Surajit Chandra Sinha
Encyclopedia
Surajit Chandra Sinha (1926 – 27 February 2002) was an Indian
anthropologist and a former Maharajkumar of Susang in undivided Bengal
.
(currently in Bangladesh
) in 1926. He was the eldest son of Maharaja Bhupendra Chandra Sinha, the Maharaja of Susang, a zamindari which ranked third in protocol in the Government House of Calcutta after Coochbehar and Burdwan. The Maharajas of Susang, a hill estate, were amongst the most influential zamindars of Mymensingh. The other major zamindari family of the same district were the Maharajas of Mymensingh (also called Muktagacha) who were, however, the richest zamindars in the district. Muktagacha was the predecessor estate out of which emerged all other estates in the district. Only Susanga was older than Muktagacha in Mymensingh. Sinha's younger sister is Purba Dam, the eminent exponent of Rabindrasangeet. A close uncle, Mani Singh
was a well-known communist leader and the author of Jiban Sangram. In his youth Sinha followed in the footsteps of his uncle. Even though Sinha was brought up and worked in Calcutta most part of his life, he spent several years, especially the last few years in Santiniketan
, where his parents owned a house from the beginning of the twentieth century. The Sinhas of Susanga can be considered to be one of the founding families of Santiniketan.
, Calcutta, he started his college education in physics at Presidency College, Calcutta, but later shifted to geology and then to anthropology. Nirmal Kumar Bose
, the eminent anthropologist, became his mentor soon after Bose and Sinha met in the viva examination for the Masters degree, where Bose was one of the examiners. Later, Sinha completed his Ph.D.
in anthropology from Northwestern University
, USA on a Fullbright Scholarship.
In his illustrious career he held the post of Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta for a long time.
He also held a number of administrative posts such as Director, Anthropological Survey of India
, Calcutta, and Upacharya, Visva Bharati
, Santiniketan
. After retirement he became Director, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta
.
Sinha distinguished himself in the field of social anthropology. Upon returning to India from the USA, he continued to conduct field research. His main area of research was Indian tribes, particularly the Bhumij tribe in central India.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
anthropologist and a former Maharajkumar of Susang in undivided Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
.
Background
He was born in Mymensingh DistrictMymensingh District
Mymensingh is one of the districts of Dhaka division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya state of India and Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur district, on the east by districts of Netrokona and Kishoreganj, and on the west by districts of Sherpur, Jamalpur and Tangail...
(currently in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
) in 1926. He was the eldest son of Maharaja Bhupendra Chandra Sinha, the Maharaja of Susang, a zamindari which ranked third in protocol in the Government House of Calcutta after Coochbehar and Burdwan. The Maharajas of Susang, a hill estate, were amongst the most influential zamindars of Mymensingh. The other major zamindari family of the same district were the Maharajas of Mymensingh (also called Muktagacha) who were, however, the richest zamindars in the district. Muktagacha was the predecessor estate out of which emerged all other estates in the district. Only Susanga was older than Muktagacha in Mymensingh. Sinha's younger sister is Purba Dam, the eminent exponent of Rabindrasangeet. A close uncle, Mani Singh
Moni Singh
Moni Singh was the founder of the Communist Party of East Pakistan. Prior to the partition of India in August 1947, Singh was a successful workers' leader who led movements to abolish exploitative labour practices. He was imprisoned for long stretches on three occasions: 1930-37, 1967–69, and...
was a well-known communist leader and the author of Jiban Sangram. In his youth Sinha followed in the footsteps of his uncle. Even though Sinha was brought up and worked in Calcutta most part of his life, he spent several years, especially the last few years in Santiniketan
Santiniketan
Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata . It was made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town that attracts thousands of visitors each year...
, where his parents owned a house from the beginning of the twentieth century. The Sinhas of Susanga can be considered to be one of the founding families of Santiniketan.
Education and career
After his early education in a high school in Mymensingh, and then at Ballygunge Government High SchoolBallygunge Government High School
Ballygunge Government High School, , is one of the oldest and best schools in West Bengal, India. The school is adjacent to Kolkata RTO/Beltala police station.The school is Bengali medium, with Bengali taught as main language...
, Calcutta, he started his college education in physics at Presidency College, Calcutta, but later shifted to geology and then to anthropology. Nirmal Kumar Bose
Nirmal Kumar Bose
Nirmal Kumar Bose was a leading Indian anthropologist, whoplayed a formative role in "building an Indian Tradition in Anthropology". A humanist scholar with a broad range of interests, he was also a leading sociologist, urbanist, Gandhian, and educationist...
, the eminent anthropologist, became his mentor soon after Bose and Sinha met in the viva examination for the Masters degree, where Bose was one of the examiners. Later, Sinha completed his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in anthropology from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, USA on a Fullbright Scholarship.
In his illustrious career he held the post of Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta for a long time.
He also held a number of administrative posts such as Director, Anthropological Survey of India
Anthropological Survey of India
Anthropological Survey of India is the apex Indian organisation involved in anthropological studies and field data research for human and cultural aspects, working primarily in the fields of physical anthropology and cultural anthropology...
, Calcutta, and Upacharya, Visva Bharati
Visva-Bharati University
Visva Bharati University is a Central University for research and teaching in India, located in the twin towns of Santiniketan and Sriniketan in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India...
, Santiniketan
Santiniketan
Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata . It was made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town that attracts thousands of visitors each year...
. After retirement he became Director, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta
Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta
The Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta is an autonomous research centre devoted to the research and advancement of the social sciences in South Asia...
.
Sinha distinguished himself in the field of social anthropology. Upon returning to India from the USA, he continued to conduct field research. His main area of research was Indian tribes, particularly the Bhumij tribe in central India.
Opinion
Sinha was committed to the ideologies of both Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, arguably the two most eminent Indians in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. The difference between the views of these two men was that whereas Gandhi wanted every Indian to be (in the best sense) a Sudra, Tagore wanted every Indian to be (also in the best sense) a Brahmin.Legacy
He died in 2002 after a prolonged illness leaving behind a rich heritage of anthropological fields of research. He inspired a whole generation of Indian anthropologists and contributed significantly to understanding the process of acculturation of tribal people in India.Publications
- Science, Technology, and Culture: A Study of the Cultural Traditions and Institutions of India and Ceylon in Relation to Science and Technology
- (ed.), Tribal Polities and State Systems in Pre-Colonial Eastern and North Eastern India, (Calcutta, 1987)
- Tribes and Indian Civilization: Structures and Transformation (Varanasi, 1982)
- (ed.), Ascetics of Kashi : An Anthropological Exploration, (co-edited with Baidyanath Saraswati) (Varanasi, 1978)
- (ed.), Field Studies on the People of India : Methods and Perspectives, (In Memory of Professor Tarak Chandra Das), (Calcutta, 1978)
- (ed.), Anthropology in India, Tribal Thought and Culture, (Calcutta, 1976)
- (ed.), Aspects of Indian Culture and Society: Essays in Felicitation of Professor Nirmal Kumar Bose, (Calcutta, 1972)
- (ed.), Cultural Profile of Calcutta, (Calcutta, 1972)
- (ed.), Research Programmes on Cultural Anthropology and Allied Disciplines, (Calcutta, 1970)
- (ed.), Ethnic Groups, Villages, and Towns of Pargana Barabhum: Report of a Survey, (co-edited with Biman Kumar Dasgupta and Hemendranath Banerjee) (Calcutta, 1966)
- (ed.), Levels of a Economic Initiative and Ethnic Groups in Paragana Barabhum, (Durham, N.C., 1964)