Today is the birthday of Bankim Chandra and I really feeling thankful to him for great “VandeMataram” which has been motivating us till today and enlighten the path of million sons of Bharat Mata around the world. No doubt, this song and Anand Math Book has given us the golden days of freedom and thousands kissed noose to chant VandeMataram.
Bankim was not only a writer of a song VandeMataram but his works motivated to the whole nation in the favor of true patriotism. Bankim Chandra was the first person whose books boiled the blood of common people of India and he was the person who routed the energy of millions of Hindus for their mother land.
Chandra wrote the national Song “Vandemataram” in 1876 and used in his novel “Anand Math” in 1882. This book gave a new aura and energy to our nation. It is a hymn to the Mother Land. It played a vital role in the Indian independence movement, first sung in a political context by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.
VandeMataram was the first song of the world in which any society pour their religious believes to get freedom from the invaders.
Hindus are the only people of the world who pour their spiritual feelings into their motherland. No other religion exist in this world who have this level of devotion to its motherland. We are the only culture who personifying the mother land and compare this to our God. This is why we feel goose bump on the name of Bharat Mata and anti-nationalists fear to listen this song.
तुमि विद्या, तुमि धर्म
तुमि हृदि, तुमि मर्म
त्वम् हि प्राणा: शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति,
हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति,
तोमारई प्रतिमा गडि
मन्दिरे-मन्दिरे
Thou art wisdom, thou art Religion,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nerves the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.
त्वम् हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदलविहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी,
नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलाम्
अमलां अतुलाम्
सुजलां सुफलाम् मातरम्।। ४।।
वन्दे मातरम्।
Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair
Anand Math (The Abbey of Bliss) : A Must Read Book
This is a Bengali novel, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and published in 1882. Set in the background of the Sannyasi Rebellion in the late 18th century, it is considered one of the most important novels in the history of Bengali and Indian literature.
The national song of India, Vande Mataram was first published in this novel. I think if you have not read this great book, please don’t say that you know and love Indian literature and culture.
What was the Sanniyasi Rebellion of India :
The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 was not the first freedom struggle of India but the Sannyasi Rebellion of 1770, when the whole Bengal were stimulated by the sannyasis and people try to get freedom from Islamic and British invaders. They became the whistle blower for the societies of Bengal.
In this Sannyasi Rebellion, the Temples and Mutths became the center of revolt and Hindu sannyasis were leading the public.
At that time Sanyasis were attacking on British troops and protected the villagers. They refused to give taxes when East India Company started to receive the diwani taxes.
In 1771, 150 saints were hanged till death. This was one of the reasons that caused distress leading to violence, especially in Natore in Rangpur, now in modern Bangladesh.
The other two movements involved a sect of Hindu ascetics, the Dasnami naga sannyasis who likewise visited Bengal on pilgrimage also support Bengali sannyasis. Birbhum and Midnapore districts were became the battle fields for the East India Company against these sanniyasis.
The Sannyasi rebellion was the first of a series of revolts and rebellions in the Western districts of the Bengal province including the Chuar Revolt of 1799 and the Santhal Revolt of 1855–56.
Because of this revolt which had been continued from more than 50 years, British divided Bengal in two parts on the basis of Muslim majority. Muslims also were supporting British against Hindus to get more power in the state. And at last on 16 October 1905, Lord Curzon divided Bengal on the basis of religion to dilute the effect of Hindu reactions.
Old men tell us the stories that the whole Bengal did not fire their stoves and slept without meal on the day of partition.
I would say thanks to Bankim Chandra to write a novel “Anand Math” on the sanniyasi rebellion and thanks for VandeMataram.
Hindu Sanniyasi Rebellion : The first freedom struggle of India
