Mokshadacharan Samadhyayi
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Pandit Mokshada Charan Samadhyayi (Mokshada or Mokhoda Charan Bhattacharji or Khasnabis) (1874–?) was a leading figure of the
Jugantar Jugantar or Yugantar ( bn, যুগান্তর ''Jugantor''; lit. ''New Era'' or ''Transition of an Epoch'') was one of the two main secret revolutionary trends operating in Bengal for Indian independence. This association, like Anushi ...
movement.


Student life

Born about 1874, Mokshada Charan was son of Shyama Charan Khasnabis of Paikpara, Bikrampur
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
district, now in
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. He spent long years in Benares to have a genuine schooling in the Sanskrit classics and the Vedic texts. G.C. Denham of the Central Criminal Intelligence Department noted: "The position of Benares as a centre of revolutionary activity is very similar to the position which it holds in the religious life of the Hindu inhabitants of India.". He mentioned it as a retreat for political refugees and, since the visit of
B.G. Tilak Bal Gangadhar Tilak (; born Keshav Gangadhar Tilak (pronunciation: eʃəʋ ɡəŋɡaːd̪ʱəɾ ʈiɭək; 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), endeared as Lokmanya (IAST: ''Lokmānya''), was an Indian nationalist, teacher, and an independence a ...
in 1900, followed by the issuing of the ''Kalidas'' newspaper, Benares became a congenial spot for seditious activities. Several amongst the Bengalis in Benares were connected with the revolutionary movement in Kolkata, principally through a certain Suranath Bhaduri, son of Somnath Bhaduri: a curious character, who was ultimately concerned in the conspiracy in Kolkata and afterwards seems to have attempted to sell the information to the authorities. Somnath was "one of the pioneers of nationalism" in Benares and, in the Bengali year 1309 (1902–03) he published a book called ''Gangajal'', found with Mokhoda at the time of his first arrest at Benares. It conveyed revolutionary lessons under the guise of religion. The writer, addressing the god
Sri Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one o ...
says, "The ''mlechas'' (here used for foreigners) are carrying away to their own country the riches and intelligence of India, and the Vedas (sacred books) and the religion of India are being trampled under the feet of foreign nations. Wilt thou come and uproot the ''mlechas'' and make India free?" To this Sri Krishna replies, "I have come, descending upon India. The auspicious hour is here; in my name advance boldly like heroes." The reference here is to the promise of Sri Krishna contained in a passage in the ''Bhagavad Gita''; Suranath had a good deal to do with the adoption of this verse as the motto of the seditious ''Yugantar'' ('Epoch's End') newspaper of Kolkata. Mokhoda was Suranath's associate. Shortly before the publication of the ''Yugantar'' from Kolkata, early March 1906, Mokhada's friend Preonath Karar of
Serampore Serampore (also called ''Serampur'', ''Srirampur'', ''Srirampore'', ''Shreerampur'', ''Shreerampore'', ''Shrirampur'' or ''Shrirampore'') is a city of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarter of the Srirampor ...
(later known as
Sri Yukteswar Giri Sri Yukteswar Giri (also written Sriyuktesvara, Sri Yukteshwar) (Devanagari: ) (10 May 1855 – 9 March 1936) is the monastic name of Priya Nath Karar (also spelled as Priya Nath Karada and Preonath Karar), an Indian monk and yogi, and the g ...
) reached Benares and, with the help of Hrishikesh Kanjilal of the Kolkata
Anushilan Samiti Anushilan Samiti ( bn, অনুশীলন সমিতি, , bodybuilding society) was an Indian fitness club, which was actually used as an underground society for anti-British revolutionaries. In the first quarter of the 20th century it su ...
and Suranath, convened a public meeting as well as a meeting of the pundits: by quotations from the Hindu Astrology and Astronomy, it was announced that the sinful Iron Age was over and it was now the dawn of ''Yugantar'' or the ''
Dvapara Yuga ''Dvapara Yuga'' ( Dwapara Yuga), in Hinduism, is the third and third best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Treta Yuga'' and followed by ''Kali Yuga''. ''Dvapara Yuga'' lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine y ...
''. Hrishikesh undertook a tour of pilgrimage to proclaim the advent of the New Age and incite the sannyasis (roving monks) in a rebellion against the English.


Revolutionary contacts

Already in September 1905, inspired by
Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...
, the ministers of Hindu religion were to spread the anti-Partition agitation. A.C. Banerji, Barrister-at-Law from
Santipur Santipur is a city and a municipality in the Ranaghat subdivision of Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The fort area of this city, also known as Daak-Garh (calling or gathering room) is thought to have been built by Raja Krish ...
in Nadia and a friend of
Jatindranath Mukherjee Bagha Jatin (; ) or Baghajatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (); 7 December 1879 – 10 September 1915) was an Indian independence activist. He was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary i ...
