Podcast Summary

New Books Network — Rosinka Chaudhuri, "India's First Radicals: Young Bengal and the British Empire" (India Viking, 2025)

Hosted by Nicholas Gordon and Prathana Prakash
Published: September 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features a deep conversation with Professor Rosinka Chaudhuri about her new book, India's First Radicals: Young Bengal and the British Empire. The discussion explores the emergence, ideology, influence, and historical legacy of the Young Bengal movement—India's first overtly secular, politically radical group—during the tumultuous period of early British rule in Calcutta. Chaudhuri unpacks why this group has been overlooked by historians, their unique position in global radicalism, and their attempts at social and political reform outside the realm of religion.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: India and Calcutta in the Early 1800s

• Time Frame: Focuses on the year 1843, a period of dramatic change in British-ruled Calcutta and its intersections with other regions.
• Calcutta’s Role: Center of the British Empire’s activity in India, though large parts of the subcontinent remained outside British control.
• A Limbo Era: British authority was ascendant but not yet absolute, with ongoing wars and shifting alliances; the Raj would only be formally established after the 1857 Mutiny.

Quote:

• “It is in this rather nebulous liminal zone before... the British are ascendant, but they're still not incarnated in the manner... during the years of the Raj.”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (05:34)

The Concept of “Radicalism” and Young Bengal’s Place in Indian Political Thought

• Definition of ‘Radical’: Used here in the modern political sense—emerged in English in the early 19th century (influenced by figures like Shelley and Godwin).
• Unique Stance: The first Indian group pushing for social and civil reforms that were adamantly secular, eschewing religious frameworks entirely.
• Contrast with Predecessors: Unlike Raja Ram Mohan Roy, whose reformist zeal was religious, Young Bengal advocated change outside the religious sphere.

Quote:

• “These are the first people to have wanted to have nothing to do with religion while at the same time advocating social and political change for their country.”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (11:35)

Bengal’s Intellectual Movement and Young Bengal’s Inspiration

• Preceding Influences: While Raja Ram Mohan Roy is dubbed the “Father of modern India,” Young Bengal’s ethos was notably distinct—humanistic, influenced by Romantic poets like Burns (“Man to man the world o’er shall brothers be”).
• Organizational Firsts: Created the Bengal British India Society (1843), the first Indian political party, pre-dating the Indian National Congress by over forty years.
• Historical Neglect: Their uneasy fit with nationalist and Marxist historiography contributed to their marginalization in mainstream historical discourse.

Quote:

• “Why in... 2025 [is this] the first book to be written about this group?”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (17:44)

Research Challenges and Literary Crossroads

• Chaotic Archives: Source materials are scattered and often only accessible in British libraries, complicating research, especially for Indian scholars.
• Literary-Historical Hybrid: Despite being primarily a historian for this work, Chaudhuri’s background in literature deeply informed her approach and analysis of Young Bengal.

Quote:

• “The materials are available only at the British Library in London...it's so difficult for an Indian researcher to find the funding to...work at the British Library.”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (21:36)

Young Bengal’s Global Context & Inspirations

• Sui Generis: Few comparable movements existed globally at the time. Although later youth-based nationalist groups arose elsewhere (cited by Benedict Anderson), Young Bengal was unique for its era.
• Connections to Global Radicalism: Inspired by the French Revolution, American independence, and Latin American republican movements, though without directly emulating any one model.

Quote:

• “There is no other equivalent group really anywhere else in the world...They are certainly in the context of India. They're sui generis.”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (28:19)

Relations with the British and East India Company

• Collaborative and Adversarial: The group engaged with British merchants, traders, and reform-minded British agents; however, they were also outspoken critics of the East India Company’s corruption, racism, and misrule.
• Leveraging British Public Opinion: Early realization that swaying the British public and Parliament could effect change in Indian governance.

