Vivian Derozio Young Bengal Movement

This was the time of the 1820s and in the early 1830s, where India witnessed an emergence of a radical and an intellectual trend which hyped among the youths in the state of Bengal, they termed this trend as the ‘Young Bengal Movement. This movement was led by a young Anglo-Indian named Henry Vivian Derozio, who taught at the Hindu College from the year 1826 to 1831. Derozio was not only a leader but also an inspirer of this new and progressive trend in the state.  

In this article, we are going to learn about the Young Bengal Movement and the ideas, objectives, and intellectuals which are shared by Derozio under the topic ‘Henry Vivian Derozio and Young Bengal Movement’.

Modernization of Bengal by Hindu College of Calcutta

The spark of modernizing in Bengal was actually initiated by the Hindu college of Calcutta, this college was founded in the year 1817, this college played a historical role in the Young Bengal Movement. 

David Hare 

David Hare, an associate of Ram Mohan Roy took a genuine interest in starting this Hindu College in Calcutta. David initially had come from Scotland to sell watches in Calcutta, but later he made a landmark by spreading modern education in the state of Bengal. Changing the state in terms of modern education was his life’s only mission at that time. 

Henry Vivian Derozio

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Years passed, then came the year 1826, a young man whose age was a maximum of 17, named Henry Vivian Derozio joined the Hindu College in Calcutta.  Henry’s father was of Portuguese origin while his mother was an English woman, who joined the Hindu College as a teacher.

Soon after Derozio arrived in this college, he attracted the best boys of the college and inspired them to think and talk freely. He encouraged them to question the authorities. In this manner, Derozio ushered radical ideas. He further organized teaching where he shared his own ideas. He organized debates and discussions on literature, history, philosophy, and science. 

All these led to the path of charm which attracted young boys of Calcutta and in no time intellectual revolution was sparked. 

Henry Vivian Derozio and Young Bengal Movement

Derozio’s students, who were collectively known as the Young Bengal, discarded the old social traditions and customs, also debated the existence of God, defied all other illogical social and religious convictions. The movement demanded freedom of thought and expression and the right to educate women. 

This movement cherished the ideals laid down by the French Revolution and the liberal thinking process in England.

There were very strong and radical views of this group, they did not show respect towards the religious idols, alarmed and outraged the orthodox Hindus who were based in Calcutta. 

They were of the view that the teachings preached by Derozio were the main cause of these disrespectful views that were being held by the young boys and thus the locals exerted pressure on the authorities of the Hindu College to dismiss Derozio. Though he was later dismissed from the college the Young Bengal Movement continued to exist. 

Vivian Derozio -Young Bengal Movement: Ideas, Objectives, and Teachings

Ideas And Teaching of Derozio Are as Follows:

• Derozio promoted the growth of radical ideas among the mass of young boys in the Hindy College of Calcutta. Through his teachings, debates, and discussions on Literature, History, Philosophy, and Science he had brought a revolutionary change.

• Derozio vowed to spread an intellectual revolution among the young students.

• Derozio was a great founder of the liberal thinking system.

• He was supported and encouraged the ‘Freedom of Speech, Thought, and Education of Women’.

• Defied all the social and religious conventions that existed among the people of Bengal.

• He condemned religious views, rather stating that radical views were the roots required for any religious philosophy.

Other Great Scholars Involved in the Young Bengal Movement

In this Young Bengal Movement, Christians were also included like Reverend Alexander Duff who had founded the General Assembly’s institution and his disciple like Lal Behari Dey went out to renounce Hinduism. Inheritors of the legacy of the Young Bengal Movement included the great scholars naming Brajendra Nath Seal; he was the leading theologian and thinker of the Brahmo Samaj. 

The Young Bengal Movement also followed the classical economists who took inspiration from Jeremy Bentham, Adam Smith, and David Ricardo.  

Problems Faced By this Community

Bengal witnessed a time when the Hindu society of Bengal was undergoing bad turmoil. In the year 1828, Raja Ram Mohan Roy had established a community called the ‘Brahmo Samaj. Brahmo Samaj was somewhere infused with the Young Bengal movement, they too discarded the belief of idolatry. This resulted in a backlash that was originated by the orthodox Hindu society. Derozio helped and discussed his ideas for social change which were already in the air. His activities brought about an intellectual revolution in the state of Bengal. This was called the Young Bengal Movement and his followers or students were known as Derozians, also mentioning they were fiery patriots of the Nation.

Derozio was dismissed from his post in April of the year 1831, this happened shortly before his untimely death. 

In the year 1838, after his death, members of the Young Bengal movement established a second society which was named the Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge. The main objective of that society was to acquire and disseminate general knowledge among the masses about the condition of our country, India.

Death

Derozio died due to cholera at the early age of 22 on the 26th of December in the year 1831 in Calcutta. In Kolkata, his body was buried in the South Park Street Cemetery.  

The premature death of Derozio in the month of December in the year 1831 gave a big blow to the radical movement – The Young Bengal Movement. But the spirit of enlightenment was sparked up by this remarkable teacher – Derozio. He had kindled the minds of his young Hindu students who continued to inspire the upcoming generations and then left a permanent impact on the social outlook of the Bengali Hindu community. 

Did You know?

• Vivian Derozio’s teaching method had encouraged many of his students to establish quite similar types of associations in other parts of Calcutta. Derozio was the president member of his own Academic Association, he was even engaged with most of the other similar associations like his own in the society as a member and he genuinely participated in their activities.

• Derozio's teachings gave a critical outlook among his students who began to express their own doubt and dissatisfaction with the existing state of things and the affairs which existed in the state. 

• His theories were influenced by the rationalist philosophers named David Hume and Jeremy Bentham and other radical thinkers like Thomas Paine, who had begun to measure everything with their yardstick of reason. The students did not hesitate to denounce their Hindu religion openly.

• Derozio's teachings and philosophies had produced a lot of anxiety in the traditional Hindu society. Derozio was accused of promoting a different path for the students, especially those who came from orthodox Hindu families. 

• When Derozio was dismissed from school he did not lose contact with his students, rather he had more freedom than to express his belief system. 

• Derozio was also actively engaged in promoting the welfare of his Eurasian community and had begun editing a daily English newspaper of his own, it was known as The East Indian.

• He encouraged some of his young Hindu disciples to take up the study of journalism and disseminate their own radical ideas through the important medium. 

• With Derozio’s help and support, one of his disciples Krishna Mohan Banerjee started an English weekly newspaper named ‘The Enquirer’, another disciple named Dakshinaranjan Mukherji, and Rasik Krishna Mallick started to publish a Bengali Newspaper named Jnananvesan. Through all these journals, his disciples made bitter attacks upon the Hindu orthodox society.