A GREAT HISTORIAN NEVER TO LOSE
BRAJADULAL CHATTERJEE
Abhipsha Sarkar
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| historian brajadulal chatterjee |
A proverb “WHAT BENGAL THINKS TODAY, THAT INDIA THINKS TOMORROW” really matches with this Bengali historian. We all have came across this and strongly agrees to this.
A great scholar whom most us are not so familiar with but might have demonstrate his works in the history books. Still now, my readers could not figure out the great personality who devoted most of his life in the field of history and its new researches. Myself being a history lover, I am very much blessed to discuss about such a great personality. Lets reveal his life and its contributions to Indian History.
He was none other but Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya better known as B.D. Chattopadhyaya as the author of the Making of early Medieval India. He was a person with vast knowledge of the scope of ancient and early-medieval history. He was not very much tall rather a small looking person but that didn’t prevent him from making any further developments in history and contribute to the society.
B.D. Chattopadhyaya got his undergraduate and post graduate degree from the University of Calcutta and Presidency University from the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture and later got his doctorate degree Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge for more researches.
He worked as teacher and faculty at various universities and historical school. That include the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, Burdwan University and Viswa Bharati University, Shanti Niketan. Though he was the teacher and faculty of Burdwan varsity out of which , but spent most of teaching at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi till his retirement in 2004, for a long spell of more than 3 decades there.
Professor Chattopadhyaya is well known by his knowledge of Historical Geography and the study of the history of the state system and thus received fame through this field. He was also the master of another theory i.e. he radically changed the way of studying history in the context of geography. Similarly, his concept of ‘integrated state system’ in the early medieval period also enriched his study of history. Added to it, his contribution to the study of social and economic history is unquestionable.
Professor sir was the recipient of many rewards and fellowship like the Indo-US Fellowship at Chicago University (1986), German Academic Exchange Fellowship (DAAD) at the University of Heidelberg and Kiel (1991) and Visiting Professor at the University of Leipzig (1996-7). He was also awarded the Prix -Duchalais by the Akademie des Inscription De France (1978) for the ‘Coins and Currency Systems in South India’ book, H.C. Raychaudhuri Birth Centenary Gold Medal by the Asiatic Society in Bengal (2002). In 2014-15, he was awarded a National Fellowship by the Indian Intitute of Advanced Study(IIAS), Shimla.
He was invited for the deliverance of S. Radhakrishnan Memorial Lectures at the All Souls College (2011-12). Also delivered the Nirlepananda Endowment Lecture in the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture at the University of Calcutta. He also been focused on his teachings through a lecture meet at Russell Square organised by SOAS University of London upon “Understanding the Indian Experience from the Classical towards the Medieval” (2009).
A pioneer in the history field, published numerous books which include Coins and Currency Systems in South India (1977), Aspects of Rural Settlements and Rural Society in Early Medieval India (1990), The Making of Early Medieval India (1994), Representing the Other? Sanskrit Sources and the Muslims (1998), Studying Early India: Archeology, Texts and Historical Issues (2003), The Concept of Bharatvarsha and other Essays (2017).
His edited and co- edited volumes include D.D.Kosambi, Combined Methods in Ideology and other Writings (2002,2009), A Social History of early India (2008), A Sourcebook of Indian civilisation (2000), Inscriptions and Agrarian Issues in Indian History, Essays in Memory of D.C. Sircar (2017).
All his works has been held worldwide. According to the timeline from 1974 till date, it shows that the works of Brajadulal Chattopadhyay were held widely. There were 90 works in 199 publications in 1 language and 2,076 library holdings.
The author of early Medieval Period left us a huge treasure of unrevealed box of history for us and the coming generations. He always tried to encourage the young researchers by reading and providing suggestions regarding the topics. Mainly his genres were History, Pictorial works, Academic Thesis, Conference papers and proceedings.
Even in the twilight of his life, he was against the distortion of history, therefore to preserve its original heritage.
The great historian Brajadulal Chattopadhyay at about 83 years left to abode, at a private hospital in South Kolkata on Wednesday morning. His left made us the history lovers having a great loss in the field of history. Every Bengali lost a gem and is mourned over his death. Various organisations including the west Bengal History Society have expressed grief over his death.
We are grieved over his loss. From every core of Bengali’s heart we wish the great man a peace to his immortal soul, may his soul rest in peace.
ABHIPSA SARKAR