, obtained the aid of the
Nabadwip Nabadwip (), also spelt Navadwip, anciently Nadia or Nudiya, is a heritage city in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is regarded as a holy place by Hindus, and is the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Famous for Rass fest ...
Pundits and Goswamis : their influence, throughout India, roused the religious scruples of both Hindus and Muslims concerning the impurity in the manufacture of salt and sugar, as much as their boycott of foreign goods. As it will be presently seen, Mokhoda was a close collaborator of Kartik Datta of Santipur. Under Mokhoda's leadership, the
Bhatpara Bhatpara is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Overview Bhatpara is situated on the bank of Hoogh ...
Pundits in the
24 Parganas 24 Parganas district (''cabbiś pargaṇā jēlā'') is a former district of the Indian state of West Bengal. The district was split into two districts — North 24 Parganas district and South 24 Parganas district, with effect from 1 March 1 ...
sent out missionaries in Upper India. At
Puri Puri () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is als ...
in Orissa, one hundred itinerant monks had vowed to preach the
Swadeshi The Swadeshi movement was a self-sufficiency movement that was part of the Indian independence movement and contributed to the development of Indian nationalism. Before the BML Government's decision for the partition of Bengal was made public in ...
. On 28 September 1905, fifty thousand people before the Kolkata Kali temple took the vow of abstaining from purchasing foreign goods. The
Ramakrishna Mission Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) is a Hindu religious and spiritual organisation which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as the ''Ramakrishna Movement'' or the ''Vedanta Movement''. The mission is named after and inspired by th ...
and the
Arya Samaj Arya Samaj ( hi, आर्य समाज, lit=Noble Society, ) is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the sanny ...
considerably helped spreading this doctrine. Admitting that Mokhoda studied Sanskrit for many years at Benares and earned the Pandit title of Samadhyayi, Denham informed that he was posted at the
Uttarpara Uttarpara or Uttarpara Kotrung is a city and a municipality of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Uttarpara is located at , within 10 k ...
College in the Hooghly district. Mokhoda, in company of Professor Charu Chandra Ray, Preonath Karar (
Sri Yukteswar Giri Sri Yukteswar Giri (also written Sriyuktesvara, Sri Yukteshwar) (Devanagari: ) (10 May 1855 – 9 March 1936) is the monastic name of Priya Nath Karar (also spelled as Priya Nath Karada and Preonath Karar), an Indian monk and yogi, and the g ...
) and Satish Sen, animated the clubs and associations in the region covering
Chinsura Hugli-Chuchura or Hooghly-Chinsurah is a city and a municipality of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the bank of Hooghly River, 35 km north of Kolkata. It is located in the district of Hooghly and is home t ...
,
Serampore Serampore (also called ''Serampur'', ''Srirampur'', ''Srirampore'', ''Shreerampur'', ''Shreerampore'', ''Shrirampur'' or ''Shrirampore'') is a city of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarter of the Srirampor ...
,
Chandernagore Chandannagar french: Chandernagor ), also known by its former name Chandernagore and French name Chandernagor, is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is part ...
with the teachings of
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (also Chattopadhayay) CIE (26 or 27 June 1838 – 8 April 1894) was an Indian novelist, poet, Essayist and journalist.Staff writer"Bankim Chandra: The First Prominent Bengali Novelist" ''The Daily Star'', 30 June 2011 ...
(who had lived there),
Yogendra Vidyabhushan Yogendra (or Jogendra) Vidyabhushan (Banerjee) (1845–1904) was an Indian Bengali scholar in Sanskrit, thinker, journalist and popular author of biographies which stirred patriotic zeal in the readers' heart. Loved by Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar ...
and other thought leaders of the epoch. He frequented the revolutionary monk Tarakshepa who, sermoning on the ''Bhagavad Gita'', preached sedition overtly. Informed about a dynamic batch of students in the neighbouring
24 Parganas 24 Parganas district (''cabbiś pargaṇā jēlā'') is a former district of the Indian state of West Bengal. The district was split into two districts — North 24 Parganas district and South 24 Parganas district, with effect from 1 March 1 ...
, Mokhoda went to Chingripota, Harinabhi, Kodalia, where
Harikumar Chakravarti Harikumar may refer to: *Harikumar (actor), actor in Tamil movies *Hari Kumar (director), Indian film script writer and director in Malayalam movies *E. Harikumar, Malayalam novelist and short story writer * N. Harikumar, sound editor and recordis ...
