Bankim-Chandra Chatterjee
Bankim-Chandra Chatterjee (1838-1894) was born in the village of Katalpara near Naihati. His novels firmly laid the foundation of the Indian novel. Indeed, Chatterjee is the father of the Indian novel - and one of the greatest Indian novelists. The Chatterjees were an orthodox Brahman family; thus early family influences probably had something to do with the conservative attitudes in religious and social matters so noticeable in Bankim’s writings. He was one of the first two graduates of the newly founded Calcutta University. In the same year he was appointed to the Civil Service as a Deputy Magistrate and Collector, an office which he held with great credit until his retirement.