Jnanendranath Gupta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1869 Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 1946 Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Alma mater | Template:UBL |
| Occupation | administrator |
| Known for | Founder of Carmichael College |
| Spouse(s) | Sarala Devi ( m. 1894) |
| Relatives | Romesh Chunder Dutt (father in law) |
Jnanendranath Gupta (1869–1946; also known as J. N. Gupta) was a distinguished officer of the Indian Civil Service during the British Indian period, as well as a social reformer and administrator. Inspired by the ideals of the Bengal Renaissance, he served with integrity, humanity, and efficiency in various districts of eastern Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) and western Bengal. His administrative contributions in Noakhali, Rangpur, and Dhaka were particularly notable. While serving in Rangpur, he established Carmichael College in 1916.[1][2]
Life and education[edit | edit source]
Jnanendranath Gupta was born in 1869 in Bengal during the British colonial period. His father, Ghanshyam Das Gupta, served as a district judge. Due to his father’s frequent transfers, he spent his childhood in different regions of Bengal and Bihar.[3]
He passed the matriculation examination from Shyampukur School in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He later enrolled at Metropolitan College, where Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was serving as the principal, and developed a close and affectionate relationship with him. He obtained his bachelor’s degree with honors in English literature, philosophy, and history, and later earned a master’s degree from Presidency College.[3]
In 1894, he married Sarala Devi, who was the daughter of the renowned economist and ICS officer Romesh Chunder Dutt.[3]
Career[edit | edit source]
In his youth, Jnanendranath Gupta stayed in Dakshineswar with Promothanath Kar (Paltu) and had the opportunity to be in the company of eminent personalities such as Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, and Keshub Chandra Sen. During this period, he edited the Bengali monthly magazine Sahitya, to which leading writers of the time, including Rabindranath Tagore, regularly contributed.[3]
In 1891, he traveled to England with Chittaranjan Das and appeared in the ICS examination held in London in 1892, where he secured second place among Indian candidates. In 1893, he studied at University of Oxford.
He served in important administrative positions across several districts, including Orissa, Malda, Bankura, Burdwan, Noakhali, Rangpur, and Dhaka:
- Noakhali (1908): Served as District Magistrate
- Rangpur (1914–1918): Served as Collector
- Dhaka (1919): Served as Commissioner
While posted in Rangpur, he established Carmichael College in 1916,[4] the first higher education institution in North Bengal, which is now a historic and architectural landmark.
In 1918, he worked with Satyendra Prasanna Sinha in the British War Cabinet. In 1921, he went to Geneva as a representative of the labour section of the League of Nations.[3]
Works[edit | edit source]
- DISTRICT GAZETTEERS OF BENGAL AND ASSAM : BOGRA, 1910 [5]
- Rangpur Today: a study in local problems of a Bengal district, Jñānendra-Nātha Gupta, 1918 [6][7]
- The Foundations of National Progress: A Scheme of Constructive Work for an Indian Province, with an Introduction by the Rt. Hon'ble Baron Sinha of Raipur, Elm Press, 1927, Cornell University [8]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় হয়েও, বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় হতে পারেনি কারমাইকেল কলেজ". দেশ রূপান্তর (in Bengali). Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ "শতবর্ষে রংপুর কারমাইকেল কলেজ". www.kalerkantho.com. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Echoes from Old Bengal | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ "Founders | Carmichael College, Rangpur". ccr.gov.bd. Archived from the original on 15 June 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ Gupta, Jnanendra Nath (1910). Bogra. Pioneer Press.
- ↑ Gupta, Jnanendra Nath (1918). Rangpur To-day: A Study in Local Problems of a Bengal District. S.B. Chakraverty.
- ↑ "The Incarnate Word". incarnateword.in. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Gupta, Jnanendra Nath (1927). The Foundations of National Progress: A Scheme of Constructive Work for an Indian Province, with an Introduction by the Rt. Hon'ble Baron Sinha of Raipur. Elm Press.