The leader and inspirer of the Young Bengal Movement was?

Appeared in: UPPSC-2021

Explanation

Henry Vivian Derozio was a poet and an influential teacher at the Hindu College in Calcutta from 1826 to 1831.
He encouraged his students, known as 'Derozians', to think freely, question authority, and challenge social and religious orthodoxy.
His radical, rationalist ideas were the direct inspiration for the Young Bengal Movement, a group of his students who advocated for social reform.

Option B: He was a preeminent social reformer but founded the Brahmo Samaj, a distinct movement from Young Bengal.
Option C: He was a Scottish philanthropist and educator who was instrumental in founding Hindu College, but he was not the ideological leader of the Young Bengal Movement.
Option D: He was a Scottish missionary who founded the General Assembly's Institution (now Scottish Church College) and had his own intellectual circle, which was separate from the Young Bengal group.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain 19th Century Social and Intellectual Movements in Bengal as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
General Awareness: Understanding major social and intellectual movements is crucial for the General Knowledge and current affairs sections of competitive examinations.
Historical Context: The Young Bengal Movement represents a key phase of intellectual awakening and radicalism in modern Indian history, influencing later nationalist thought.
What if?: If the question had asked for the founder of the Brahmo Samaj, the answer would be Raja Ram Mohan Roy, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between different reform movements of the same era.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question, which is 'Young Bengal Movement'.
The question asks for the 'leader and inspirer', pointing to a single, central figure who provided the ideological foundation for the movement.
Recall or analyze the historical figures associated with 19th-century Bengal reform.
Differentiate the roles of each person listed in the options. Derozio was the teacher and mentor of the group, Roy led a different movement (Brahmo Samaj), Hare was an administrator/founder of the college, and Duff was a missionary with a separate institution.
Select the individual whose role directly matches that of an 'inspirer' for this specific student-led movement.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full UPPSC-2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.