swami vivekanand
Born: January 12, 1863
Died: July 4, 1902
Achievements: Played a major role in spiritual enlightenment of Indian
masses; Spread Vedanta philosophy in the West; established Ramakrishna
Mission for the service of the poor.
Swami Vivekananda was one of the most influential spiritual leaders of
Vedanta philosophy. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa
and was the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Swami
Vivekananda was the living embodiment of sacrifice and dedicated his
life to the country and yearned for the progress of the poor, the
helpless and the downtrodden. He showed a beacon of light to a nation
that had lost faith in its ability under British rule and inspired
self-confidence among Indians that they are second to none. His ringing
words and masterful oratory galvanized the slumbering nation.
Swami Vivekananda real name was Narendranath Dutta. He was born on
January12, 1863 in Calcutta. His father's name was Vishwanath Dutta and
his mother's name Bhuvaneswari Devi. Narendranath acquired the name of
Swami Vivekananda when he became a monk.
As a child Narendra was very lively and naughty. He was good in studies
as well as in games. He studied instrumental and vocal music and also
practiced meditation from a very early age. Even when Narendra was young
he questioned the validity of superstitious customs and discrimination
based on caste and religion. As a child Narendra had great respect for
sanyasis (ascetics). He would give away anything to anybody if asked
for. Whenever a beggar asked for alms, he would give him anything he
had. Thus from childhood Narendra had the spirit of sacrifice and
renunciation.
In 1879, Narendra passed matriculation and entered Presidency College,
Calcutta. After one year, he joined the Scottish Church College,
Calcutta and studied philosophy. He studied western logic, western
philosophy and history of European nations. As he advanced in his
studies, his thinking faculty developed. Doubts regarding existence of
God started to arise in Narendra's mind. This made him associate with
the Brahmo Samaj, an important religious movement of the time, led by
Keshab Chandra Sen. But the Samaj's congregational prayers and
devotional songs could not satisfy Narendra's zeal to realise God.
During this time Narendra came to know of Sri Ramakrishna Pramahans of
Dakshineswar. Sri Ramakrishna was a priest in the temple of Goddess
Kali. He was not a scholar. But he was a great devotee. It was being
said of him that he had realized God. Once, Narendra went to
Dakshineswar to with his friends see him. He asked Ramakrishna, whether
he had seen God. The instantaneous answer from Ramakrishna was, "Yes, I
have seen God, just as I see you here, only in a more clear sense."
Narendra was astounded and puzzled. He could feel the man's words were
honest and uttered from depths of experience. He started visiting
Ramakrishna frequently.
It was in Narendra's nature to test something thoroughly before he could
accept it. He would not accept Ramakrishna as his guru without a test.
Ramakrishna used to say that, in order to realize God, one should give
up the desire for money and women. One day Narendra hid a rupee under
his pillow. Sri Ramakrishna, who had gone out, came into the room and
stretched himself on the cot. At once he jumped up as if bitten by a
scorpion. When he shook the mattress, the rupee coin fell down. Later he
came to know that it was the doing of Narendra. Narendra accepted Sri
Ramakrishna as his guru and took training under him for five years in
the Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of non-dualism. Sri Ramakrishna
passed away in 1886 and nominated Narendra as his successor. After his
death Narendra and a core group of Ramakrishna's disciples took vows to
become monks and renounce everything, and started living in a supposedly
haunted house in Baranagore.
In 1890, Narendra set out on a long journey. He covered the length and
breadth of the country. He visited Varanasi, Ayodhya, Agra, Vrindavan,
Alwar etc. Narendra acquired the name of Swami Vivekananda during the
journey. It is said that he was given the name Vivekananda by Maharaja
of Khetri for his discrimination of things, good and bad. During his
journey, Vivekananda stayed at king's palaces, as well as at the huts of
the poor. He came in close contact with the cultures of different
regions of India and various classes of people in India. Vivekananda
observed the imbalance in society and tyranny in the name of caste. He
realised the need for a national rejuvenation if India was to survive at
all.
Swami Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of the
Indian subcontinent on December24, 1892. He swam across the sea and
started meditating on a lone rock. He meditated for three days and said
later that he meditated about the past, present and future of India. The
rock is presently popular as Vivekananda memorial and is a major
tourist destination.
In 1893, Swami Vivekananda went to America to attend the Conference of
World Religions in Chicago. He earned wild applause for beginning his
address with the famous words, "Sisters and brothers of America."
Swamiji mesmerized everyone in America with his masterful oratory.
