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{{Short description|Indian educationist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Peary Mohan Chatterjee
| image = Peary Mohan Chatterjee.jpg
| alt = Peary Mohan Chatterjee
| caption = Peary Mohan Chatterjee, 1932
| birth_date = 1 August 1883
| birth_place = Khulna, [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], British India
| death_date = 24 December 1951
| death_place = [[Bhowanipore]], Calcutta
| education = [[University of Calcutta]]
| occupation = Educationist, Lawyer, Social Reformer
| notable_works = Founder, [[Beltala Girls' High School]] and [[South Calcutta Girls' College]]
}}

Peary Mohan Chatterjee (1 August 1883 – 24 December 1951), was an Indian educationist and lawyer during the [[British Raj|British colonial rule]] in India. He was the founder of [[Beltala Girls' High School]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2024-06-14 |title=Beltala School founder’s kin take legacy forward with scholarship |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/beltala-school-founders-kin-take-legacy-forward-with-scholarship/articleshow/110981225.cms |access-date=2024-06-16 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUuODBtwrxU |title=বেলতলা গার্লস হাইস্কুল : মেয়েদের শিক্ষা, চেতনা ও প্রগতির আরেক নাম {{!}} Beltala Girls High School |date=2024-06-16 |last=Bongodorshon Official |access-date=2024-06-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref> and [[South Calcutta Girls' College]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=College History - South Calcutta Girls' College |url=https://southcalcuttagirlscollege.com/pages/374 |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=southcalcuttagirlscollege.com}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Peary Mohan Chatterjee was born in 1883 into a [[Bengali Hindus|Bengali Hindu]] [[Bengali Brahmin|Brahmin]] family. His father, Krishna Mohan Chatterjee, was a lawyer. Chatterjee pursued a legal career, following in his father's footsteps. He studied at the University of Calcutta, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Arts degree.

He married Vidyutbala Devi in 1908.

== Notable Work ==
Peary Mohan Chatterjee was a prominent figure in early 20th-century colonial [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]] who championed girls' education.<ref>{{Cite web |title=বেলতলা গার্লস হাইস্কুল : মেয়েদের শিক্ষা, চেতনা ও প্রগতির আরেক নাম |url=https://www.bongodorshon.com/home/story_detail/beltala-girls-high-school-an-another-name-for-girls-education-consciousness-and-progress |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Bongodorshon {{!}} ইতিবাচক বাংলা}}</ref> On July 2, 1920, he founded a girls' school at his South Calcutta residence from his library with only six girls, including his daughters Kanaklata Devi and Kamala Devi.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-06-14 |title=Beltala School founder’s kin take legacy forward with scholarship |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/beltala-school-founders-kin-take-legacy-forward-with-scholarship/articleshow/110981225.cms |access-date=2024-06-19 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> In the face of considerable societal resistance and financial shortfalls, Chatterjee resolutely mortgaged his home to secure the necessary funds for the school's construction.<ref name=":0" /> The school was called [[Beltala Girls' High School]], that proudly symbolized inclusivity by welcoming girls from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

In 1922, Chatterjee, with the help of [[Chittaranjan Das]] and other lawyers, established the Beltala Girls Education Society. Das chaired the society, and Chatterjee served as the secretary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=College History - South Calcutta Girls' College |url=https://southcalcuttagirlscollege.com/pages/374 |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=southcalcuttagirlscollege.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=South Calcutta Girls College, Kolkata, West Bengal {{!}} YoungBuzz |url=https://www.youngbuzz.com/colleges/south-calcutta-girls-college |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=www.youngbuzz.com}}</ref>.The society aimed to expand educational opportunities for women coming from middle-income families. This powerful initiative led to the establishment of [[South Calcutta Girls' College|South Calcutta Girls College]],<ref name=:1>{{Cite web |title=Library - South Calcutta Girls' College |url=https://southcalcuttagirlscollege.com/pages/425 |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=southcalcuttagirlscollege.com}}</ref> initially operating as a morning section of [[Beltala Girls' High School|Beltala Girls' School]] before becoming an independent institution in 1932 and the first girls' college in South Kolkata.

Chatterjee believed in the intellectual freedom of women, and helped set up the library at South Calcutta Girls' College with the assistance of the founding members. The library, which started with 7,000 books, became a vital resource for young women, helping their educational and intellectual growth. Today, the college's library is named in honor of Peary Mohan Chatterjee,<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=PEARY MOHAN CHATTERJEE LIBRARY : South Calcutta Girls College |url=https://scgclibrary.in/about-us.php |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=scgclibrary.in}}</ref> commemorating his enduring legacy in advancing women's education.

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Indian social reformers]]
[[Category:Indian educators]]
[[Category:Lawyers in British India]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:Educators from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]
[[Category:Bengali people]]
[[Category:Scholars from West Bengal]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:1883 births]]
[[Category:1951 deaths]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]

Peary Mohan Chatterjee - Revision history

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