Life of Brahmabandhab Upadhyay (1861-1907)
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Early Life
1861 – Born, Feb. 11, Bhavani Charan Banerjee, Khanya, Bengal
1874 – Admitted into Hooghly Collegiate School 1874 – Continued lifetime habit of reading epics 1874 – Invested with the Sacred Thread 1874 – Vows to stop eating meat or flesh
1876 – Joined Arts Department at Hooghly College 1876 – Influenced by Sunendranath Banerji
1877 – Tried to apply to serve as soldier in Zulu War, rejected 1877 – First trip to Gwailor to become soldier
1879 – Second trip to Gwailor 1879 – Opened English School for Brahmin Boys at no charge
1880 – Met Naren Dutt (Swami Vivekananda) 1880 – Attracted to Sadharan Samaj, protested Sen and New Dispensation
1881 - Met Keshub Chunder Sen through Priya Nath Mullick of Sadharan Samaj 1881 - Nava Brindaban performed with Keshub and Vivekananda 1881 - Taught at Memari near Khanyan 1881 - First trip to Jubbulpore, taught at Free Church Institution in Calcutta |
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Hindu Reformer Period
1883 - Eagle’s Nest founded
1884 – Jan 8 – Sen dies, P C Mozumbar becomes leader of Samaj 1884 – BU puts up Ecce Homo, Colleague Nandala Sen puts up Sri Krishna 1884 – Meets Ramakrishna Pramahansa
1885 – July – Eagle’s Nest Group of seven meets regularly 1885 – Publishes handwritten “The Journal” 1885 – Eagle’s Nest publishes “Young Man” fortnightly
1886 – Eagle’s Nest changes name to “The Concord”, BU in charge of sports 1886 – “Young Man” becomes weekly “The Concord” 1886 – BU studies Bible, Shakespeare 1886 – Weekly “The Concord” becomes monthly, BU never contributed
1887 – Jan 6 – BU joins New Dispensation 1887 – The Concord group and journal ceases
1888 – Oct. 28 – Nandalal Sen, Hirananda and BU form Union Academy in Calcutta 1888 – Muzumdar founds “The Interpreter”, BU contributes articles 1888 – BU reads Catholic Belief by Bruno at father’s bedside
1889 – BU extremely active in Brahmo Samaj as lecturer and teacher 1889 – Affirms that Christ is free from sin
1890 – Significant intellectual shifts towards Christian orthodoxy 1890 – Aug. to Dec., BU published “The Harmony” 1890 – Nov. – BU visits Protestant meeting in Calcutta |
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Christian Witness Period
1891 – Feb. 26th – Baptized by Anglican, Rev. Mr. Heaton, but did not unite with the Anglican (or any other) Church 1891 – March – Met Father Salinger of the Society of Jesus 1891 – Sept. 1st – Unites with Roman Catholic Church, Choose as baptismal name, Sanskrit for Theophilus
1891 – Period of persecution from Hindu compatriots 1891 – Accepts post as assistant manager of CMS High School 1891 – Editor of “Sindh Times” for one month 1891 – Parmanand and Khemchand are baptized
1892 –Anti-Protestant lectures
1893 – Conversion of Rewachand (Animananda) 1893 – Theological correspondence with Father Boedder, S.J. 1893 – BU publishes “A Tract on the Existence of God”
1894 – Jan. – 5 year monthly “Sophia” begins, reading room opened with help of Father Hegglin 1894 – October - BU favors union of Indian bishops 1894 – Nov. 1 – BU lecture in Lahore against Hindu Reformer 1894 – December – BU becomes a Sannyasin, formally adopts the name Brahmabandhav Upadhyay to be used publicly
1895 – BU began wearing saffron garb of Sannyasin 1895 – Sept. lecture on Catholic faith to mini-parliament of religion at Ajmere 1895 – Nov. 6 – Writes open letter to Annie Besant
1896 – March, April, July, Nov. – Lecture tour, “Infinite and Finite” 1896 – Dec. 11th, 14th, Debates Annie Besant in Max Denso Hall, Karachi
1897 – Jan. Karachi plague 1897 – Feb. BU writes “Impending Crisis” 1897 – Mar. 15 – April 15 – Lecture tour of Southern presidency 1897 – June, Karachi plague 1897 – BU writes “Hindu Philosophy and Christianity” 1897 – BU asks Animananda about dispensation for not attending church 1897 – Dec. – Bombay lecture on Christianity as fulfillment of ancient philosophy
1898 – Jan – BU returns to Calcutta 1898 – Feb – B. Animananda joins BU as a fellow Sannyasin 1898 – Feb. BU and Animanda launch idea of a Catholic –Vedantic matha 1898 – Discussion with Ftr. Castets at Trichinopoly
1898 – June – official Catholic correspondence concerning BU’s matha idea 1898 – June 17th – Zaleski opposes matha idea 1898 – July – BU publicly calls for Catholic-Vedanta matha 1898 – Aug 16th – Rome informed of BU plan, Sacred Cong. of Propaganda approves Zaleski stand
1898 – Oct. 1st – Ftr. Hegglin writes in diary about anxiety of officials about BU plan 1898 – Oct – shift in attitude concerning Vedanta begins, finding full flowering in the series on Maya, Feb. 1899 and following 1898 – Sat Cit Ananda lecture, lecture on karma, harmonize Aquinas and Vedanta