, Naren Bhattacharya alias
M.N. Roy Manabendra Nath Roy (born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, better known as M. N. Roy; 21 March 1887 – 25 January 1954) was an Indian revolutionary, radical activist and political theorist, as well as a noted philosopher in the 20th century. Roy ...
, Saileshwar Bose, Satkari Banerji had started a powerful association. Harikumar was in touch with his cousins, Naren and Phani Chakravarti, who had been to school with
Barin Ghosh Barindra Kumar Ghosh or Barindra Ghosh, or, popularly, Barin Ghosh (5 January 1880 – 18 April 1959) was an Indian revolutionary and journalist. He was one of the founding members of Jugantar Bengali weekly, a revolutionary outfit in Bengal. ...
at Deoghar and worked in Barin's bomb factory there. At
Serampore Serampore (also called ''Serampur'', ''Srirampur'', ''Srirampore'', ''Shreerampur'', ''Shreerampore'', ''Shrirampur'' or ''Shrirampore'') is a city of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarter of the Srirampor ...
, Brahmabandhab Upadhyay was attracted by Mokhoda's learning and his ideas on politics, while accepting him as disciple to run the 'Brahmacharya Ashram'. One of Barin's cousins, the famous journalist Hemendraprasad Ghosh, wrote that Mokhoda had a room also at the 'Field and Academy' founded by
Upadhyay Upadhyaya is a Brahmin name from Sanskrit ''upādhyāya'' "teacher" (from ''upa'' ‘with, under’ + ''adhyāya'' ‘studying’).https://www.ancestry.ca/name-origin?surname=Upadhyay Notable people *Amar Upadhyay, Indian model, film and telev ...
, by the side of the Kolkata
Anushilan Samiti Anushilan Samiti ( bn, অনুশীলন সমিতি, , bodybuilding society) was an Indian fitness club, which was actually used as an underground society for anti-British revolutionaries. In the first quarter of the 20th century it su ...
: here he knew eminent future citizens like Benoykumar Sarkar and Radhakumud Mukherjee. Mokhoda arranged and shared his room with Naren Bhattacharya and Harikumar, before they found shelter at the Anushilan building itself, at 49 Cornwallis Street, while Naren's cousin Abi Bhattacharya with Barin and some other like-minded friends were moving to a centre of their own.


Political outrages

Mokhoda was naturally in close touch with all that was advanced in Indian politics and at the 'Academy and Art Club', which was financed by Subodh Mullick, he met all the leaders of the new movement. He took a post of Sanskrit at the National College on a small salary and became
Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...
's colleague. Denham believed that it was Mokhoda who incited the strike on the East Indian Railway between
Howrah Howrah (, , alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively it lies within Howrah district, and is th ...
and
Andal Andal ( ta, ஆண்டாள்), also known as Kothai, Nachiyar, and Godadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She was posthumously considered an avatar of the goddess Bhudevi. As with the Alv ...
. While being prosecuted for sedition,
Brahmabandhav Upadhyay Brahmabandhav Upadhyay (born ''Bhavani Charan Bandyopadhyay'') ( bn, ব্রহ্মবান্ধব উপাধ্যায়; 11 February 1861 – 27 October 1907) was an Bengalis, Indian Bengali theologian, journalist and freedom f ...
died in jail in October 1907. Mokhoda became the real master and the director of Upadhyay's sarcastically anti-British journal ''Sandhya'' and the band of young men attached to it. At this juncture, Suranath is reported to have formed a central committee at the Sandhya office with the help of his disciple Jatin Banerjee alias
Niralamba Swami Jatindra Nath Banerjee (Niralamba Swami) (19 November 1877 – 5 September 1930) was one of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters – along with Aurobindo Ghosh ( Sri Aurobindo) – who dramatically rose to prominence between 187 ...
(who had returned from Upper India, to succeed Upadhyay as editor) and Kartik Datta; Mokhada, Shamsundar Chakravarti,
Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...
, Tarakshepa, Annada Kaviraj and some others as members, they all seemed to share Upadhyay's political principles. (''Terrorism'' V, p150). While on 6 December 1907, Barin's men attempted to wreck with explosives the Lieutenant-Governor's special train at
Naraingarh Naraingarh (also: Narayangarh) is a city, municipal committee and assembly constituency in the Ambala district of the Indian state of Haryana, located on the border with the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Due to its geographical location, the ...
, on the same evening, arranged by Mokhoda, Naren Bhattacharya alias
M.N. Roy Manabendra Nath Roy (born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, better known as M. N. Roy; 21 March 1887 – 25 January 1954) was an Indian revolutionary, radical activist and political theorist, as well as a noted philosopher in the 20th century. Roy ...
, Bhushan Mitra alias Gulay and Sailen Basu committed a hold-up at Chingripota Railway Station, and were arrested. Jatindra Mukherjee appointed his friend, Barrister J.N. Roy, to defend them. They got discharged. Earlier, in 1907, Indra Nandi sent members of Atmonnati Samiti, including Pabitra Datta and Chuni Mitra, to found at Benares the 'Matri Sebak Samiti'. "This is distinctly suspicious," mentions the Police report. Associating with the ''Yugantar'' and the ''Sandhya'' gangs, in May 1908, a few days before Khudiram and
Prafulla Chaki Prafulla Chandra Chaki ( bn, প্রফুল্ল চাকী, ''Prafulla Chaki'' alias Dinesh Chandra Roy) (10 December 1888 – 1 May 1908) was an Indian revolutionary associated with the Jugantar group of revolutionaries who carried o ...
started for Muzaffarpur, Suranath returned from Kolkata to establish a local branch of the Anushilan in Benares, with the help of, Sudhangshu Mitra, Sachin Sanyal, a student in the entrance class of the Bengalitola High School, and his "Tantrik disciple" Debnarayan Mukherjee. Sachin kept "himself all along in the back ground and printed and circulated widely at Benares a seditious pamphlet on the occasion of the anniversary of
Maharaja Pratapaditya Pratapaditya was a Mughal vassal of Jessore and a powerful Zamindar of lower Bengal, before being crushed by the Mughal Empire. He was eulogized, in an ahistorical manner, by 20th century Bengali nationalists as a Hindu liberator from foreign (Isl ...
at the instance of the Bengali anarchists, in order to instigate the youths of Benares," noted Denham. "Suranath induced Jatin Banerjee and Mokhoda to come over to Benares during the Puja holidays." Mokhoda advised the members of the party as to their future course of conduct. "Mokhada and a few other unknown men are trying to unite the extremists and the nationalists into one common bond of partisanship," wrote Denham. "A plan is also under consideration to get the Mussalmans of Turkey and Persia to prejudice the illiterate Muhammadan mass of this country against the English and to send two or three clever English-educated Bengalis to Kabul in the guise of Mussalman fakirs after making them versed in the Koran, and also to bring up after some time Arabindo Ghose (or
Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...
) either to Benares or to some other place for a secret consultation between him and Suranath.". Raja Sasisekhareswar of Tahirpur, the principal man in the 'Bharat Dharma Mahamandal', had been fully converted to Suranath's and Mokhada's creed. Through his father, Somanath Bhaduri, Private Secretary to Maharaja of Darbhanga, the General president of the 'Mahamandal', Suranath was trying to influence the Prince. He tried it also through
Amarendra Chatterjee Amarendranath Chatterjee ( bn, অমরেন্দ্রনাথ চট্টোপাধ্যায়) (01July 1880 – 4 September 1957) was an Indian independence movement activist. In charge of raising funds for the Jugantar movement, ...
, whose father-in-law, Preonath Banerjee, was the Maharaja's General manager. (''Terrorism'', Vol.V, pp 117–119). Shortly before the Maniktola arrests in May 1908, there was a split in the ''Yugantar'', following Barin's concentration on applied terrorism, leaving the theoretical preparation to others: (a) under Sri Aurobindo's guidance, Abi Bhattacharya took over the defunct ''Navashakti''; (b) under Abi Chakravarti's influence, Nikhileshwar Ray Maulik controlled the ''Yugantar'', shifting its office to 68 Maniktola Street, where Nikhileswar and Kartik Datta lived.
Jatindranath Mukherjee Bagha Jatin (; ) or Baghajatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (); 7 December 1879 – 10 September 1915) was an Indian independence activist. He was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary i ...
served as a link between these different trends. After the arrests, the ''Yugantar'' articles under his direct influence became even more violent, causing several prosecutions, before collapsing in June 1908. Police Records show how eager
Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray Sir Prafulla Chandra Ray, CIE, FNI, FRASB, FIAS, FCS (also spelled Prafulla Chandra Rây and Prafulla Chandra Roy; bn, প্রফুল্ল চন্দ্র রায় ''Praphulla Chandra Rāy''; 2 August 1861 – 16 June 1944 ...
was to distribute the ''Yugantar'', and informed the editor that
Jatindranath Mukherjee Bagha Jatin (; ) or Baghajatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (); 7 December 1879 – 10 September 1915) was an Indian independence activist. He was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary i ...
knew him personally. In June 1908, less than two months after the arrest of the Maniktola conspirators, a "new gang" – symbol of a new spirit – commenced operations on the Eastern Bengal State Railway. The series of outrages began with a bomb thrown into a train. The Police experts held that the bombs used in these occasions were inferior to those prepared by Barin Ghosh's party; instead of dynamite or
picric acid Picric acid is an organic compound with the formula (O2N)3C6H2OH. Its IUPAC name is 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP). The name "picric" comes from el, πικρός (''pikros''), meaning "bitter", due to its bitter taste. It is one of the most acidic ...
, these were coconut shell bombs with a mixture of sulphide of arsenic and chlorate of potash stuffed with bits of broken glass, nails, pins of jute combs, causing great injury on explosion. These outrages continued sporadically till April 1909. The Special Department of the Police traced them to a gang of Brahmans in
Bhatpara Bhatpara is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Overview Bhatpara is situated on the bank of Hoogh ...
, led by Kartik Datta and Naren Bhattacharya alias
M.N. Roy Manabendra Nath Roy (born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, better known as M. N. Roy; 21 March 1887 – 25 January 1954) was an Indian revolutionary, radical activist and political theorist, as well as a noted philosopher in the 20th century. Roy ...
, advised by Mokhoda. On 4 March 1907, Kartik had distinguished himself by leading the attempt to murder the missionary in Nadia. He and Mokhoda took part in the
dacoities Dacoity is a term used for "banditry" in the Indian subcontinent. The spelling is the anglicised version of the Hindustani language, Hindi word ''daaku''; "dacoit" is a colloquial Indian English word with this meaning and it appears in the Hobs ...
, reported F.C. Daly "to raise funds for political purposes (…), defence of persons under trial in political cases". Six persons were put on trial before the Special Tribunal of the High Court. Mokhoda was one of them. The jury found him not guilty: he was acquitted for the second time. "A most dangerous character. He is still maintaining his connection with the most desperate ruffians of the revolutionary party (…) Sub-Editor of the ''Nayak'' ('The Leader'), at present the most frankly seditious newspaper in Kolkata." When Nikhileswar was arrested on 23 June 1908, it was Kartik's turn to assume control of the party in charge of the Jugantar, with the printing press at 28 Shampukur Street. There was a house in Chetla for their secret meetings. Kartik was joined by Keshab De, who was just released after two years of Rigorous Imprisonment for having thrown vitriol during East India Railway strike in 1906. As a direct descendant of the old Jugantar group, Mokhoda became their advisor. Several outrages were committed from Chetla, including the
Bajitpur Bajitpur ( bn, বাজিতপুর) is an Upazila, administrative unit of Kishoreganj District in Bangladesh. Bajitpur was created by Baizid Kha. It was previously a Mohkuma(মহকুমা) of greater Mymensingh district, currently falls ...
robbery (15 August 1908). Important among the participants were Noren Basu, Noren Chatterji, Bepin Ganguli, Annada Kaviraj, Suresh Mitra, Indra Nandi, Jatin Ray. One of the older organisers of revolutionary work, Bhupati Charan Bose (b 1864), son of Uma Charan Bose of Kolkata, was another associate of Kartik Datta and Mokhoda. He was a "well-to-do broker for the German firm of Norlinger & Co" in Kolkata. Kartik moved his headquarters to Telinipara, near Chandernagore, before proceeding to the Bighati dacoity on 16 September 1908. At Bighati in Hooghly, noted Denham, a rich man opposed to swadeshi was robbed. Immediate arrest of Kartik, Suresh Majumdar, Basanta, Pannalal Chakrabarti and Dhiren Ghosh, followed by the arrest of Mokhada, Suresh Mitra and Pannalal Chatterji (turned approver). Keshab absconded with the booty. Mokhoda Pandit had in his possession some part of the ornaments stolen at
Bajitpur Bajitpur ( bn, বাজিতপুর) is an Upazila, administrative unit of Kishoreganj District in Bangladesh. Bajitpur was created by Baizid Kha. It was previously a Mohkuma(মহকুমা) of greater Mymensingh district, currently falls ...
in
Mymensingh Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north ...
; certain jewellery he gave to sell to a goldsmith tallied in weight and description with a portion of the property stolen. Other participants were : Biren Mallik, Manmohan Barman, and Beharilal Ray. The Police recognised Mokhoda, once more, as "the guru of the band, a recruiting agent, active participant in the dacoity."


The Yugantar Split

On the breakup of the ''Yugantar'', Mokhoda had joined Kartik, and had helped in giving advice and shelter to revolutionaries, as well as in obtaining arms and disposing of stolen property. In spite of several charges, they were unanimously acquitted. Resulting from the Bighati case, there was a fusion with Jogen Tagore's
Bhatpara Bhatpara is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Overview Bhatpara is situated on the bank of Hoogh ...
group, with
Naren Bhattacharya Manabendra Nath Roy (born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, better known as M. N. Roy; 21 March 1887 – 25 January 1954) was an Indian revolutionary, radical activist and political theorist, as well as a noted philosopher in the 20th century. Roy ...
, "a notable personage", intimate with Mokhoda. Nixon mentioned seven major outrages between 22 June 1908 and 15 April 1909, committed by this group. At this stage, the Police found the Province divided up as follows: 1) Kolkata : led by Indra Nandi; 2) 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly: Nanigopal Sengupta; 3) Rajshahi, Nadia, Jessore, Hooghly: Jatindra Mukherjee; 4) Natore, Dighapatiya, Amalpur: Satish Sarkar; 5) Mymensingh, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Cooch Behar: Amaresh Kanjilal; 6) Berhampur, Murshidabad : Suren Chakravarti. Nanigopal and Jatindra had originally been members of the Kolkata
Anushilan Samiti Anushilan Samiti ( bn, অনুশীলন সমিতি, , bodybuilding society) was an Indian fitness club, which was actually used as an underground society for anti-British revolutionaries. In the first quarter of the 20th century it su ...
and acted directly under
Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...
's guidance, maintaining a constant collaboration. After quarrelling with Satish Basu, Nanigopal absorbed most of the members of Mokhoda-cum-Kartik's dispersed group, since the latter's arrest. Amaresh and Satish Sarkar worked under Jatindranath Mukherjee. Belonging to Indra's group (Atmonnati), Bepin Ganguli, Noren Bose and Noren Chatterji, too remained close to Jatindra's policy. These revolutionaries committed sixteen outrages between March 1908 and October 1909. Denham noted in 1909 on the 'Sarathi Jubak Mandali': "perhaps second only in importance to the
Anushilan Samiti Anushilan Samiti ( bn, অনুশীলন সমিতি, , bodybuilding society) was an Indian fitness club, which was actually used as an underground society for anti-British revolutionaries. In the first quarter of the 20th century it su ...
for the number of persons included in its ranks who actually took part in crimes of violence". Their spiritual guide was Tarakshepa alias Tarapado Banerji, a "mysterious Sadhu, who wandered about Bengal, being most frequently heard of in the districts of Birbhum, Nadia or in Kolkata". He was disciple of
Bamakhepa Bamakhyapa ( bn, বামাখ্যাপা, Bamakhæpa, mad saint; 1837–1911Kinsely, p. 111), born Bamacharan Chattopadhyay, was an Indian Hindu saint who is held in great reverence in Tarapith and whose shrine is also located in the vic ...
of Tarapur in Birbhum, "having possessed hypnotic power"; Nanigopal Sengupta was his disciple. He frequented Jogendranath Tagore, "an undesirable member of the Tagore family": his "influence with the revolutionary party is still considerable"; he was a link "between the parties who work in Bengal proper and the Eastern Bengal and Assam dacoity gangs." Denham knew that Kartik's arrest was rather a shock to the members of this group. Kartik was acquitted, to be charged again with harbouring four of the revolutionary 'bandits', but acquitted by a
Howrah Howrah (, , alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively it lies within Howrah district, and is th ...
jury. He was released on 27 December 1909, after having served a term of Rigorous Imprisonment in connection with the assault committed on Higginbothams as well as with the dacoities at Bajitpur and Bighati : leaders of the Nadia units –
Jatindranath Mukherjee Bagha Jatin (; ) or Baghajatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (); 7 December 1879 – 10 September 1915) was an Indian independence activist. He was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary i ...
and his uncle, the pleader Lalitkumar Chatterjee of Krishnagar-received him with a hero's ovation, as recorded by the approver Lalit Chakravarti nicknamed Benga. On 30 March 1910, Benga confessed that even before the
Netra Netra (''Norddeutsche Erdgas Transversale'') is a long natural gas pipeline system in Germany, which runs from the Dornum natural gas receiving facilitiy at the coast of North Sea to Salzwedel in eastern Germany, where it is connected with the J ...
outrage, he had spent one day at Nanigopal's, before Suresh Majumdar alias Paran took him to a pleader of the Kolkata High Court. He spent there two or three days. The "Nimai chogra" took him by night train to Krishnagar. Nimai or Nirmalkumar was the son of the government pleader Basantakumar Chatterjee, Jatindra Mukherjee's uncle. He left Benga with the pleader Lalit Chatterjee's mohurrir (clerk), Nibaran Chakravarti alias Karuda : the latter had bedding and food ready for Benga. Bholadanga zamindar's son Manmatha Biswas was "of our society". After a few days, he returned to Kolkata. On 24 January 1910, the assassination of Shamsul Alam led the Viceroy Minto to admit the efficient spirit of the new 'Yugantar' under the over-all leadership of
Jatindranath Mukherjee Bagha Jatin (; ) or Baghajatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (); 7 December 1879 – 10 September 1915) was an Indian independence activist. He was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary i ...
: "A spirit hitherto unknown to India has come into existence (...), a spirit of anarchy and lawlessness which seeks to subvert not only British rule but the Governments of Indian Chiefs...". Minto's successor, Lord Hardinge regretted in a letter, in the slippery context of the
Howrah Gang Case The Howrah-Sibpur Conspiracy case refers to the arrest and trials of 47 Bengali Indian nationalists of the ''Anushilan Samiti'' that followed in the wake of the murder of Inspector Shamsul Alam on 24 January 1910 in Calcutta. Alam was Deputy sup ...
: "In fact, nothing could be worse, in my opinion, than the condition of Bengal and Eastern Bengal. There is practically no Government in either province, but I am determined to restore order.". In the meantime, Mokhoda had gone back to Dhaka in February 1910. In March 1910 an attempt was made to assassinate G.C. Denham of the Criminal Investigation Department and a very prominent figure of the Alipore conspiracy (1908–1909). At the same time, a "Strictly Confidential" note (p. 184), added to Denham's report, mentioned that connection was established between Suranath and
Amarendra Chatterjee Amarendranath Chatterjee ( bn, অমরেন্দ্রনাথ চট্টোপাধ্যায়) (01July 1880 – 4 September 1957) was an Indian independence movement activist. In charge of raising funds for the Jugantar movement, ...
, editor of the Bengali ''Karmayogin'' and esteemed associate of
Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...
and
Jatindranath Mukherjee Bagha Jatin (; ) or Baghajatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (); 7 December 1879 – 10 September 1915) was an Indian independence activist. He was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary i ...
; the mess at 133 Lower Circular Road of Kolkata, served Amarendra and Makhanlal Sen for "seeing and conferring with the notorious ic!Jatindra Mukherjee". Amarendra's paper was almost a Bengali version of Sri Aurobindo's ''Karmayogin'' in English; it had also a Hindi edition published from Benares. It was Amarendra who sent Basanta Biswas to Benares, to assist
Rasbehari Bose Rash Behari Bose (; 25 May 1886 – 21 January 1945) was an Indian revolutionary leader against the British Raj. He was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Mutiny and founded the First Indian National Army during World War 2. The Indian Na ...
. "In or about this same year (1910) Gyanananda Swami (Jogeshwar Mukherjee), a great friend of Mokhoda, who was for sometime secretary of the ''Bharat Dharma Mahamandal'' ('All India Great Federation of Religion'), the headquarters of which are at Benares, was in correspondence with
Amarendranath Chatterjee Amarendranath Chatterjee ( bn, অমরেন্দ্রনাথ চট্টোপাধ্যায়) (01July 1880 – 4 September 1957) was an Indian independence movement activist. In charge of raising funds for the Jugantar movement, ...
in Bengal.". Finding Bengal too hot to hold him, Jatindra's associate Kiran Mukherjee visited Mokhoda at Benares in 1911, and stayed with Sarada Maitra of Rangpur. Mokhoda returned to Kolkata, in 1911: in February, the revolutionaries shot dead Srish Chakravarti, the head constable of Kolkata Police, who was a former member of the Yugantar gang, turned informer. According to F.C. Daly: : "It is a singular coincidence, if it is only a coincidence, that this murder took place on the evening of the day on which
Jatindranath Mukherjee Bagha Jatin (; ) or Baghajatin, born Jatindranath Mukherjee (); 7 December 1879 – 10 September 1915) was an Indian independence activist. He was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary i ...
(…) was set free from the dock at the High Court (…) It is likely that Jatin's release put fresh heart into the people who had been contemplating further outrages but hesitating to act".''Terrorism'', V/p184 Mokhoda was strongly suspected in this connection. Descendant of Mokhoda's
Bhatpara Bhatpara is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Overview Bhatpara is situated on the bank of Hoogh ...
group, the
Baranagar ("City of hogs") , settlement_type = City , image_seal = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , pushpin_map = India West Bengal#India3#Asia , pushpin_label_ ...
group reunited a series of small samitis (e.g. the 'Jubak Samiti' with its clubs and poor fund) in the north of Kolkata and in Howrah on the other side of the river Hooghly and operated since 1907; they had contacts with Jogen Tagore, Mokhoda and the Ramakrishna Mission. Again, in December 1911, Mokhoda was seen in Benares and, in the same month, an Inspector of Police was shot dead: the man was "in possession of information regarding a dangerous organiser of political dacoities named Pandit Mokhoda Charan Samadhyaya." E.H. Corbet, Superintendent of Police, noted that Mokhoda: : "was a bosom friend of the police Bengali informer. The matter was referred to Government and I was sent to Benares to interview the Commissioner and Magistrate, with the result that he was arrested (…) A strong and elaborate case under Section 110(f), Criminal Procedure Code". Mokhoda was to have a conviction for three years; but it was decided after the
Durbar Durbar can refer to: * Conference of Rulers, a council of Malay monarchs * Durbar festival, a yearly festival in several towns of Nigeria * Durbar floor plate, a hot-rolled structural steel that has been designed to give excellent slip resistance o ...
(Coronation ceremony) to drop the proceeding. Mokhada was warned not to come back to Benares again. Jatindra Mukherjee and
Rash Behari Bose Rash Behari Bose (; 25 May 1886 – 21 January 1945) was an Indian revolutionary leader against the British Raj. He was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Mutiny and founded the First Indian National Army during World War 2. The Indian N ...
, however, visited Benares in May 1912 and associated with Sachin Sanyal, Mokhoda and Suranath. Soon, Sachin became the sole leader there. Vinayak Rao Kaple was one of its members. Sarada Maitra of Rangpur and Satish Mukherjee of Barisal frequently visited Benares; the latter associated with Mokhoda the members of the Sevak Samiti. During 1913, Jogen Tagore led a series of dacoities; in 1915 he got contact with Bipin Ganguli's followers including Probhas De and Harish Sikdar, and came to know members of other groups including
Atulkrishna Ghosh Atulkrishna Ghosh ( bn, অতুলকৃষ্ণ ঘোষ; 1890 – 4 May 1966) was an Indian revolutionary, member of the Anushilan Samiti, and a leader of the Jugantar movement involved in Hindu German Conspiracy during World War I. Early ...
and Ananta Haldar, (all of them acting under Jatindra Mukherjee). Bipin was sentenced to five years Rigorous Imprisonment on 2 August 1915 in the Agarpara Dacoity Case.


Epilogue

Two years later, Mokhoda was prosecuted at Benares in a so-called Insurance fraud case; he was convicted in February 1914, and sentenced to three years' imprisonment. No subsequent information about this firebrand scholar is available.


Notes

The following are notes about Mokhoda Samadhyayi: Mokshada's name has been variously spelt in the Police notes; for the present article, we have kept "Mokhoda", as the closest phonetical transcription. However, other spellings include: Mokshada Charan or Mokhoda Charan Bhattacharji or Khasnabis, and Mokshadacharan Samadhyayi.


References

* ''Political trouble in India: A Confidential Report'', by James Campbell Ker, 1917, repr. 1973. * "Notes on the Growth of the Revolutionary Movement in Bengal (1905–1911)" by F.C. Daly, D.I.G. Special Branch, Bengal, in ''Terrorism in Bengal'', Ed. Amiya K. Samanta, Director, Intelligence Branch, Government of West Bengal, Kolkata, 1995, Vol. I bbrev. ''Terrorism'', Vol. I * "An Account of the Revolutionary Organisations in Bengal, other than the Dacca Anushilan Samiti" by J.C. Nixon, Home Department, in ''Terrorism'', Vol. II. * "Notes on Revolutionary Activity in Benares" by G.C. Denham, followed by a "Strictly Confidential" note by E.H. Corbet and "a few details added" by C.W.E. Sands in ''Terrorism'', Vol. V. * "Connections with the Revolutionary Organization in Bihar and Orissa, 1906–1916" by W. Sealy in ''Terrorism'', Vol. V. * ''Sadhak biplabi jatindranath'', by Prithwindra Mukherjee, West Bengal State Book Board, Kolkata, 1990. * "Jatin Mukherjee (1879–1915): Indo-German Conspiracy (1914–1918)" by Prithwindra Mukherjee, in ''Indian Historical Records Commission'', Proceedings of the Forty-Fifth Session, Vol. XLV, Mysore, 1977 bbrev. Mukherjee/1977 * ''India Under Morley and Minto'', by M.N. Das, George Allen and Unwin Ltd, London, 1964 bbrev. Das * ''First Spark of Revolution'', by Arun Chandra Guha, Orient Longman's, 1971 bbrev. Guha {{DEFAULTSORT:Samadhyayi, Mokshadacharan 1874 births Bengali politicians Anushilan Samiti Year of death unknown