Young Bengal movement

The Young Bengal movement was a group of radical Bengali free thinkers emerging from Hindu College, Calcutta. They were also known as Derozians, after their firebrand teacher at Hindu College, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio.

Ideology:

• The Young Bengals were inspired and excited by the spirit of free thought and revolt against the existing social and religious structure of Hindu society.
• Young Bengal followed classical economics, and was composed of free traders who took inspiration from Jeremy Bentham, Adam Smith, and David Ricardo.
• The movement was inspired by French revolution.

Objectives:

• They wanted to promote radical ideas through teachings and by organizing debates and discussions on Literature, History, Philosophy and Science.
• The basic motto of Derozio was to spread intellectual revolution among young students. He was a great propounder of liberal thinking.
• Curbing social evils like child marriage, child labour, sati etc. Promoting women education.
• Spreading ideas of French revolution like liberty, fraternity and equality.
• They wanted to promote value based and rational thinking through scientific based knowledge rather than rote learning.