| death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], British India
| organization = [[Young Bengal]]
| occupation = Businessman
| spouse =
| nationality = Indian
}}
}}
{{Young Bengal}}
'''Ramgopal Ghosh''' (15 January 1815 – 25 January 1868) was a leader of the [[Young Bengal]] Group, a successful businessman, orator and social reformer. He is called the '[[Demosthenes]] of India'.<ref name = "Bose480-481">Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), 1976/1998, ''Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, pp 480-481, {{ISBN|81-85626-65-0}}</ref><ref name="Sengupta228">Sengupta, Nitish, 2001/2002, ''History of the Bengali-speaking People'', p 228, UBS Publishers’ Distributors Pvt. Ltd., {{ISBN|81-7476-355-4}}</ref> Ghosh was one of the personalities who helped [[John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune]] establish a girls' school in [[Calcutta]].<ref>Acharya, Poromesh, Education in Old Calcutta in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, pp 87, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-563696-1}}.</ref>
'''Ramgopal Ghosh''' ({{lang-bn|রামগোপাল ঘোষ}}) (1815–1868) was an Indian businessman, social reformer, orator and one of the leaders of the [[Young Bengal]] group. He was called the Indian [[Demosthenes]].<ref name = "Bose480-481">Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), 1976/1998, ''Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, {{in lang|bn}}, pp 480–481, {{ISBN|81-85626-65-0}}</ref><ref name= "Sengupta228">Sengupta, Nitish, 2001/2002, ''History of the Bengali-speaking People'', p 228, UBS Publishers' Distributors Pvt. Ltd., {{ISBN|81-7476-355-4}}
</ref> Ghosh was one of the persons who helped [[John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune]] to establish his girls school.<ref>Acharya, Poromesh, Education in Old Calcutta in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, pp 87, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-563696-1}}.</ref>
==Early life==
Ramgopal Ghosh received his early education at the [[Hare School|Hare Preparatory school]] and joined the [[Hindu College, Calcutta|Hindu College]] in 1824 where he studied under [[Henry Louis Vivian Derozio]].<ref name="RepInd">{{cite book |last1=Pillai |first1=G. P. |title=Representative Indians |date=1897 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5GYoAAAAYAAJ |access-date=14 December 2023}}</ref> He started his career as a clerk in the firm Messrs. Colvin & Co. and rose to manage the firm. In 1846, he opened a trading firm in his own name, styled R. G. Ghose & Co.
The family hailed from [[Marishda]] in [[Contai]]. His father, Gobinda Chandra Ghosh had a small shop in [[Kolkata]]'s China Bazar. His maternal grandfather, Dewan Ramprasad Singha, used to work in the office of King Hamilton & Co. in Kolkata. Ghosh was born in his maternal grandfather's house.<ref name = "Sastri76-80">[[Sivanath Sastri|Sastri, Sivanath]], ''[[Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Bangasamaj]]'', {{in lang|bn}}1903/2001, p 76-80, New Age Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref>
There are two opinions about his childhood. The first says that he initially joined Sherburne's School and started learning English. At that time [[Hara Chandra Ghosh]], then a student of [[Presidency College, Calcutta|Hindu College]] and later one of the leading Derozians, married a relative of his. Observing the keenness of young Ramgopal, Hara Chandra pestered the former's father to get him admitted in Hindu College. His father did not have the means to pay for his education at Hindu College. However, one Mr. Rogers of King Hamilton & Co. agreed to pay the fees and he was admitted to Hindu College. The second opinion is that Mr. Rogers got him admitted in Hindu College right from the beginning.<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/>
Ramgopal Ghosh was one of the earliest public agitators in Bengal. He was connected with several literary and political associations, such as "The Academic
Institution", the "Epistolary Association" and the "Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge". He contributed to a paper called the Gyananashun. For some time he was the editor of this paper, and when it ceased to exist, he started another called the Spectator and later the Durpan.
Ghosh did not have to continue that way for long. His brilliance attracted the attention of [[David Hare (philanthropist)|David Hare]] and soon he was on the latter's free student list. In time he joined the class of [[Henry Louis Vivian Derozio|Derozio]]. He became friendly with [[Ramtanu Lahiri]] and the other Derozians. His dedication attracted Derozio's attention and he used to coach him in English philosophy and poetry outside class hours.<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/>
In 1861, he was nominated as a member of the Bengal Legislative Council, but could not join owing to failing health. He died on 25 January 1868.