Wherever he went, he dwelt at length on the greatness of Indian Culture.
He spoke with spontaneous ease on every topic, be it History,
Sociology, Philosophy or Literature. He deplored the malicious
propaganda that had been unleashed by the Christian missionaries in
India. Swami Vivekananda also went to England. Many people became his
disciples. Most famous among them was Margaret Nivedita'. She came to
India and settled here.
Swami Vivekananda returned to India in 1897 after four years of touring
in the West. He started disseminating the message of spiritual
development among Indians. He realized that social service was possible
only through the concerted efforts on an organized mission. To achieve
this objective, Swami Vivekananda started Sri Ramakrishna Mission in
1897 and formulated its ideology and goal. During the next two years he
bought a site at Belur on the banks of the Ganga, constructed the
buildings and established the Ramakrishna Mutt. He once again toured the
West from January 1899 to December 1900.
Swami Vivekananda died on July4, 1902 at Belur Mutt near Calcutta.
Madame Cama
Madame Cama
Madame Camawas the
fiery patriot who first unfurled India’s flag at an international
assembly. She turned away from a life of luxury and lived an exile – to
serve her country. And the mighty British Government grew afraid of her.
Madame Cama, Veer
Savarkar and some other patriots met and designed that tricolor flag in
1905. It was flown first in 1905 in Berlin and next in 1907 in Bengal.
The tricolor flag
contained green, saffron and red stripes. In the green stripe at the top
there were eight blooming lotuses. India was then divided into eight
provinces and the flowers represented these provinces. The words ‘Vande
Mataram’ in Devanagari script across the central saffron strip of the
flag were a salutation to Mother India. In the red stripe at thebottom
there was a half-moon on the right and the rising sun on the left. Red
represents strength, saffron represents victory; and boldness and
enthusiasm are represented by green. “This flag was designed by a
distinguished selfless young Indian patriot” said Madame Cama. She was
referring to Veer Savarkar.
In August 1907, she
learnt that the International Socialist Conference would be held in
Stuttgart ‘in Germany. Madame Cama got a golden opportunity to expose
to worldview the conditions in enslaved India. A thousand
representatives from several countries of the world attended the
Conference. When India’s turn came, Madame Cama ascended the rostrum.
She was wearing a colorful saree. She had an attractive personality.
Dignity shone in the face. The representative’s thought: ‘She is an
Indian princess.’
Madame Cama spoke about the sorrows and the poverty of lakes of Indians who were suffering silently. ‘One-fifth
of mankind lives in India. All lovers of freedom should cooperate to
free these people from subjection.’ This was the gist of the resolution,
she boldly placed before the conference. She condemned the British
Government which was looting from India thirty-five million pounds every
year. She explained how the Indian economy was growing weaker day by
day because of the lawless imperialists sucking the blood of India. At
the end of her speech she unfurled the Indian flag and said:.
“This
flag is of Indian Independence. Behold it is born! It has been made
sacred by the blood of young Indians who sacrificed their lives.I call
upon you, gentle men, to rise and salute this flag of Indian
Independence. In the name of this flag I appeal to lovers of freedom all
over the world to cooperate with this flag.”
As if held by magic, the
whole assembly stood up and honored the flag. Madame Cama was the lady
who first unfurled the Indian flag, in a foreign land, in the presence
of representatives of many countries! “It is my practice to speak under
the flag of my country” – she would say and unfurl the flag before she
spoke at any function.
After the conference in
Germany concluded she came to America. To gain the support of the people
there for the sacred cause in which she was engaged she had to start a
campaign. In New York she explained her objects to press reporters who
met her and they were full of praise for her. She told the reporters
that lakes and lakes of people in India,although illiterate and
suffering from hunger, loved their country. There was confidence and
hope in the voice of Madame Cama when she said that Indians would attain
independence within a few years and live in liberty, equality and
brotherhood.
It was 28th October
1907. The Minerva Club had organized a meeting at the Waldorf Astoria
Hotel. The speaker was Madame Cama. In her speech she said that Indians
should be given the political right to vote.
“People here may know of
Russia. But they may not know much about conditions in India. The
British Government is adopting the practice of destroying people who are
educated and can think, or of sending them to jail. They are torturing
the people and driving them to hospitals in jails. We desire a peaceful
atmosphere and not bloody revolution. By proceeding in a non-violent
manner as far as possible we have to overthrow despotic rule” said
Madame Cama. Also Madame Cama spoke at several places. She may be called
Mother India’s representative to the United States of America.
