Bengali

Harihar Das

Harihar Das was an Indian scholar and biographer whose meticulous research and dedication rescued the poet Toru Dutt from comparative oblivion. Born in the village of Sidhipasa, Bengal, Das first encountered Toru Dutt’s poetry as a schoolboy when reading “Buttoo” in an examination textbook. This early encounter sparked a fascination that would shape his life’s work.

The Biography Project

Despite the passage of forty-three years since Toru Dutt’s death in 1877, no comprehensive biography of the remarkable poet existed when Das began his research in December 1911. Indian writers had traditionally neglected biography as a literary form, and Toru’s name was sinking into obscurity despite her extraordinary achievements in English, French, and Sanskrit literature.

Romesh Chunder Dutt

Romesh Chunder Dutt, C.I.E. (Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire) was a pioneering Indian civil servant, historian, and translator who bridged Eastern and Western cultures through his scholarly work. A barrister-at-law and member of both the Royal Asiatic Society and the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Dutt dedicated his life to making Indian civilization, history, and literature accessible to English readers.

Literary Contributions

Dutt’s most enduring literary achievement is his translation work, which introduced English readers to the wealth of ancient Indian poetry. His Lays of Ancient India (1894) presented carefully selected passages spanning five distinct periods of Indian literary history: