Nishikanta Chattopadhyay
Nishikanta Chattopadhyay, also known as Nishikanta Chatterjee was a Bengali scholar and the first Bengali to earn a PhD from a European University.Early life
Chattopadhyay was born in July 1852 to a Bengali Brahmin family in Pashchimpara, Bikrampur, then part of the Dacca district of the Bengal Presidency. He was the son of Kashiram Chattopadhyay. After completing his matriculation from the Progress School in 1868, he enrolled at the Presidency College Calcutta for the F.A. programme. In 1898, Chattopadhyay moved to London, Great Britain. He then joined the Leipzig University in Germany where he studied German, Sanskrit, history, linguistics, and philosophy. He was expelled from Leipzig University for being an atheist. Chattopadhyay completed his PhD from the University of Zurich in Switzerland. His thesis was titled The Yatras, Or The Popular Dramas of Bengal.Career
After completing his PhD, Chattopadhyay taught linguistics at Saint Petersburg State University for two years. He taught in different universities after returning to India. He created the Dacca-based Balya Bibaha Nibarani Sabha'. He wrote in the Abala Bandhab against child marriages and for women's rights. He wrote a number of books in English and German.Personal life
Chattopadhyay's daughter was married to Sudhindranath Tagore, the son of Bengali polymath Dwijendranath Tagore. Chattopadhyay converted to Islam at a later stage in life.Death
He died on 25 February 1910.