1899 - Jan – BU announces Kastalik Matha on banks of Narmada 1899 - Feb. – Upadhyay, Animananda and novice (Shankerji) beg in streets of Jubbulpore 1899 - March, end of Sophia monthly 1899 – March – April – Lenten 40 day fast, solitude and prayer 1899 – Alienation with Catholic authorities – cancelled trip to Rome due to illness 1899 – New School Started on Bethune Row then to Simha Bazar St. – BU & Tagore
1900 – June 16th – weekly “Sophia” begins 1900 – June 16, 23 – equates Sankara’s Maya with Thomas’ contingent being 1900 – BU uses pen name Narahari Das 1900 – Sep. 20th – Mgr. Zaleski bans ‘Sophia’ 1900 – Oct.–Catholic authorities publish public letter in Bombay Catholic Examiner concerning banning of “Sophia” 1900 – No. 17th – announces in Sophia upcoming “Twentieth Century” 1900 – Dec 8th Last “Sophia”
1901 – Jan. 31st – 1st issue of “Twentieth Century” 1901 – June 20th – “Twentieth Century” ban raised as issue in Rome 1901 – June – BU tells Animananda that they must perform prayaschitta 1901 – Aug. 1st “Twentieth Century” banned by Catholic authorities 1901 – Aug. 17th – BU open letter to Bombay Catholic Examiner about closing of “Twentieth Century” 1901 – Aug. Prayaschitta explained to “Twentieth Century” readers 1901 – Dec. Last “Twentieth Century” |
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Abroad
1902 - Aug. – Separation of Santiniketan and Simha St. Schools 1902 - Sept. – Learns of Vivekananda’s death, goes to Bombay to secure passage to Europe 1902 - Oct. 5 – BU leaves Bombay for Genoa (gets off at Naples) 1902 – Nov. 1st – Arrives at Rome 1902 - Nov. 4th – Arrives at London with fever 1902 - Met Cardinal Vaughan in London 1902 – December- lectures at Oxford
1903 – March – Lecture three times at Cambridge 1903 – July – meets T. W. Stead, editor of “Review of Reviews” 1903 – Discussions concerning BU’s help in choosing Cambridge lecturer 1903 – July – BU returns from Europe a confirmed Nationalist 1903 – Simha school continues to grow – 35 children 1903 – BU unsuccessful in getting Brahmin boy to perform Hindu rite
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Nationalistic Period
1904 – Feb - Did not allow Orthodox Brahmin to be told BU was a Catholic 1904 – July – BU writes letter saying he has not abandoned faith 1904 – July 25th – Last theological lecture at Albert Hall 1904 – July – “Sandhya” formed (1904-1907) 1904 – Aug 7 – BU joins Svadeshi movement 1904 – Aug. – Sarasvat Ayatan (Collegium Sophia) opened 1904 – Aug. – Address on Sri Krishna – fallout with Rewachand 1904 – Dec. – BU celebrates feast of the Nativity in Calcutta
1905 - Feb. – BU permits puja in honour of Sarasvati, falls out with Rewachand 1905 - Mar. – BU receives sign of the cross 1905 - Sep. – Charged with defamation by Mr. Malcolm 1905 - Nov. – BU calls for complete independence from Britain, not just home-rule 1905 - Nov. Tone of Sandhya becomes rustic, common – grows in popularity 1905 - Dec. Answers charges about not notifying government of change of publication place 1905 - Dec. – School moves to Cornwallis St. 1905 - Dec. – BU celebrates feast of Nativity
1906 – June – Shivajee festival; BU permits idol Shivajee at feet of Durga 1906 – June 10th – Participates in Ganga Span festival 1906 – School moves to Serampore 1906 – BU involved in Council on Education, helping to set National Education Policy
1907 - Prayers to Trinity, to Logos etc… prayed 1907 - March – Conversations with Rev. Nag about Vedantism and Christianity 1907 - March –July – Nationalistic periodicals “Karali” and “Svaraj” began 1907 - April 8th – Shivajee festival 1907 - Aug 7th – Police search “Sandhya” offices
1907 - BU performs Prayaschitta 1907 - Aug 13th, 20th, 27th –BU writes articles which form the basis for sedition charge, such as “Booming the Sedition: The Feringhi is in a Fix!” 1907 - Sept. 10th – 1st Sedition Case launched
1907 - Oct. 21st – BU goes to Cambell hospital for hernia operation 1907 - Oct. 22nd – BU operated on “wonderful has been the vicissitudes of my life, wonderful has been my faith” to professor Vasvani 1907 - Oct 26th – BU calls out “Thakur, Thakur” 1907 - Oct. 26th – Second sedition case announced, warrant for BU’s arrest
1907 - Oct 27th – Sunday, 8.30 a.m. , BU dies, afternoon processional with great crowds, cremated and ashes scattered at dusk on banks of Ganges 1907 - Oct 28th BU memorial services begin |
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Prepared by Timothy C. Tennent, Assistant Professor of World Missions, Toccoa Falls College In partial fulfillment of a Ph.D., University of Edinburgh |