Henry Louis Vivian Derozio

Henry Louis Vivian Derozio Biography

Henry Louis Vivian Derozio was a young poet, a radical thinker and one of the greatest teachers of Hindu College, Kolkata, who served as its assistant headmaster during its early days. The most outstanding teacher, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio was then only 22 years old, when he was compelled to resign. Comparing his age, he was a great scholar, teacher, writer as well as a man with distinguished ideas in the field of education in India. Many of his students later became very famous and influential figures of Bengal and different sectors, and belonged to the period termed as ‘Young Bengal’. He passed away due to Cholera, aged only 22. He lived during the period, 18 April 1809 – 26 December 1831.

Henry Louis Vivian Derozio was born on 18 April 1809 in Kolkata in British India. He was born at Entally-Padmapukur in Kolkata. His original family name was 'De Rozario’, and generally considered an Anglo-Indian. He studied at Kolkata. At the age of 14, he quit studies and joined his father’s concern at Kolkata, which was later shifted to Bhagalpur. He was introduced to poetry after viewing scenic beauty of the banks of the River Ganges. At that time the Bengal society was undergoing a great change and many progressive thinkers and social reformers came forward with new ideologies and set up institutions.

When Hindu College was newly formed in West Bengal, he was appointed as a teacher at the age of only 17. He taught English literature and history. By that time he was quite famous as a scholar and thinker. During his stint with the educational institution, he introduced many reforms in teaching style. He was one of the first Indian educators to disseminate Western learning and science among the young men of Bengal. But it invited a lot of protests within the organization, with a committee belonging to conservative Hindu members. Thus the Hindu-dominated management committee expelled him as a faculty member.

Published: September 22, 2018

Updated: September 22, 2018