Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Biography

The social reformer who strived to make life better for the women of India and pushed the British government to pass the Widow Remarriage Act, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a Bengali polymath who lived during the 19th century. Vidyasagar was a brilliant man, an educator by profession; he was deeply pained by the injustices faced by several sections of the Indian society. He was moved particularly by the plight of child widows who were often ill-treated and tortured. He played a key role in convincing the British government to allow for the remarriage of these innocent young girls so that they could have a second chance at life. In addition to being a social reformer, he was also a writer, philosopher, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a key figure of the Bengal Renaissance which had begun with Raja Ram Mohan Roy who was among the first Indians to challenge the traditional norms of the society. Vidyasagar had a deep love of learning and it is no surprise that he became an educator. He was a kind hearted man who tried his best to reform the society so that the downtrodden like so-called lower castes and widows could also live a dignified life.