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{{short description|Indian linguist, polyglot and Indologist}} | |||
{{Hatnote|Not to be confused with [[Harinath Dey]], University of Dhaka biochemist}} | {{Hatnote|Not to be confused with [[Harinath Dey]], University of Dhaka biochemist}} | ||
{{ | {{Use British English|date=August 2014}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date= | {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} | ||
{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Harinath De | | name = Harinath De | ||
| image = Harinath De.jpg | | image = File:Harinath De, Indian linguist, polyglot, Indologist and an academician.jpg | ||
| alt = | | alt = | ||
| caption = | | caption = Harinath De: Indian linguist, polyglot, Indologist and an academician | ||
| birth_name = | | birth_name = | ||
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1877|08|12}} | | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1877|08|12}} | ||
| birth_place = [[Ariadaha]], [[North 24 Parganas]], [[West Bengal]], | | birth_place = [[Ariadaha]], [[Calcutta]] [[North 24 Parganas]], [[West Bengal]], India<ref name = "Bose590">Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976), ''Samsad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (Biographical dictionary), {{in lang|bn}}, p 590</ref> | ||
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1911|08|30|1877|08|12}} | | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1911|08|30|1877|08|12}} | ||
| death_place = | | death_place = [[Calcutta]], India | ||
| other_names = | | other_names = | ||
| occupation = Academician, librarian, polyglot | | occupation = Academician, librarian, polyglot | ||
| known_for = ability to speak in 34 languages | | known_for = ability to speak in 34 languages | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Harinath De''' (12 August 1877— 30 August 1911) was an Indian | '''Harinath De''' (12 August 1877— 30 August 1911) was an Indian linguist, polyglot, Indologist and an academician, who later became the first Indian librarian of the [[National Library of India]] (then Imperial Library) from 1907 to 1911.<ref>{{cite book |title=Indian librarianship: perspectives and prospects |editor=Ravindra N. Sharma |publisher=Kalyani Publishers |year= 1981|page= 221}}</ref> In a life span of thirty-four years, he learned 34 languages.<ref name="Capitol">{{cite book|title=Capital|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ucsxAAAAMAAJ|access-date=4 June 2013|year=1977|page=267}}</ref> | ||
==Early life and education== | ==Early life and education== | ||
He was born in [[Ariadaha]] of [[Kamarhati]] (in present [[North 24 Parganas district]]) near [[Kolkata]], | He was born in [[Ariadaha]] of [[Kamarhati]] (in present [[North 24 Parganas district]]) near [[Kolkata]], West Bengal. His father Roy Bahadur Bhutnath De was a government official in [[Raipur]], [[Central Provinces]] (now [[Chhattisgarh]]), where the family of young [[Narendranath Dutta]] (future [[Swami Vivekananda]]) also stayed in the same building, briefly from 1877 to 1879.<ref>{{cite book |title=Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography|author= Chattopadhyay Rajagopal |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1999|isbn=8120815866 |page=23 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC&q=Harinath+De&pg=PA23}}</ref><ref name=gr169/> | ||
He attended Raipur High School, and went to study at [[Presidency College, Kolkata]] (then in the [[University of Calcutta]]), followed by [[Christ's College, Cambridge]]<ref name=gr169>[[#Gr|Greenspan, p. 169]]</ref> A [[polyglot]] and linguistic prodigy, he was expert in 34 languages, including many eastern and western languages such as Chinese, Tibetan, Pali, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, English, Greek, Latin,<ref>{{cite book |title=A history of Calcutta's streets (Vol. 2)|author= P. Thankappan Nair|publisher=Firma KLM|year=1987|page=396 }}</ref><ref>[[#Gr|Greenspan, p. 140]]</ref> out of which he was M.A in 14. | He attended Raipur High School, and went to study at [[Presidency College, Kolkata]] (then in the [[University of Calcutta]]), followed by [[Christ's College, Cambridge]]<ref name=gr169>[[#Gr|Greenspan, p. 169]]</ref> A [[polyglot]] and linguistic prodigy, he was expert in 34 languages, including many eastern and western languages such as Chinese, Tibetan, Pali, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, English, Greek, Latin,<ref>{{cite book |title=A history of Calcutta's streets (Vol. 2)|author= P. Thankappan Nair|publisher=Firma KLM|year=1987|page=396 }}</ref><ref>[[#Gr|Greenspan, p. 140]]</ref> out of which he was M.A in 14. | ||
==Career== | ==Career== | ||
