Brahmo Samaj India Letter Signed Autograph Krishna Gupta Bengali Reformer

  

Original autograph letter on Ballabrooie, High Ground, Bangalore headed paper dated 14 July 1923. Wondering what the members of the British Consular Services do. Do they keep their eyes shut to what goes on around them?

Letter closed & signed by Gupta. 1 horizontal & 1 vertical original mailing folds. Sir Krishna Govinda Gupta Bengali:????? , (28 February 1851 - 20 March 1926) KCSI ICS, was a noted Indian Statesman, the sixth Indian member of the Indian Civil Service, a Barrister-at-Law, a prominent Bengali social reformer of 19th Century and leading Brahmo Samaj personality. Parents: Kali Narayan Gupta and Annada Sundari Gupta (daughter of Madhab Chandra Sen) Wife: Prasanna Tara Gupta (daughter of Nabin Chandra Das) Brothers: Peari Mohun Gupta; Ganga Gobindo Gupta; Binoy Chandra Gupta Sisters: Subala Gupta; Bimala Das; Hemanta Sashi Sen; Soudamini Das; Chapala Dutta; Sarala Das; Son: Jatindra Chandra Gupta; BR> Daughters: Hem Kusum Sen (wife of Atul Prasad Sen); Saraju Sen; Ila Gupta; Nalini Gupta (wife of Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerjee, ICS).

Krishna Govinda Gupta was born in Bhatpara village, Sadar Police Station, Narsingdi district, near Dhaka, presently located in Bangladesh. His father was Kali Narayan Gupta, a landlord of Bhatpara, and an eminent person in Brahmin dominated society. His early education was carried out at Mymensingh Government School and Dacca College. Later, he joined the University College, London where he successfully took the Open Competitive Examination standing 2nd in the final examination.

He became the 7th Indian member of the Indian Civil Service, joining the service as a probationer in 1871 coming out to India in 1873. He was also called to the Bar by The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. In the British occupied India appointment to all covenanted posts were reserved for the Britishers only. The posts of Munsif and Sadar Amin were created and opened to Indians in 1832.

In 1833, the posts of deputy magistrate and deputy collector were created and opened to Indians. The ICS Act of 1861 established the Indian Civil Service. The Act of 1853 had already established the practice of recruiting covenanted civilians through competitive examinations. Even after these, it was extremely difficult for any Indian to go to England and compete with the British for a position.

Satyendranath Tagore (elder brother of Rabindranath Tagore), along with Monomohun Ghose took upon this daunting task and set sail for England in 1862 to prepare for and compete in the civil service examinations. Satyendranath was selected, as the first Indian, for the Indian Civil Service in June, 1863. Monomohun Ghose did not succeed in the examination for the ICS but was called to the bar.

Krishna Govinda Gupta appeared in the Indian Civil Service examination in 1871 in London and became a probationer. He joined Civil Service on 24 October 1873 as Assistant Magistrate and Collector, being the sixth Indian to join ICS up to that time. Successively he served in the special duty of controlling famine in Bengal and Bihar during 1873-74; became joint magistrate and deputy collector in 1884; appointed as Secretary, Board of Revenue in 1887; became magistrate and collector in 1889; appointed as the junior secretary to the Board of Revenue in 1990; became the commissioner of excise in March 1893; and acted as the divisional commissioner of Burdwan in 1901.

He was the first Indian to be appointed as Member, Board of Revenue in 1904. He then became a member of the Indian Excise Committee in 1905 and was on special duty in connection with the Fisheries of Bengal in 1906. It was a report submitted by Krishna Govinda in 1906, on the potential of fisheries in Bengal, while he was a member of the Excice Committee, that paved the way of creation of the Department of Fisheries in the Government of Bengal in 1908. Encouragement in cultivation of inland fisheries, prawn and other water based farming etc. Were a government prerogative since that time.

The legacy is still continuing for the fish loving Bengalis in both India and Bangladesh till the present. In 25 July 1907, Krishna Govinda Gupta along with Dr. Syed Hussain Bilgrami became the first Indian to be nominated as member of the Secretary of State's Council of India.

Later he was also appointed as a member of Lord Esher's Army in India Committee in 1920. Satyendranath Tagore (1842 - 1923), an ICS of 1963, was a close associate of Krishna Govinda in his socio literary activities. Taraknath Palit, Monomohun Ghose, Satyendra Prasanna Sinha, Bihari Lal Gupta and Krishna Govinda Gupta were some of the regular participants among the eminent stalwarts of the then Bengal in the majlis (discussions) arranged from time to time in Satyendranath's house in Park Street and Ballygunge.