In 1914, when the First
World War began, Madame Cama’s activities to gain the country’s freedom
became intense. The leading articles in the press condemning the
autocratic rule of the British grew sharper.
To the Indian soldiers
fighting for the British, she gave a warning in the following words:
“Children of Mother India, you are being deceived. Do not take part in
this war. You are going to fight and die, not for India, but for the
British.The British have put shackles on Mother India’s hands; think how
they can be removed. If you help the British, you will tighten the
shackles.”
She herself would visit
army camps in Marseilles. There she would meet Indian soldiers and ask
them to keep away from the war. Questioned she: “Are you going to fight
for those who have imprisoned your mother?” Return the arms, she would
preach.
The French were allies
of the British. Therefore the French Government must have been
dissatisfied with the propa- ganda carried on by Madame Cama. The French
Government warned Madame Cama that she was carrying on false propaganda
against the British.
Madame Cama passed away
on 13th August 1936. She had fought for India’s freedom. That freedom
dawned eleven years after her death.
In a sense Madame Cama’s
life abroad where she fought for India’s freedom was like living in
obscurity. She sacrificed her life for the motherland. Even during the
last moments of her life she urged repeatedly: “To gain freedom from
subjection stand up against all difficulties.” “He who loses freedom
will lose virtue. Opposition of tyranny is obedience to God’s command”
said Madame Cama; she practiced what she preached.
Kasturba Gandhi
Kasturba Gandhi was born to a prosperous businessman Gokuladas Makharji
of Porbandar on April 11, 1869. She got married to Mohandas
Gandhi, when she was just thirteen years old. At the time of her
marriage, Kasturba was an absolute illiterate. Gandhi taught
her how to read and write. When her husband left for London for
pursuing further studies, she remained in India for upbringing
their newly born son Harilal. The couple had three more sons.
Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of
Kasturba Gandhi.
In the year 1906, Mohandas Gandhi made up his mind to practice
Brahmacharya. Like a good wife, Kasturba always stood by the
side of her husband, even if she didn't approve of some of his
ideas. Kasturba was very religious minded. She broke the
barriers that created caste distinction and lived in ashrams.
She always supported her husband in the political protests. She
went along with her husband to South Africa in the year 1897. To
know the complete life history of Kasturba Gandhi, read on.
From the period between 1904 and 1914, she was actively involved
in the Phoenix Settlement near Durban. In the year 1913, she
raised her voice against the inhuman working conditions of
Indians in South Africa. Infact, she was imprisoned for three
months and that too in the jail, where the prisoners were made
to do hard labor. In 1915, she accompanied her husband and
supported the Indigo planters. There, she taught women and
children about basic concepts like personal hygiene, discipline etc.
Kasturba Gandhi suffered from the problem of chronic
Bronchitis. To top it, the stress level caused during the Quit
India Movement's arrests aggravated her illness. Her health
began to decline. The situation got worse, when she got
victimized by pneumonia. Her husband disagreed with her idea to
go in for penicillin. On February 22, 1944, she had a major
heart attack and she died.
Veer savarkar
May 28, 1883 to February 26, 1966
Founded the Abhinav Bharat Society and Free India Society; brought out
an authentic informative researched work on The Great Indian Revolt of
1857 called "The Indian War of Independence 1857"; founded Hindu
Mahasabha.
Veer Savarkar occupies a unique place in the history of Indian freedom
struggle. His name evokes controversy. While some consider him as one of
the greatest revolutionaries in the Indian freedom struggle, others
consider him a communalist and Machiavellian manipulator. Vir Savarkar
was also a great orator, prolific writer, historian, poet, philosopher
and social worker. He was an extraordinary Hindu scholar. He coined
Indian words for telephone, photography, the parliament, among others.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, lovingly known as `Veer Savarkar`,
matriculated in 1901. He received further education in Fergusson
College, Pune and graduated from Bombay University. As early as 1899,
V.D. Savarkar and his brother Ganesh Savarkar established a
revolutionary society `Mitra Mela` for teaching of drill and physical
exercises to its members. Savarkar was greatly influenced by Mahatama
Sri Agamay Guru Paramhansa who was preaching revolution by force. On 9th
June 1906, Savarkar left for London where he reached in July 1906. In
January 1910 he had gone to Paris and returned to London on 13th March
1910 when he was arrested on the Victoria Railway Station in pursuance
of the arrest warrants issued by the Bow Street Court London on 22nd
February 1910 for the offence of "waging war against the King Emperor".
The court orders for Savarkar`s return to India were issued on 12th May
1910 and he was finally put in the ship S.S. Morea on 1st July 1910 for
journey to India. Each day, rather each minute spent by V.D. Savarkar in
London was devoted by him for revolutionising the minds of Indian
youth, as has justly been described by Harindra Srivastava in his
appreciable book Five Stormy Years, Savarkar in London (1983).
In 1907, Savarkar celebrated the golden jubilee of the Indian War of
Independence (1857) with the aim to honour the martyrs. Savarkar
gathered a multitude of Indian youth and injected in them the intensity
to fight for freedom. He also commemorated the Indian national uprising
of 1857 in India House in London on 10th May 1908 and released a
two-leaf pamphlet titled, "O` Martyrs!" which was considered as "a blast
in London that set the Thames on fire"."
The birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, a great
poet and a great warrior was also celebrated on 29th December 1908 in
Caxton Hall, Westminster. Savarkar himself invited all Indians to attend
the celebrations. Gifted with the ability to make a moving speech,
immaculate sincerity and blazing heart, Savarkar thrilled his audience.
`Vande Mataram` (Hail Motherland) was popularised by him as a national
hymn.
After one year of exhausting research in the India Office Library,
Savarkar wrote The Indian War of Independence of 1857. The book was
proscribed even before publication. It was originally written in 1908 in
Marathi. The manuscript was smuggled into India by the revolutionaries.
The British authorities failed to lay its hands on it even in India and
the manuscript reached Paris. It was translated into English under the
supervision of V.V.S. Aiyar and the English manuscript was also sent to
Paris. It was printed in Holland and the books were smuggled into India
under fake fine-looking title covers. This book not only corrected the
British version of the national uprising of 1857, but also became a
bible for the revolutionaries.
While in Europe, V.D. Sarvarkar maintained his relations with a
revolutionary society known as `Abhinav Bharat Samaj` in Maharashtra.
Twenty Browning automatic pistols with ammunition were sent by him
through one Chaturbhuj Amin, a cook in India House in London who reached
Bombay on 6th March 1909, about a week after the arrest of Ganesh
Savarkar. One of these pistols was used on 21st December 1909 by A.L.
Kanhare for shooting down Jackson, district magistrate of Nasik. During
the investigation a conspiracy was came to light. Savarkar`s residence
was searched and some incriminatory books and documents were seized. It
led to the framing of the Nasik Conspiracy Case. An arrest warrant for
V.D. Savarkar was also issued in this case. He was arrested on 13th
March 1910 and lodged in Brixton prison. He was put on board the liner
Morea on 1st July 1910. The vessel touched at Marseilles on 6th July
1910. Savarkar went to the water closet of the ship on 8th July.
Stripping himself practically of all his clothes, he escaped through the
port-hole into the sea, swam ashore and ran three meters into the
French territory. The English guards ran after him, shouting, "Thief,
Thief". Then two French marine gendarmes (French for policeman) ran
after him and caught hold of him. They handed him over to the British
guards. Savarkar could not speak French and so could not reveal his
identity as a political refugee. His recapture created a sort of
celebrated question in international law. Savarkar was brought to Bombay
on 22nd July 1910.
A special tribunal was set up for his trial under the Special Tribunal
Act which had no jury and which had no provision for appeal. It
consisted of the chief justice of Bombay high court, Sir Basil Scoth,
Sir N.G. Chandravarkar and justice Heaton. VD. Savarkar was defended by
Govindrao Gadgil and Rangneker. The case involved thirty-eight persons
including VD. Savarkar. The trial opened on 15th September 1910.
Since V.D. Savarkar had challenged his extradition to British India in
the international forum, he declined to surrender to the jurisdiction of
Indian courts and refused to make any statement or bring any evidence
in defence. The tribunal, however, proceeded with the trial regardless
of his plea and without waiting for the verdict of the international
forum. The trial lasted for sixty-eight days. The judgement was
announced on 23rd December 1910. Apart from Keshab Chandra, twenty-eight
others were also convicted and eight were acquitted. Savarkar was
convicted and sentenced to transportation for life and his property was
confiscated.
In the second Nasik Conspiracy Case, Savarkar was charged with abetment
in the murder of Jackson, collector of Nasik. He was convicted and
sentenced to another deportation for life on 30th January 1911. The
Hague Tribunal announced the judgement in the extradition case on 24th
February 1911. He was sent to the Andamans in July 1911. The first poem
Savarkar composed was on Guru Gobind Singh, the sire of martyrdom.