De was the first [[Indian Education Service]] officer among Indians. He was Professor of [[English studies|English]] of [[Dhaka University]] and of [[Presidency College, Kolkata]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Biography of Harinath Dey|url=http://www.instablogs.com/national-library-its-heritage-in-distress.html}}</ref> | De was the first [[Indian Education Service]] officer among Indians. He was Professor of [[English studies|English]] of [[Dhaka University]] and of [[Presidency College, Kolkata]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Biography of Harinath Dey|date=4 May 2011 |url=http://www.instablogs.com/national-library-its-heritage-in-distress.html}}</ref> He was appointed the first lecturer of the newly created department of [[Linguistics]] of [[Calcutta University]] in 1907.<ref>{{cite web|title=Department of Linguistics: About the Department|url=http://www.caluniv.ac.in/academic/arts_linguistic.htm|publisher=[[Calcutta University]]|access-date=7 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130506183141/http://www.caluniv.ac.in/academic/arts_linguistic.htm|archive-date=6 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was appointed the second librarian and first Indian librarian of the Imperial Library, after the death of John Macfarlane, who was previously Assistant Librarian of the [[British Museum]], London, who was the first librarian of the newly merged Imperial Library.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Background |url=http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html |publisher=[[National Library of India]] |access-date=9 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617023911/http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html |archive-date=17 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
== Literary career == | == Literary career == | ||
In 1902 He published a new edition of ''Macaulay's Essay on Milton''. In 1903 he edited and published a new version of ''[[Palgrave's Golden Treasury]]''. Then he translated ''[[Rihla]]'', the travelogue written by [[Ibn Battuta]] and Jalaluddin Abu Zafar Muhammad's book Al-fakhri to English. He also worked on [[Arabic grammar]].<ref name="Bishwa Bhashapathik Harindranath De">{{cite news|title=Bishwa Bhashapathik Harindranath De|newspaper=Ittefaq|date=26 December 2011}} {{in lang|bn}}</ref> | In 1902 He published a new edition of ''Macaulay's Essay on Milton''. In 1903 he edited and published a new version of ''[[Palgrave's Golden Treasury]]''. Then he translated ''[[Rihla]]'', the travelogue written by [[Ibn Battuta]] and Jalaluddin Abu Zafar Muhammad's book Al-fakhri to English. He also worked on [[Arabic grammar]].<ref name="Bishwa Bhashapathik Harindranath De">{{cite news|title=Bishwa Bhashapathik Harindranath De|newspaper=Ittefaq|date=26 December 2011}} {{in lang|bn}}</ref> | ||
The most important works of | The most important works of him included an English–[[Persian language|Persian]] lexicon, translation of a part of [[Rig Veda]] with original ''[[Śloka|slokas]]'', editing of ''Lankabatar Sutra'', ''Nirbanbyakhya Shastram'', etc. He also translated a few Sanskrit plays to English like ''Vasavdatta'' of Subandhu and ''Abhigyan Shakuntalam'' of [[Kalidasa]].<ref name="Bishwa Bhashapathik Harindranath De" /> | ||
His works, 88 volumes on literature, [[linguistics]] and [[Hinduism]], are now part of the [[National Library of India]], known as the ''Harinath Dey Collection''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Global Trends in Library And Information Science |author=Subhas Chandra Biswas |publisher=Gyan Books |year=1995|isbn=8121204941 |page=205|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZEd8gpISicC&q=Hari+Nath+Dey&pg=PA205 }}</ref> | His works, 88 volumes on literature, [[linguistics]] and [[Hinduism]], are now part of the [[National Library of India]], known as the ''Harinath Dey Collection''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Global Trends in Library And Information Science |author=Subhas Chandra Biswas |publisher=Gyan Books |year=1995|isbn=8121204941 |page=205|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZEd8gpISicC&q=Hari+Nath+Dey&pg=PA205 }}</ref> | ||
== Death == | == Death == | ||
He died | He died of [[typhoid]] on 30 August 1911 at the age of 34.<ref name=Capitol /> | ||
==Works== | ==Works== | ||
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==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
* {{cite book |title=Harinath De: centenary volume |author=M. N. Nagaraj|publisher=National Library|year=1977}} | * {{cite book |title=Harinath De: centenary volume |author=M. N. Nagaraj|publisher=National Library|year=1977}} | ||
* {{cite book |title=Harinath De, philanthropist and linguist (National biography) |author=Sunil Bandyopadhyay |publisher= National Book Trust|year=1988 | * {{cite book |title=Harinath De, philanthropist and linguist (National biography) |author=Sunil Bandyopadhyay |publisher= National Book Trust|year=1988 }} | ||
* {{cite book |title=Book History-Vol. 4 |author=Ezra Greenspan |author2=Jonathan Rose |publisher=Penn State Press |year=2001|isbn=0271021519 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1i-J_XAjJL0C&q=Harinath+De&pg=PA169 |ref=Gr }} | * {{cite book |title=Book History-Vol. 4 |author=Ezra Greenspan |author2=Jonathan Rose |publisher=Penn State Press |year=2001|isbn=0271021519 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1i-J_XAjJL0C&q=Harinath+De&pg=PA169 |ref=Gr }} | ||
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[[Category:1877 births]] | [[Category:1877 births]] | ||
[[Category:1911 deaths]] | [[Category:1911 deaths]] | ||
[[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata alumni]] | [[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata alumni]] | ||
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]] | [[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]] | ||
[[Category:Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge]] | [[Category:Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge]] | ||
[[Category:People from North 24 Parganas district]] | [[Category:People from North 24 Parganas district]] | ||