Member, India Council, London; b. Of Kali Narayan Gupta; m.

Of Nabin Chandra Das d. 1908; educ: Mymensing Government School; Dacca College; London University College; joined I. 1873; Secretary, Board of Revenue, 1887; Commissioner of Excise, 1893; Divisional Commissioner, 1901; Member, Board of Revenue, 1904, (the first Indian to hold that appointment in all India); Member, Indian Excise Committee, 1905; on special duty in connection with the Fisheries of Bengal, 1906; deputed to Europe and America to carry on fishery investigation, 1907; nominated to the India Council, 1907; is one of the two Indians who were for the first time appointed to that office; called to Bar (Middle Temple).

Address: India Office, Whitehall, S. Brahmo Samaj, (Sanskrit: "Society of Brahma")Brahmo also spelled Brahma, theistic movement within Hinduism, founded in Calcutta [now Kolkata] in 1828 by Ram Mohun Roy.

The Brahmo Samaj does not accept the authority of the Vedas, has no faith in avatars (incarnations), and does not insist on belief in karma (causal effects of past deeds) or samsara (the process of death and rebirth). It discards Hindu rituals and adopts some Christian practices in its worship. Influenced by Islam and Christianity, it denounces polytheism, image worship, and the caste system.

The society has had considerable success with its programs of social reform but has never had a significant popular following. The Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) in The Hague, Netherlands. International Court of Justice (judicial body of the United Nations), the Hague Academy of International Law, Peace Palace Library, Andrew Carnegie help pay for.

World Organizations: Fact or Fiction? The World Health Organization is a specialized branch of the United States government.

Whereas Ram Mohun Roy wanted to reform Hinduism from within, his successor, Debendranath Tagore, broke away in 1850 by repudiating Vedic authority and making reason and intuition the basis of Brahmanism. The new branch became eclectic and cosmopolitan and was most influential in the struggle for social reform.

It sponsored the Band of Hope temperance society, encouraged the education of women, and campaigned for the remarriage of widows and for legislation to prevent child marriages. When Keshab arranged for his daughter to marry the Prince of Cooch Behar, both parties were well under age. He was thus violating his own reformist principles, and many of his followers rebelled, forming a third samaj ("society, " "association"), the Sadharan i. Common Brahmo Samaj, in 1878. The Sadharan Samaj gradually reverted to the teaching of the Upanishads and carried on the work of social reform.

Although the movement lost force in the 20th century, its fundamental social tenets were accepted, at least in theory, by Hindu society. The Brahmo Samaj was a monotheistic sect of Hinduism. The movement began through meetings of Bengalis in Calcutta in 1828. One of the leading figures was Ram Mohun Roy. This group was known as the Brahmo Sabha.

In 1831, Roy visited England as a reforming ambassador and died there in 1833. He was buried in Bristol and his funeral sermon was conducted by Lant Carpenter, a Unitarian minister. Debendranath Tagore, the father of Rabindranath Tagore, was a key member of the Brahmo Sabha. In 1843 he was involved in the creation of the Brahmo Samaj. Keshub Chunder Sen, a disciple of Tagore, joined the Samaj in 1857 but broke away in a formal schism in 1866. This schism was called the Brahmo Samaj of India. In 1870, Sen visited Britain and met with Mary Carpenter, the daughter of Lant Carpenter. Together they founded the National Indian Association, an organization designed to promote social reform in India and provide a meeting place for Indians and British people in Britain. However, the Brahmo Samaj (in its various guises) continued to flourish in India and particularly Bengal.

Rabindranath Tagore's Visva Bharati University was founded in 1921 as an expression of Brahmo universalism. The influence of Ram Mohun Roy and Keshub Chunder Sen in Britain could also be seen into the twentieth century. The cemetery where Roy was buried became a pilgrimage spot for Brahmos visiting the UK and the National Indian Association convened annual remembrances on the anniversary of Sen's death. Krishna Govinda GUPTA, British Secretary. GUPTA, Krishna Govinda was born on February 28, 1851 in Bhatpara, Dacca.

Son of Kali Narayan Gupta. Studied at Mymensing Government School. Dacca College; London University College. Joined Indian Civil Service, 1873 (2nd at the final examination).

Passed through all the grades in Bengal. Secretary Board of Revenue, 1887.

Member Board of Revenue, 1904, being the first Indian to hold that appointment. Member Indian Excise Committee, 1905.

On special duty in connection with the Fisheries of Bengal, 190G. Deputed to Europe and America in 1907 to cany on fishery investigation, as a result of which a new department is being organised to conserve and develop the provincial fisheries.

