Page:Vidyasagar, the Great Indian Educationist and Philanthropist.djvu/9

 and Midnapur districts. His forbears were all poor but vastly learned His grandfather Pandit Ramjoy Tarkabhusan was a man of sturdy independence and exemplary character. Thakurdas Bandopadhyaya, Isvar CHandra's father, a vigorous and sterling nature, had to struggle very hard just to make a shift to live; while his mother Bhagavati Devy was a most admirable woman in every respect, especially noted for the rare qualities of her heart.

Of Isvar Chandra's childhood, a vivid and fairly full account is to be found in his unfinished autobiography. When five years old he was put into the elementary school of the village kept by a sympathetic teacher. The latter was highly delighted to have such a pupil under his tuition, for even at this age he gave clear indications of that keen intellect and remarkable memory which contributed largely to his greatness in later life. Often restive and roguish, he was a terror to the villagers. His parents generally displayed marvellous