Mahendralal Basack

Last Name:

Basack

First Name:

Mahendralal

Grave Plot No.:

282

Spatial:

Date of birth:

Sep 1822

year of death:

1845

date of death:

7 April 1845

Ethnicity / Origin:

Bengali

Age at death:

22 yrs

Gender:

Male

Occupation:

Missionary; 'Native catechist'

Residence:

Ghoshpara

Place of birth / origin:

Calcutta

Places mentioned 1:

Ghoshpara {Kalyani]

Place of death:

Calcutta

places mentioned 2:

Baranagar

Cause of death:

Cholera

Detailed information:

Mahendralal Basack was born in Calcutta to a Bengali family in September 1822 and after completing his basic education at home, was admitted to the General Assembly Institution (now Scottish Church College) where he was taught by Mr Mackay. He was later sent to the Hindoo College (now Presidency University) but not finding the teaching up to his expectations, returned to his former college. in 1837, he was awarded the second prize for general eminence and a silver medal for his geometrical exercises and also an essay on 'female character'. The same year he sent a treatise on geometry t Dr William Wallace, professor of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh [see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wallace_(mathematicia)] who sent it back saying that it would have done credit to 'a student in a British university' and that 'on various grounds, they [were] remarkable'. Mahendralal Basack's biography has been written by Rev. David Ewart and Ewart accounts for his conversion to Christianity as having stemmed from his refusal to drink Charanamrita or a religious water. Mahendra was kept under surveillance by his family and his books were taken away for fear that he would turn Christian. He ran away to the house of Ewart and was baptised sometime later.

On the return of Alexander Duff to India, Mahendra and the other convert to Christianity, Kailash Chunder Mookerjee, were given missionary duties. Mahendra was appointed the missionary representative of the Glasgow Ladies Association and would preach in Bengali with Mr Ewart at the Bangali Chapel (Bengali Chapel). He also ran a school in Ghoshpara with Kailash and assisted Mr Fyfe in Baranagar. The school in Ghoshpara was supported by a local babu from the Karrta Bhajja sect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartabhaja). During the Disruption of 1843, Mahendra and Kailash chose to remain with the Free Church of Scotland but retained their station at Ghoshpara with Mahendra moving to Baranagar shortly afterwards. Mahendra and Kailash were later joined by Rev. Lal Behari Day .

In 1845, he was struck with cholera and was buried in the Scottish Cemetery. He was survived by his widow and his daughter.

Tags:

Bengali