In 1920, many
prominent freedom fighters including Vithalbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi
and Bal Gangadhar Tilak demanded the release of Savarkar. On May 2,
1921, Savarkar was moved to Ratnagiri jail, and from there to the
Yeravada jail. In Ratnagiri jail Savarkar wrote the book 'Hindutva'. On
January 6, 1924 he was h freed under the condition that he would not
leave Ratnagiri district and abstain from political activity for the
next five years. On his release, Veer Savarkar founded the Ratnagiri
Hindu Sabha on January 23, 1924 that aimed to preserve India's ancient
culture and work for social welfare.
Later Savarkar joined Tilak's Swaraj Party and founded the Hindu
Mahasabha as a separate political party. He was elected President of the
Mahasabha and toiled for building Hindu Nationalism and later joined
the Quit India movement.
The Hindu Mahasabha opposed creation of Pakistan, and took exception to
Gandhi's continued Muslim appeasement stances. Nathuram Godse, a
volunteer of the Hindu Mahasabha, assassinated Gandhi in 1948 and upheld
his actions till his hanging. Veer Savarkar was arrested and indicted
by the Government of India in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case. But
he was acquitted by the Supreme Court of India, for reasons of lack of
evidence.
Veer Savarkar died on February 26, 1966 at the age of 83.
Subhas Chandra Bose
Born: January 23, 1897
Died: August 18, 1945
Achievements: Passed Indian Civil Services Exam; elected Congress
President in 1938 and 1939; formed a new party All India Forward block;
organized Azad Hind Fauj to overthrow British Empire from India.
Subhas Chandra Bose, affectionately called as Netaji, was one of the
most prominent leaders of Indian freedom struggle. Though Mahatma Gandhi
and Jawaharlal Nehru have garnered much of the credit for successful
culmination of Indian freedom struggle, the contribution of Subash
Chandra Bose is no less. He has been denied his rightful place in the
annals of Indian history. He founded Indian National Army (Azad Hind
Fauj) to overthrow British Empire from India and came to acquire
legendary status among Indian masses.
Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa. His
father Janaki Nath Bose was a famous lawyer and his mother Prabhavati
Devi was a pious and religious lady. Subhas Chandra Bose was the ninth
child among fourteen siblings. Subhas Chandra Bose was a brilliant
student right from the childhood. He topped the matriculation
examination of Calcutta province and graduated with a First Class in
Philosophy from the Scottish Churches College in Calcutta. He was
strongly influenced by Swami Vivekananda's teachings and was known for
his patriotic zeal as a student. To fulfill his parents wishes he went
to England in 1919 to compete for Indian Civil Services. In England he
appeared for the Indian Civil Service competitive examination in 1920,
and came out fourth in order of merit. However, Subhas Chandra Bose was
deeply disturbed by the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, and left his Civil
Services apprenticeship midway to return to India in 1921
After returning to India Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose came under the
influence of Mahatma Gandhi and joined the Indian National Congress. On
Gandhiji's instructions, he started working under Deshbandhu
Chittaranjan Das, whom he later acknowledged his political guru. Soon he
showed his leadership mettle and gained his way up in the Congress'
hierarchy. In 1928 the Motilal Nehru Committee appointed by the Congress
declared in favour of Domination Status, but Subhas Chandra Bose along
with Jawaharlal Nehru opposed it, and both asserted that they would be
satisfied with nothing short of complete independence for India. Subhas
also announced the formation of the Independence League. Subhas Chandra
Bose was jailed during Civil Disobedience movement in 1930. He was
released in 1931 after Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed. He protested
against the Gandhi-Irwin pact and opposed the suspension of Civil
Disobedience movement specially when Bhagat Singh and his associates
were hanged.
Subash Chandra Bose was soon arrested again under the infamous Bengal
Regulation. After an year he was released on medical grounds and was
banished from India to Europe. He took steps to establish centres in
different European capitals with a view to promoting politico-cultural
contacts between India and Europe. Defying the ban on his entry to
India, Subash Chandra Bose returned to India and was again arrested and
jailed for a year. After the General Elections of 1937, Congress came to
power in seven states and Subash Chandra Bose was released. Shortly
afterwards he was elected President of the Haripura Congress Session in
1938. During his term as Congress President, he talked of planning in
concrete terms, and set up a National planning Committee in October that
year. At the end of his first term, the presidential election to the
Tripuri Congress session took place early 1939. Subhas Chandra Bose was
re-elected, defeating Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya who had been backed by
Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Working Committee. Clouds of World War
II were on the horizon and he brought a resolution to give the British
six months to hand India over to the Indians, failing which there would
be a revolt. There was much opposition to his rigid stand, and he
resigned from the post of president and formed a progressive group known
as the Forward Block.