Quote:

• “They are very, very harsh critics, not of the British, but of the East India Company... What they've realized now is that if they are able to harness the power of the people now, the people of Britain...then maybe the British public will pressure British Parliament for change.”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (31:07)

Role of Journalism and Public Speech

• Media as Social Catalyst: Newspapers and journals—Gyanan Vision (Gyan Unveshan) and Bengal Spectator—functioned like today’s social media, shaping public discourse and introducing bilingual journalism.
• Building Modern Bengali Prose: These publications influenced wider literary trends and modern Bengali writing.
• Speeches: Public speaking was crucial in spreading radical ideas and critiquing British administration.

Quote:

• “Newsprint is functioning in a sense, like the social media of today. It is full of, you know, untruths as well...full of scandal, rumor, gossip...”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (37:36)
• “The book begins with a speech...against the colonization of India… It begins with a speech, it ends with a speech, and there are speeches in between.”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (41:57)

The Complicated and Suppressed Legacy of Young Bengal

• Mixed Early Reception: Initial praise for their courage and reformism, but as Indian nationalism grew, their Anglophone and Western-leaning character made them awkward precursors for both nationalist and Marxist histories.
• Misconceptions: Frequently dismissed as elitist, despite many members not coming from wealthy backgrounds.
• Ongoing Marginalization: This book is a pioneering attempt to reevaluate and reclaim their historical significance.

Quote:

• “As the nationalist movement...progressed into the 20th century, fewer and fewer historians wanted anything to do with them.”
  — Rosinka Chaudhuri (47:44)

Notable Quotes & Key Moments

• [05:34] “It is in this rather nebulous liminal zone before... the British are ascendant, but they're still not incarnated in the manner... during the years of the Raj.” – Rosinka Chaudhuri
• [11:35] “These are the first people to have wanted to have nothing to do with religion while at the same time advocating social and political change for their country.” – Rosinka Chaudhuri
• [17:44] “Why in... 2025 [is this] the first book to be written about this group?” – Rosinka Chaudhuri
• [21:36] “The materials are available only at the British Library in London...it's so difficult for an Indian researcher to...work at the British Library.” – Rosinka Chaudhuri
• [28:19] “There is no other equivalent group really anywhere else in the world...They're sui generis.” – Rosinka Chaudhuri
• [31:07] “They are very, very harsh critics, not of the British, but of the East India Company... Then maybe the British public will pressure British Parliament for change.” – Rosinka Chaudhuri
• [37:36] “Newsprint is functioning...like the social media of today. It is full of...untruths as well...” – Rosinka Chaudhuri
• [41:57] “The book begins with a speech…against the colonization of India...It begins with a speech, it ends with a speech, and there are speeches in between.” – Rosinka Chaudhuri
• [47:44] “As the nationalist movement...progressed into the 20th century, fewer and fewer historians wanted anything to do with them.” – Rosinka Chaudhuri

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:23] Setting the scene—India and Calcutta in 1843
• [09:17] The modern meaning of “radical” and Young Bengal’s distinctive secularism
• [12:26] Contrasts between Young Bengal and reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• [20:31] Challenges of research and the book’s literary-historical methodology
• [25:18] Was Young Bengal unique or modeled on other movements?
• [29:47] Young Bengal’s complex relationship with the British and East India Company
• [36:53] Impact of group-run journals and the shaping of Bengali society
• [43:49] How Young Bengal’s legacy fared in later Indian historiography

Closing and Further Resources

• The book is currently available in India through Penguin Random House, with hopes for wider publication.
• Rosinka Chowdhuri’s next project returns to literature, examining the origins of “Literature” as a modern discipline in colonial and global context.

For Listeners

This compelling episode repositions the Young Bengal movement as a critical, if overlooked, chapter in India’s modernization, the history of radical thought, and the making of a secular, reformist public sphere. Professor Chaudhuri’s scholarship highlights both the promise and the pitfalls of historical memory when movements don’t fit neatly into subsequent political narratives.