Michael Madhusudan Dutta: A Tragedy of a Poet
The nineteenth century, we witnessed a remarkable renaissance and a period of great wealth in Bengali literature and culture. Several exceptional individuals emerged in Bengal, whose profound social and philosophical ideas greatly influenced the artistic expression of Bengal and the self-perception of Bengalis. The remains of our ancestors lie in the rich land of Bengal. We and several successive generations have matured. We continue to value, appreciate, and adhere to these wise individuals' philosophical, social, political, and global ideals. Acquire wealth and maintain moral integrity. Bengal has been enriched with a vast literary treasure by notable figures such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Michael Madhusudan Dutta, Rajnarayan Basu, Deenbandhu Mitra, Bankim Chattopadhyay, Mir Mosharraf Hossain, Hasan Raja, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Abdul Karim Sahithabisharad, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Dakshina Ranjan Majumdar, and numerous others. We learned the thrill and boundless motivation of pursuing the artistic journey. Michael Madhusudan Dutta, a trailblazer who challenged convention and dedicated himself to innovative contemplation, earned the distinction of being the revolutionary poet of contemporary Bengali literature. He is hailed as the progenitor of the Bengali Renaissance, the pioneer of Amitrakshar rhyme in Bengal, and the poet, playwright, and philosopher of the 19th century. He embarked on a journey to several locations in search of novelty.
Who is unfamiliar with the poetic line "Etokhone Arindam Kahila Bishade"? Each Bengali is mindful of these few words quoted in the Meghnad Bodh Kavya. This poem was included in my school textbook. Meghnad Bodh is an epic poem authored by the Michael Madhusudan Dutta. Many individuals articulate this poetic line when they finally comprehend a challenging or unfathomable circumstance. Madhusudan Dutta's most notable accomplishment was the Amitarakshara rhyme-composed Meghnad Bodh Kavya, inspired by the Ramayana epic. On 25 January 1824, he was born into a respectable Hindu Kayasth family in the Jessore district of the Bengal province of British India, in the tiny village of Sagardari near Keshavpur. His father Rajnarayan Dutta was an esteemed advocate of the Sadar Civil Court of Kolkata (Calcutta). He developed a profound fascination with composing poetry and literature in his youth. At twelve years old, Michael composed his debut poem, "Veerangana." The publication of this poem at the tender age of fifteen bestowed upon him considerable renown and acclaim. Then, his literary career commenced.
Madhusudan Dutta was captivated by Western literature from a young age. As a result, he excels at English literature. After completing his fifteen-year schooling in his village, his father, Rajnarayan Dutta, enrolled his son in the Hindu College in Calcutta, aiming to become a barrister. Madhusudan began his studies in the English curriculum, and within a few months, his interest in Western education increased. Soon after the Calcutta Supreme Court was created in 1774, Bengali affluent Hindus became increasingly interested in studying English. That is why English teaching began in Kolkata with the full assistance of educationists David Hare and Raja Radhakant Dev. The goal was to develop an elite Indian literate middle class that would serve as colonial administrators. The college was officially opened on 20 January 1817. Raja Ram Mohan Roy led the college's foundation committee. He interacted with more foreigners and Anglo-Indians while studying here. This institution operated in the same environment as Billet (England), wearing Western clothing and using English-style tableware while eating European and Western cuisine. Growing up in a literary, musical, and cultural atmosphere, nearly everything in speech and behaviours was Western. Madhusudan enormously appreciated Indian, Bengali, and European cultures while attending this Hindu college. Which eventually propels his life towards an unfavourable end, during which his final days are spent in a state of grief and tragedy.
In 1833, Madhusudan Dutta and his parents moved to Calcutta, where his father's success enabled him to give his son a good education. In 1842, Madhusudan Datta refused when father Rajnarayan arranged his son's marriage. Inspired by dreams, he left his religion, accepted Christianity in his youth, and named Michael Madhusudan. Instead of writing in Bengali, he focused on writing in English. At nineteen, in 1943, Madhusudan expressed his desire to convert to Christianity to Rev. Krishnamohan Banerjee. A few days later, on 9 February 1843, he converted to Christianity in an Anglican church in Mission Row, Calcutta, called the Old Mission Church. The church priest ordained Madhusudan Dutta and added Michael before his name. Become Michael Madhusudan Dutta. But due to his conversion, social, family, and economic disaster came immediately. In anger, rage and distress, his father, Rajnarayan, disowns his only son. His mother Broke down in sadness. Suddenly, everything in the family was shattered.
He abandoned the social tradition of his father and great-grandfather. After converting to Christianity, he continued his studies at Bishop's College, Shivpur. Despite leaving his son, the father continues to bear the cost of education. He holds the expenses for up to four years. While at Bishop's College, Madhusudan Dutta studied Latin and Greek along with Sanskrit. Several of his college friends were from Madras. They later helped Madhusudan in various ways. After getting his college degree, Madhusudan moved to Madras in 1848. A new chapter of his life began. Despite many efforts, he could not get a job in Madras. Eventually, with the help of English and Christian friends in Madras, he got a job as a teacher in a local English school. Due to the low salary, the household expenses were not met. So, he started writing in English newspapers, hoping to earn a little extra. At that time, he wrote his first English poem The Captive Lady. This eighty-page book was published by the Madras Advertiser Press and published in 1849. Soon after the book's publication, his reputation as an English poet and writer spread nationwide. Shortly after he arrived in Madras, Madhusudan married Rebecca McTavish, a 17-year-old English girl from the Madras Lady Orphan Asylum. But this marriage broke down after eight years. Madhusudan Dutta and Rebecca had four children. Shortly after, Madhusudan started a new life with another European woman, Henrietta Sophia White. Henrietta was Madhusudan's lifelong partner.
Madhusudan Dutta rose to prominence and success during his time in the country. However, he was motivated by an unwavering desire to pursue huge dreams. His ambitions and unquenchable wants cut him off from his artistic self his nation's soil and entangled him in the web of Western traditions. Madhusudan had little success in Madras as well. His life in Madras was undergoing a gradual economic catastrophe. So, on 9 June 1862, Madhusudan travelled to Billet intending to study law. He travelled abroad with the promise of success, celebrity, and financial security, but his dreams were quickly dashed. The doors to financial assistance from family and relatives have long since closed. In Calcutta, his wife Henrietta could not continue the family's life with two children. Finally, powerless, Henrietta left Calcutta with her children on 2 May 1863 for Billet, where she met her husband. He first stayed in London with Manmohan Ghosh and Satyendra Nath Tagore before enrolling in Gray's Inn to study for the bar. He could not remain on the bill for long due to financial constraints. He went to Versailles, France, in June 1963with his family in a few days to finish his studies on a lower budget. But he periodically visited London to attend bar dinners for barrister studies and lived in Shepherd's Bush. He was eventually able to study for the bar thanks to the kindness of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. As a result, throughout the rest of his life, the poet thought of Vidyasagar as an ocean of kindness. A life of struggle and economic adversity left him disillusioned with European civilisation. During his stay in France, he wrote to his buddy Basak about this realization: "If there is one of us who is keen to leave a name behind him and not fall into oblivion like a beast, let him commit himself to his mother tongue. This is its foundation, the ultimate lawful field, and the charioteer of life." (Source: British Library).
During his stay in the UK, he authored many articles on various topics, including philosophy and politics, which were published in newspapers such as The London Times and The Edinburgh Review. He also befriended several prominent British intellectuals, such as Charles Dickens, who helped promote his work. While in England, Michael wrote epic plays like 'Krishna Kanter's Will' and 'Durgesh Nandini' and translated several works from English into Bengali. One by one, he wrote Sharmishtha (1859), Padmavati (1860), Buro Shaliker Gharke Roo (1860), Eke Ki Bale Savyata (1860), and Krishna Kumari (1861). On 5 January 1967, he returned to Calcutta to practice law but was not well received as a barrister. A few years later, in 1870, he was forced to give up practice. Fortunately, Madhusudan never gave up writing. Ultimately, he could not hold himself in the western water and air. He realised that as easy as it is to accept foreign cultures and customs, it is not possible to live by adopting them. Reliance on one's self-identity, aesthetic excellence and living in absolute peace lies in one's roots.
"People don't get what they want and don't want what they get." This philosophy of Kabi Guru is a true reflection of the life of Kabi Madhusudan. What he wanted and what he got. His last life is like a Greek tragedy. His daily life began to pass through much misery and poverty. He did not have much success in law business. He was naturally extravagant, which eventually drove him into extreme debt. No one could have imagined such a tragic death of this proverbial poet. He died intestate at the Alipore General Hospital on 29 June 1873 and was buried at Circular Road, Calcutta. In the last stage of his life, the epic poet left the mark of his deep love for his homeland. The famous poem is written on his tombstone where the poet cut off the name Michael and wrote only Sri Madhusudan. This is the root of his identity and philosophy of life.
He once again declared that family, society, homeland and the life that grows in the cool water and air of the homeland are the most immortal. One day, this great poet left this mundane world while walking in the alleys of suffering, fame and diversity. But he has left behind a substantial literary treasure like the Meghnad Bodh epic. So, he will live for thousands of years, generation after generation, in the hearts of all Bengalis and Indians for his creation.