Nominated to the Indian Council, 1907. Being one of the two Indians who were for the first time raised to that position. 1909; Member, Council of Secretary of State for India since 1908; Barrister-at-Law, Middle Temple, 1873; late Indian Civil Service. Spouse 1866, Prasannatava, daughter of Nabin Chandra Das d. Ram Mohan Roy and Debendranath Tagore founded the Brahmo Samaj, a philosophical movement grounded in belief in the unity of the divine and absolute equality between all people.

As the "Fathers of the Indian Renaissance, " their ideas led to radical reforms, challenging the caste system, child marriage and violence against women. This service reflects on the impact of this movement, including reflections from WUS member, Swati Mukherjee, who grew up in an India shaped by its affirmation of human dignity, the right of conscience and freedom of religion. A Faith That Changed the World The Brahmo Samaj - May 12th, 2019Download.

"A Faith That Changed the World: The Brahmo Samaj". Sometimes it is not easy, being part of a faith tradition that few people know about or understand. When we name our religious affiliation or, by the inquirer's response, we know they have confused Unitarian Universalism for the Unification church. Perhaps for these reasons, Unitarian Universalists have developed a practice of crafting "elevator speeches, " short explanations of their beliefs that can be shared in the time it takes to travel from one floor to another in an elevator.

Some of them are serious. At its best, Unitarian Universalism is a religion of people who covenant to treat one another well, care for the earth, and protect the beautiful tapestry of cultures and communities that make up the people of the world. Love is the core value from which we build. Some of them are pithy: Unitarian Universalism means never having to say,'I'm right, you're wrong! [2] and Unitarianism proclaims that we spring from a common source; Universalism, that we share a common destiny.

Some are pithy and humorous: We are the'one God, no Hell' church. By their number, their influence on human history, their crackerjack marketing team or all of the above, some faiths have a presence in the human consciousness beyond their adherents. So imagine when I learned there is what some call "a Unitarian form of Hinduism" - I was surprised and delighted.

How wonderful it was to discover that my minority spirituality was articulated and practiced long ago, in a distant and different culture, a place that still has many believers today. It was wonderful to find out that Unitarian Universalism has a small home within the great and diverse Hindu faith.

If the name Tagore sounds familiar, Debendranath is the father of beloved, Nobel prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore, whose lyrical words often reflect the principles and ideals of the Brahmo community as "Samaj" means "community" in India. I wanted to learn more about the Brahmo Samaj, a curiosity that led to today's service.

In my exploration, I was first challenged by an obvious question: If Unitarian Universalism is the "one god, no Hell church" and Hinduism is known for its many gods, how can there be a Unitarian expression of Hinduism? Perhaps it is time for a Brahmo Samaj elevator speech, made - in part - through a demonstration. Imagine this glass of water is the Hindu god Brahma, the creator.

And this water is Shiva the destroyer. And this water is Ganesha the remover of obstacles. And this water is Krishna. And this is the God of Jewish and Christian scripture.

And this is all of humanity. And this is all of nature. As we learned in today's First Reflection, the Brahmos teach us that all manifestations of the divine, including human beings, are of the same essence. Thus, the Brahmo Samaj articulates their "prime principles" - on God, being and love - as.

There is always Infinite Singularity - immanent and transcendent Singular Author and Preserver of Existence - He who is manifest everywhere and in everything, in the fire and in the water, in the smallest plant to the mightiest oak. Being is created from Singularity. Being is renewed to Singularity. Being exists to be one (again) with Loving Singularity. Respect all creations and beings but never venerate them for only Singularity can be loved.

The Brahmo Samaj has a rich and complex history. The movement began with Ram Mohan Roy, born in 1772. He was an amazing scholar, becoming fluent in Sanskrit, Persian and English and conversant in Arabic, Latin and Greek. As historian Alan Hodder notes, Roy's intensive study under his Muslim tutors of the Qu'an and the Sufi poets nurtured in him and abiding respect for the Muslim tawhid, the absolute Unity of God, which would become the cornerstone of his mature religious philosophy and the basis for his critiques of Hindu'idolatry' and later, trinitarianism.

Roy connected with a Baptist missionary to India, William Carey. Roy's affiliation with Carey and the Baptist church was a catalyst to challenging the priestly classes of Indian society, the practice of sati - widows throwing themselves, or being thrown, upon the funeral pyre of their husbands - child marriage, dowries and polygamy. In time, Roy ended his relationship with Carey as he could no longer promote the idea of a trinitarian God. In the midst of theological conflicts with trinitarian colleagues, Unitarian contemporaries of Roy in England and the United States became philosophical allies with Roy.