When Derozio established the Academic Association, Ghosh became one of its leading members. It was in the meeting of the Association that Ghosh learnt to express himself fluently in English. The meetings of the Academic Association were attended by such people as Sir Edward Ryan, who was a judge of the Supreme Court and W.W.Bird, who later became lieutenant governor of Bengal. They warmly appreciated Ghosh's talent and openly encouraged him.<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/>
==Business activities==
Ghosh had to leave his studies unfinished and get on in working life. On the recommendation of David Hare, he started working with a Jewish businessman named Joseph. Later, another businessman name Kelsall joined the firm, Ghosh served them as a middle-man. When the two fell out, Ghosh formed a jointly owned firm Kelsall, Ghose & Co., and still later, around 1848, he floated his own firm, R.G.Ghosh & Co. In the process he accumulated fabulous wealth.<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/>
One of the great qualities of Ghosh was that he never forgot his old friends. Even as he went up the financial and social ladder he kept close contact with them and helped them whenever they were in need. There were occasions when he helped his old friends such as [[Ramtanu Lahiri]] and [[Rasik Krishna Mallick]].<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/>
When his grand father died, there was a hue and cry in society that he was opposed to Hindu religion and there was possibility of his being ostracised. His father appealed to him to declare publicly his faith in Hindu religion but he turned to his father and said, "I am ever willing to obey you and bear any pains for that but I cannot tell a lie." When this spread around, he gained in the esteem in society. On another occasion his business had nosedived and there was possibility of his becoming bankrupt. His friends advised him to transfer his assets to others but he refused to follow an illegal path.<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/> His personal integrity has been acknowledged even by more recent historians.<ref>Sengupta, Nitish, p232.</ref>
==Oration and social reforms==
His speeches on the Black Acts (1850), which aimed at bringing disputes between Europeans and Asians under the jurisdiction of the Company's courts and those criticising the European protests against a well-intentioned government move to bring Europeans on par with the natives in judicial treatment were a landmark.<ref name= "Sengupta228"/> He was the first, as early as 1853, to demand the eligibility of Indians in the civil service examinations. In 1854, he was the first Indian to propose the establishment of universities in India. He supported the move of Dwarkanath Tagore to send four students to England for higher medical studies.<ref name = "Bose480-481"/>
Ghosh not only delivered fiery speeches but also wrote effectively. His publication of a booklet ''A Few Remarks on Certain Draft Acts, Commonly Called Black Acts'' so angered the English that he was forced out of his position as vice-president of the Agri-Horticultural Society.<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/> He was closely associated with the publications of the time, such as ''Jnananwesan'' and ''Bengal Spectator''.<ref name = "Bose480-481"/> He took an active part in the establishment of the [[British Indian Association]] and was a member of its committee.<ref>Sastri, Sivanath, pp 115–116,</ref>
He not only indulged in politics but also other causes. It was at his initiative that a decision was taken to erect a statue of David Hare. He was the first to offer one month's income for the purpose; others followed<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/> and the statue stands to this day in the compound of Presidency College.
In his last days, he wrote off loans totalling Rs. 40,000 given to his friends.<ref name = "Sastri76-80"/>
Ramgopal Ghosh (15 January 1815 – 25 January 1868) was a leader of the Young Bengal Group, a successful businessman, orator and social reformer. He is called the 'Demosthenes of India'.[1][2] Ghosh was one of the personalities who helped John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune establish a girls' school in Calcutta.[3]
Ramgopal Ghosh received his early education at the Hare Preparatory school and joined the Hindu College in 1824 where he studied under Henry Louis Vivian Derozio.[4] He started his career as a clerk in the firm Messrs. Colvin & Co. and rose to manage the firm. In 1846, he opened a trading firm in his own name, styled R. G. Ghose & Co.
Ramgopal Ghosh was one of the earliest public agitators in Bengal. He was connected with several literary and political associations, such as "The Academic
Institution", the "Epistolary Association" and the "Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge". He contributed to a paper called the Gyananashun. For some time he was the editor of this paper, and when it ceased to exist, he started another called the Spectator and later the Durpan.
In 1861, he was nominated as a member of the Bengal Legislative Council, but could not join owing to failing health. He died on 25 January 1868.
↑Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), 1976/1998, Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, pp 480-481, ISBN81-85626-65-0
↑Sengupta, Nitish, 2001/2002, History of the Bengali-speaking People, p 228, UBS Publishers’ Distributors Pvt. Ltd., ISBN81-7476-355-4
↑Acharya, Poromesh, Education in Old Calcutta in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, pp 87, Oxford University Press, ISBN0-19-563696-1.
