Mukhopadhyay, Rajkrishna

Mukhopadhyay, Rajkrishna (1845-1886) essayist, was born in the village of Goswami Durgapur in Nadia, son of Anandachandra Mukhopadhyay, a dewan of an indigo factory.'

Rajkrishna passed the Entrance and FA examinations from Krishnanagar College. He completed the BA from presidency college in 1866, coming first class second. In 1867, he obtained the MA degree in Philosophy, standing first class first. He also completed the BL in 1868, standing first class second.

Rajkrishna took to various professions. He taught at the General Assembly's Institution, Presidency College, Cuttack Law College and Berhampore College. He served the Government of Bengal as a Bangla translator from 1879 to 1886. For some time he also practised law in Berhampore and Kolkata.

Rajkrishna became a member of the Executive Committee of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in 1876 and of the Textbook Selection Committee in 1882. He was also a member of the asiatic society. Besides Bangla, he knew Persian, Urdu, Oriya, and Sanskrit.

Many of Rajkrishna's scholarly writings were published in the Education Gazette of bhudev mukhopadhyay and bangadarshan of bankimchandra chattopadhyay. He wrote in both prose and poetry. His principal works are Yauvanodyan (1868), Mitrabilap (1869), Rajbala (1870), Kavyakalap (1870), Pratham Shiksa Bangla Vyakaran (1872), Pratham Shiksa Banglar Itihas (1874) and Kavitamala (1877). His poem 'Bharatmata' and his essay 'Bharatmahima' are imbued with the spirit of nationalism. Nana Prabandha (1885) is a compilation of various essays on history, philosophy and sociology. Some of his English articles are 'Hindu Philosophy' (1867 and 1870), 'Hindu Mythology' (1870), 'Theory of Morals' and 'Origin of Language' (1871), and 'Hints to the Study of the Bengali Language' (1883). [Tanjina Khan Munni]