[6] His break from traditional Hinduism and disassociation with trinitarian Christianity became pronounced with the founding of the Brahmo Sahba on August 20th, 1828 with Devendranath Tagore, the first house of worship opening in 1830. After Roy's death, Devendranath Tagore became its primary leader, eventually publishing a Brahma Dharma book in 1850 that defined the tradition as separate from Hinduism, a unique religion unto itself, and challenged the infallibility of the Hindu Vedas. The movement then splits, thanks to the interference of a Unitarian minister, Charles Dall. The contemporary website for the World Brahmo Council tells the story this way: Dall, a roving Unitarian missionary, is in a troubled marriage in Boston with.

Caroline Wells Healey Dall, suffering a series of mental depressions, and is sufficiently persuaded to grant his wife a Boston divorce by sailing to India forever as the first foreign Unitarian missionary. No matter what motivated Dall to come to India, his connections with the Brahmo Samaj were positive until he began to introduce works by Unitarian Christians. Alienating both orthodox Christians and Tagore, who did not welcome discussion of Christianity, Tagore then banned Dall from the Samaj. Now ostracized, Dall began a Samaj of his own with progressive members of the Brahmo Samaj, the Rammohun Roy Society. This separate group eventually split again and, in time, one half of the divided group reintegrated with the original Samaj. Speaking to the question of excommunication, the World Brahmo Council concludes In the early days of Brahmoism a few people were admitted as members who caused immense trouble to our religion and gave it a bad name, after their expulsion in 1866 True Brahmoism has had no apostasy in its ranks. Currently, while Brahmoism is considered a religion, Brahmos no longer gather in congregations. The original Samaj no longer holds worship services while the more liberal break off tradition worships about twice a year. Yet, it is believed that the original Samaj has eight million members while other branches claim thousands of adherents. One can identify solely as a Brahmo or - as in Unitarian Universalism - one can practice another faith while also claiming a Brahmo identity.

The Brahmo World Council affirms that Brahmos do not evangelize: Brahmoism was never a'proselytizing religion. Like all the great Asian religions, we sit on the seashore (or a Himalayan mountain or the Internet) and wait for truthseekers to seek us out. In the most succinct possible terms, one could say that the Brahmo Samaj is a "one god, no Hell" community that does not convert but invites people into its movement.

Brahmos draw from their principles of universal human dignity, affirmation of reason and belief in religious freedom to transform society for the better. Despite the dubious social skills of a certain Charles Dall many years ago, one could say there is strong resonance between the Principles and practices of Unitarian Universalism and the Brahmo Samaj. One could say these ideas are not confined to small, unknown traditions but instead shared across cultures and continents.

One could say that Brahmo and Unitarian ideals and adherents have changed the world throughout history and that these principles are still needed this day. In the 1980s Calcutta was a very vibrant city to grow up in and I consider myself fortunate to be part of a cultural, crowded yet somehow functional city on the eastern shore of India. There are few individuals shaped my identity when I was growing up during the early years of my life be it in my grandparents' house near the pristine backwaters of the Bay of Bengal or in my parents' house in the chaotic city.

I was a daughter from a Hindu family who was sent to catholic school, and this school was in a predominantly Islamic neighborhood of the city. Seeing several ways to preach and call God baffled me as a child, especially when I would bring the bible from school and ask why is the Veda or Gita a different holy scripture - are they both holy? Why did we have a guru (living god) yet when my mother taught me about karma and rebirth she talked about Shiva, Krishna or the women power Kali who can protect us. In my sixth-grade history class I was introduced to an entity called the Brahmo Samaj: Raja Ram Mohan Roy, along with Dwarkanath Tagore founded the Brahmo Samaj, an important socio-religious reform movement in the state of West Bengal in the year 1828. Dwarkanath Tagore is the grandfather of the Nobel prize winner poet and writer, Rabindranath Tagore, as Rev Heather mentioned.

The society aimed to start a movement to reform the Hindu religion that primarily based it's believes on the existence of one God. You can imagine, my husband being an agnostic - it was a tough wedding day for me, and if I tried to reason with my family they would always try and link the rituals to some scientific reason that I did not see the connection to! The Samaj did not believe in the caste system and their implications. The Samaj aimed to abolish these rituals and idol-worship.

