Iswar Chandra Bandyopadhyay was born at a village in Midnapore in the year 1820. He had to live in utmost poverty in his childhood. When he was quite young he came to Calcutta with his father. They walked all the way and Iswar Chandra learnt the English numerals from the milestones. As a student he was simply brilliant. He had a powerful retentive memory. He read in the Sanskrit College and later became its Principal. He was a great social reformer. He introduced widow marriage and fought all his life to uphold the dignity of man. He had a very kind heart, but he could be stem, if the situation so demanded of him. He did a great service to the Bengali literature by writing some text books in Bengali. He also translated many Sanskrit books into Bengali. He was a vastly learned man, but was a picture of simplicity and kindness.
