Education]], his most notable work was the foundation of the ''Nihar Press'', in 1895,<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Chatterji |first=Suniti Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S1oqAAAAMAAJ&q=%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%A8+%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE+%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%81%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BF |title=Bāṅgalā bhāshā-prasaṅge |date=1975 |publisher=Jijñāsā |language=bn}}</ref> being one of the oldest presses of the district and its flagship newspaper ''Nihar Patrika''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Newspapers |first=West Bengal (India) Fact Finding Committee on Small & Medium |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arlFAQAAIAAJ&q=madhusudan+jana+nihar |title=Report of the Fact Finding Committee on Small & Medium Newspapers, 1980 |date=1983 |publisher=Information & Cultural Affairs Department, Government of West Bengal |language=en}}</ref> Published from 17 August 1901, its newspaper [[Nihar Patrika]], became one of the most prolific of the newspapers of [[Midnapore district]] during the [[British Raj]] and the principal mouthpiece of the [[Indian independence movement]] at [[Midnapore district]].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bhattacharyya |first1=Buddhadeva |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y0EdAAAAMAAJ&q=madhusudan+jana+nihar |title=Satyagrahas in Bengal, 1921-39 |last2=Banerjee |first2=Tarun Kumar |last3=Das |first3=Dipak Kumar |date=1977 |publisher=Minerva Associates (Publications) |isbn=978-0-88386-901-7 |language=en}}</ref> The newspaper's fearless and harsh criticism of the [[Bengal Partition of 1905]] drew huge acclaim throughout the country.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Nihar newspaper of Curzon's decision to partition Bengal |url=https://indianculture.gov.in/digital-district-repository/district-repository/nihar-newspaper-curzons-decision-partition-bengal |website=Indianculture.gov.in}}</ref> Nihar Patrika was acclaimed throughout [[Bengal Presidency]] during the [[Indian freedom struggle]] for its fearless journalism and accurate reasoned arguments.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mksIAAAAIAAJ&q=madhusudan+jana+nihar |title=All-India Press Annual |date=1932 |publisher=Press Bureau |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> Apart from the writings in the nationalist newspaper, Jana also translated [[Jagannatha Dasa (Odia poet)|Jagannatha Dasa's]] ''Bhagabata'' the famous [[Odia language|Odia]] text into [[Bengali language]]. He was made an Honorary Magistrate by the Government for his social works and other contributions.<ref name=":2" /> He was also honoured with the title of [[Acharya]] by the [[Brahmo Samaj]] and the sobriquet of "''Vidyabinode"'' by the [[Pandits]] of Nabadwip Biswajanin Bidyatsabha of [[Nabadwip]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" />
[[File:Chandramani Brahma Balika Vidyalaya - Contai - East Midnapore - 2016-06-18 4166.JPG|thumb|[[Contai Chandramani Brahmo Girls' School]], founded by Madhusudhan Jana, [[Rai Sahib]] [[Bipin Bihari Sasmal]] and others in 1909.]]

==Death==
He died in 21 October 1938 at his house in [[Contai]].<ref name=":8"/> A street, "Madhusudhan Jana Sarani" has been named aftet him at Contai.<ref name=":2" /> After his death, his son, Jatindra Nath Jana, also a teacher, continued his legacy through the publications of the ''Nihar Press''.<ref name=":3" /> The newspapers ran till 1989 through the editorship of his grandson, Nitindranath Jana, the newspaper was published from the family's house built by Madhusudhan Jana at [[Contai]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nihar weekly newspaper, Contai, Medinipur, West Bengal |url=https://eap.bl.uk/collection/EAP921-3 |access-date=2025-12-23 |website=Endangered Archives Programme |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Street named after Acharya Madhusudhan Jana at Contai, Purba Medinipur.jpg|thumb|Plaque installed in Madhusudan Jana Sarani, [[Contai]].]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1857 births]]
[[Category:1938 deaths]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Bengali people]]
[[Category:Brahmos]]
[[Category:People from Purba Medinipur district]]
[[Category:People from Midnapore]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian medical doctors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian medical doctors]]
[[Category:Medical doctors from British India]]
[[Category:People from the Bengal Presidency]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:Bengali educators]]
[[Category:Indian newspaper editors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian journalists]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]
[[Category:Social workers from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Scholars from West Bengal]]

Madhusudan Jana - Revision history

Vedpsagar at 05:58, 4 January 2026