The aspect that appealed to me the most was that the Samaj forbid its members to attack other religious. As a young Hindu going to Catholic school it seemed to answer some of my questions. Brahmo Samaj has primarily started in the city of Calcutta, this is where me and my husband was born and raised. In the late 1800s Brahmo Samaj started spreading to other parts of the country. I think most of us have heard about the caste system and its prevalence in India. The Samaj allowed inter-caste marriage, abolish the food-serving restrictions to lower castes and allowing all castes to assemble together in an area, rather than preaching segregation. In the Hindu religion there is not only the Bhagwad Gita but there are other scriptures like the Veda, Upanisads, Puran that dictates the guidance of the religion. There scriptures are written in Sanskrit and not very eligible to a young Hindu who had no knowledge about Sanskrit.

The Samaj translated these documents in Bengali - being a Unitarian Hindu, I have to admit that I have a version of Gita in English. The Brahmo Samaj was not only a religious movement but a social movement particularly on women's liberalization. The women in the religion often wore white or subdued colors to symbolize the religious revolution and protection of women's rights. Such a saree is part of the table on the right. While I was growing up, I learned that in the classic Hindu religion.

There was practice of sati for married Hindu woman, which is a funeral custom where married women were forced to jump in the fire during the funeral of their husband. In that era woman (both mothers and daughters) did not have a voice so a wedding of young ten-year-old to an eighty-year-old man was very common. So often twenty-year-old women were forced to commit sati. Widows, irrespective of the age were not allowed to eat eggs or fish (the staple food in Bengal), wear colors, or re-marry. Women were not allowed to get any formal education.

Women had no right to own property as any inheritance went directly to sons. Polygamy was very common, and the woman had no say in the choices made.

In public gatherings, woman was not included in the main area, for example a concert. They were supposed to sit behind a curtain called the purdah, as a secluded part of the society. From the teachings of the Brahmo Samaj, Raja Ramohan Roy abolished Sati in December 1829. The Brahmo Samaj fought against the caste system, polygamy, child marriage, infanticide, untouchability, seclusion of women and Purdah system. Rarely would marriages occur for woman at the age of 14, they were allowed to come out of the house and get formal education. I lot of effort was put to establishing education for Indian woman, irrespective of the martial or caste status. Even though when I was growing up the existence of the Brahmo Samaj was non-existence, but I remember walking from my college to look at the building where this movement started when I was 18.

I was often told that they were too liberal and women wearing all white was too extreme for Hindu women. In my heart I thought I can be a women's rights' advocate: it would be easier for me now than it was for the women of Brahmo Samaj in the nineth century. The Brahmo Samaj had several other great participants from Calcutta: Dawarkanath Tagore, Kesab Chandra Sen, Debendranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore.

Rabindranath Tagore's birthday was May 7th and his songs was a basis of lot of the gatherings of Brahmo Samaj. In today's service we have included a lot of music from Tagore.

I hope I have left you with a glimpse of the Brahmo Samaj and how it shaped woman liberalization. (Knight Commander of the Star of India)???????

Krishnagobinda Gupta was well known as KG Gupta. He was the first ICS officer of the then East-Bengal (Bangladesh). He was born on 28 February 1851 in the village of Bhatpara of sadar thana in Narsingdi district.

A zamindar of Bhatpara and also a leader of Brahma Samaj, Kalinarayan Gupta was his father and Mother Annadasundari Gupta. KG Gupta started his primary education at Pogos school of Dhaka. He passed the Entrance examination in 1867 from Dhaka Collegiate School and FA from Dhaka College in 1869. In the same year he went to England for higher studies.

Gupta obtained his Bar-at-Law at Lincoln's Inn in London. KG Gupta then got back to his native soil and qualified for ICS (Indian Civil Service) In 1871. Thus KG Gupta started his career as a civil servant in British India.

He was the first Indian to be nominated by the British Government as the Member of the Indian Council to the Viceroy of British-India. Besides, at the same time he served as the only Indian member in the House of Commons. KG Gupta retired from the civil service in 1906. As a religious reformer he established a Brahma temple in 1300 BS in his zamindari estate at Kaoraid. He played an important role in establishing Rammohun Roy Library in Dhaka in 1871. He and his father Kalinarayan Gupta were the chief patron of the Brahma Samaj of Dhaka and Mymensingh. He established'Sir KG Gupta High School' at Panchdona and'Kalinarayan High School' at Kaoraid in 1919. In recognition of his services British Government conferred upon KG Gupta the title of KCSI (Knight Commander of the State of India).

He was the first Indian who received such award. Krishnagobinda Gupta died on 29 March 1926. A road was named in his memory as'KG Gupta Lane' at Lakshmibazar in Dhaka.