Subhas Chandra Bose now started a mass movement against utilizing Indian
resources and men for the great war. There was a tremendous response to
his call and he was put under house arrest in Calcutta. In January
1941, Subhas Chandra Bose disappeared from his home in Calcutta and
reached Germany via Afghanistan. Working on the maxim that "an enemy's
enemy is a friend", he sought cooperation of Germany and Japan against
British Empire. In January 1942, he began his regular broadcasts from
Radio Berlin, which aroused tremendous enthusiasm in India. In July
1943, he arrived in Singapore from Germany. In Singapore he took over
the reins of the Indian Independence Movement in East Asia from Rash
Behari Bose and organised the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army)
comprising mainly of Indian prisoners of war. He was hailed as Netaji by
the Army as well as by the Indian civilian population in East Asia.
Azad Hind Fauj proceeded towards India to liberate it from British rule.
Enroute it lliberated Andeman and Nicobar Islands. The I.N.A. Head
quarters was shifted to Rangoon in January 1944. Azad Hind Fauj crossed
the Burma Border, and stood on Indian soil on March 18 ,1944.
However, defeat of Japan and Germany in the Second World War forced INA
to retreat and it could not achieve its objective. Subhas Chandra Bose
was reportedly killed in an air crash over Taipeh, Taiwan (Formosa) on
August 18, 1945. Though it is widely believed that he was still alive
after the air crash not much information could be found about him.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
born: September 5, 1888
Died: April 17, 1975
Achievements: First Vice President and second President of India. Placed Indian philosophy on world map.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was first Vice President of India and second
President of India. He was also a philosopher and introduced the
thinking of western idealist philosophers into Indian thought. He was a
famous teacher and his birthday is celebrated as Teacher's Day in India.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 at Tirutani,
Madras in a poor Brahmin family. As his father was poor Radhakrishnan
supported most of his education through scholarships. Dr. Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan had his early education at Gowdie School, Tiruvallur and
then went to the Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati for his high
school. He joined the Voorhee's College in Vellore and later switched to
the Madras Christian College. He chose Philosophy as his major subject
and did his B.A. and M.A. in it.
After completing his M.A., Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, accepted an
Assistant Lectureship at the Madras Presidency College in 1909. In
college, he mastered the classics of Hindu philosophy, namely the
Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Brahmasutra, and commentaries of Sankara,
Ramunuja and Madhava. He also acquainted himself with Buddhist and Jain
philosophy and philosophies of Western thinkers such as Plato, Plotinus,
Kant, Bradley, and Bergson.
In 1918, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was selected as Professor of
Philosophy by the University of Mysore. In 1921, Radhakrishnan was
nominated as Professor of Philosophy at the Calcutta University, 1921.
In 1923, Dr. Radhakrishnan's book "Indian Philosophy" was published. The
book was hailed as a "philosophical classic and a literary
masterpiece."
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was called to Oxford University, to deliver
lectures on Hindu philosophy. He used his lectures as a platform to
further India's cause for freedom. He also argued that Western
philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity, were biased by
theological influences from their wider culture. He showed that Indian
philosophy, once translated into standard academic jargon, is worthy of
being called philosophy by Western standards. He thus placed Indian
Philosophy on world map.
In 1931, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected Vice Chancellor of the
Andhra University. In 1939, Radhakrishnan became the Vice Chancellor of
the Benaras Hindu University. In 1946, he was appointed as Ambassador
to UNESCO. After Independence Dr. Radhakrishnan was requested to Chair
the University Education Commission in 1948. The Radhakrishnan
Committee's suggestions helped mould the education system for India's
needs.
In 1949, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was appointed ambassador to the
Soviet Union. He helped laid the foundation for a strong relationship
with Soviet Union. Radhakrishnan was elected first Vice-President of
India in 1952. He was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1954. After
serving two terms as Vice-President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was
elected President of India in 1962. During his tenure as President India
fought wars with China and Pakistan. As President he helped see India
through those trying years safely. He retired as President in 1967 and
settled in Madras.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan died on April 17, 1975.
