Sanskrit College

'''Sanskrit College''' is a specialized [[Government of West Bengal|state-government]] administered [[liberal arts college]] offering an undergraduate degree in [[Sanskrit|Sanskrit language]], [[Pali|Pali language]], [[linguistics]], and ancient Indian and world history. It is one of the affiliated colleges of the [[University of Calcutta]]. Founded on 1 January 1824, Sanskrit College, is one of the oldest educational institutions in the subcontinent. It is a traditional college that specializes in the scholarship of Indian tradition, philosophy and religion. It is located on [[College Street (Kolkata)|College Street]] (now renamed Bidhan Sarani) in central [[Kolkata]]. Its centrality is heightened by its proximity to [[Presidency College, Kolkata]], the [[University of Calcutta]], and the [[Indian Coffee House]]. It was established during the Governor-Generalship of [[Lord Amherst]], based on a recommendation by HT [[James Prinsep]] and [[Thomas Babington Macaulay]] among others. {| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; font-size: 85%; background:#ffffcc; color:black; width:20em; max-width: 25%;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" ! style="background-color:#cccccc;" | Principals |- | style="text-align: left;" | *[[Ramkamal Sen]] *[[Pandit]] [[Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar]] *[[Mahamahopadhyay Pandit Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, C.I.E.]] *[[Surendranath Dasgupta]] |} [[Mahamahopadhyay Pandit Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, C.I.E.]], the eminent scholar of [[Sanskrit]] was the principal of the college for over 18 years. He was a Companion of the Indian Empress (C.I.E.), and a member of the [[Order of the Indian Empire|Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire]]. He played a crucial role in colonial [[Bengal]]'s educational reformation. He revived the "[[Tol]]" system in Sanskrit education, and introduced titles or "[[Upadhi]]". The institution rose to prominence during the principalship of [[Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar]] in 1851, who admitted students from other than the [[brahmin]] caste. In particular the ''tol'' or traditional Indian training school model was incorporated as a department in the 1870s. In the pre-independence era, it was one of the finest seats of academic excellence in matters pertaining to [[Hinduism]], [[eastern philosophy]], [[History of India|ancient Indian]] history and ancient Indian languages like [[Pali]] and [[Prakrit]]. It is particularly well known for the contribution of its faculty and students in the social, cultural and religious transformation in nineteenth century Bengal in what came to be popularly regarded as the [[Bengal Renaissance]]. In terms of scholarship and intellectual output, it contributed hugely to enriching the knowledge of ancient Indian society and interpretation of ancient Indian texts. ==Eminent Alumni== *[[Surendranath Dasgupta]] *[[Krishna Kanta Handique]] *[[Bimal Krishna Matilal]] *[[Abanindranath Tagore]] ==Link== *[http://www.sanskritcollege.co.in/ Official website] {{coord missing|West Bengal}} {{Bengal Renaissance}} {{University of Calcutta}}