Keshab Chandra Sen

About Keshub Chandra Sen

Keshub Chandra Sen (Sen; 19 November 1838 – 8 January 1884) was a Hindu philosopher and social reformer who attempted to incorporate Christian theology within the framework of Hindu thought.
Keshub Chandra Sen (also spelled Keshab Chunder Sen) was born in an affluent family of Calcutta on 19 November 1838.
He lost his father Peary Mohan when he was ten and was then brought up by his uncle.
Born a Hindu in the Bengal Presidency of British India, In 1854, he became the secretary of the Asiatic Society. He also worked as a clerk in a bank but monotonous clerical work did not interest him.
In 1855, at the age of 17, he established the British India Society.

He became a member of the Brahmo Samaj in 1857 but established his own breakaway “Bharatvarshiya Brahmo Samaj” in 1866.
He set up the ‘Goodwill Fraternity’ in his house.
He developed a great rapport with Debendranath Tagore, the head of the Samaj.
He thought that only the Christian doctrine would help instill new life into Hindu society.
In 1865, this lean towards Christianity caused a rift between him and Tagore and he broke away from the Samaj and formed the Bharat Barshiya Brahmo Samaj (Brahmo Samaj of India).
The old Brahmo Samaj was now called the Adi Brahmo Samaj.
Sen preached against child marriage and advocated widow remarriage and inter-caste marriages.
In 1870, he met the British monarch Queen Victoria and expressed acceptance of the British rule which angered people at home, he was criticised severely in India.
Sen founded the Indian Reform Association in 1870 after returning from a Europe visit. The chief areas of activity of this association were female improvement, inexpensive literature, education, temperance and charity.
He was criticised when he got his daughter under 14 married to the prince of Cooch Behar. His daughter was then and the prince about 15 years of age.
He formed the Nabo Bidhan (New Dispensation) in 1881 which intended to incorporate the best principles of Christianity and western spirituality with Hinduism.
Sen died in Calcutta on 8 January 2018 1884 aged 45.