[[Category:University of Calcutta | [[Category:Academic staff of the University of Calcutta]] | ||
[[Category:Indian librarians]] | [[Category:Indian librarians]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Academic staff of the University of Dhaka]] | ||
[[Category:Academic staff of Presidency University, Kolkata]] | |||
[[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata | |||
[[Category:Indian Education Service officers]] | [[Category:Indian Education Service officers]] | ||
[[Category:Linguists from Bengal]] | [[Category:Linguists from Bengal]] | ||
| Line 69: | Line 66: | ||
[[Category:People from Kamarhati]] | [[Category:People from Kamarhati]] | ||
[[Category:Bengali scientists]] | [[Category:Bengali scientists]] | ||
[[Category:Scholars from | [[Category:Scholars from British India]] | ||
[[Category:Scholars from Kolkata]] | |||
[[Category:Historians from British India]] | |||
Latest revision as of 01:06, 8 February 2026
Harinath De | |
|---|---|
 Harinath De: Indian linguist, polyglot, Indologist and an academician | |
| Born | 12 August 1877 |
| Died | 30 August 1911 (aged 34) Calcutta, India |
| Occupation | Academician, librarian, polyglot |
| Known for | ability to speak in 34 languages |
Harinath De (12 August 1877— 30 August 1911) was an Indian linguist, polyglot, Indologist and an academician, who later became the first Indian librarian of the National Library of India (then Imperial Library) from 1907 to 1911.[2] In a life span of thirty-four years, he learned 34 languages.[3]
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
He was born in Ariadaha of Kamarhati (in present North 24 Parganas district) near Kolkata, West Bengal. His father Roy Bahadur Bhutnath De was a government official in Raipur, Central Provinces (now Chhattisgarh), where the family of young Narendranath Dutta (future Swami Vivekananda) also stayed in the same building, briefly from 1877 to 1879.[4][5]
He attended Raipur High School, and went to study at Presidency College, Kolkata (then in the University of Calcutta), followed by Christ's College, Cambridge[5] A polyglot and linguistic prodigy, he was expert in 34 languages, including many eastern and western languages such as Chinese, Tibetan, Pali, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, English, Greek, Latin,[6][7] out of which he was M.A in 14.
Career[edit | edit source]
De was the first Indian Education Service officer among Indians. He was Professor of English of Dhaka University and of Presidency College, Kolkata.[8] He was appointed the first lecturer of the newly created department of Linguistics of Calcutta University in 1907.[9] He was appointed the second librarian and first Indian librarian of the Imperial Library, after the death of John Macfarlane, who was previously Assistant Librarian of the British Museum, London, who was the first librarian of the newly merged Imperial Library.[10]
Literary career[edit | edit source]
In 1902 He published a new edition of Macaulay's Essay on Milton. In 1903 he edited and published a new version of Palgrave's Golden Treasury. Then he translated Rihla, the travelogue written by Ibn Battuta and Jalaluddin Abu Zafar Muhammad's book Al-fakhri to English. He also worked on Arabic grammar.[11]
The most important works of him included an English–Persian lexicon, translation of a part of Rig Veda with original slokas, editing of Lankabatar Sutra, Nirbanbyakhya Shastram, etc. He also translated a few Sanskrit plays to English like Vasavdatta of Subandhu and Abhigyan Shakuntalam of Kalidasa.[11]
His works, 88 volumes on literature, linguistics and Hinduism, are now part of the National Library of India, known as the Harinath Dey Collection.[12]
Death[edit | edit source]
He died of typhoid on 30 August 1911 at the age of 34.[3]
Works[edit | edit source]
- Select Papers, Mainly Indological, compiled and edited by Sunil Bandyopadhyay. Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar, 1972.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976), Samsad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical dictionary), (in Bengali), p 590
- ↑ Ravindra N. Sharma, ed. (1981). Indian librarianship: perspectives and prospects. Kalyani Publishers. p. 221.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Capital. 1977. p. 267. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ↑ Chattopadhyay Rajagopal (1999). Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 23. ISBN 8120815866.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Greenspan, p. 169
- ↑ P. Thankappan Nair (1987). A history of Calcutta's streets (Vol. 2). Firma KLM. p. 396.
- ↑ Greenspan, p. 140
- ↑ "Biography of Harinath Dey". 4 May 2011.
- ↑ "Department of Linguistics: About the Department". Calcutta University. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ↑ "Historical Background". National Library of India. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Bishwa Bhashapathik Harindranath De". Ittefaq. 26 December 2011. (in Bengali)
- ↑ Subhas Chandra Biswas (1995). Global Trends in Library And Information Science. Gyan Books. p. 205. ISBN 8121204941.
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- M. N. Nagaraj (1977). Harinath De: centenary volume. National Library.
- Sunil Bandyopadhyay (1988). Harinath De, philanthropist and linguist (National biography). National Book Trust.
- Ezra Greenspan; Jonathan Rose (2001). Book History-Vol. 4. Penn State Press. ISBN 0271021519.