Sri Aurobindo- Life & Legacy

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About The Book

"Sri Aurobindo: Life and Legacy' is an illustrated monograph planned by the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi to commemorate the 150 Birth Anniversary of the great son of India. The monograph introduces the reader to Sri Aurobindo, his ideas, his enormous role in the freedom movement, and to the manner in which he introduced into nationalist discourse, a unique concept of nationalism that drew inspiration from India's rich cultural and spiritual legacy. The story unfolds through rare photographs with detailed legends.

About the Author

Indian Council of Historical Research (founded 1972) is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The primary objective of the Council is to promote and give direction to historical research and to encourage and foster objective and scientific research. The Council also assists institutions and organisations engaged in historical research with funds and other support. The Council promotes, accelerates and coordinates research in history with special emphasis on areas which have not received adequate attention so far. A major engagement of the ICHR involves fellowships that includes the Junior Research Fellowships, the Post Doctoral and Senior Academic Fellowships.

Foreword

The year 1906 stands out for several reasons in the fascinating story of India's struggle for freedom. For one, year witnessed two prominent political ideologies within the Congress the to us as Moderates and Extremists, drift apart. The differences among the two points of view in the party rested on not only the final objectives but also on how the goal of freedom was to be reached. While the Moderates were inclined to accept a limited version of self-government, the Extremists, as they came to be termed, were determined to seek nothing less than complete political autonomy and freedom. It was on this political scene that appeared Sri Aurobindo Ghose.

While discussing the significance of Sri Aurobindo in the context of the troubled political scene and his joining the Indian National Congress (1906), R.C. Majumdar writes: The Extremist Party.... had an accession of immense strength when it was joined by Arabinda Ghosh (Aurobindo)... indeed the entry of this new personality in the Congress arena may be regarded as a major event of the year in Indian politics.... fired with religious fervour he preached nationalism as a religion..... and infused courage and strength into everyone that came in touch with him.... the torch which he lighted continued to illumine India's political ferment till it passed into the hands of worth successors who led it to its destined goal.

Born on 15 August 1872, Aurobindo gave to the national movement, a unique new impetus by adding to the struggle a moral and spiritual dimension that was easily graspable by the masses. Arguing against a softer and accommodating approach to fight the British for freedom, Sri Aurobindo said: Political freedom is the life breath of a nation to attempt social reform, educational reform, industrial expansion... without aiming first and foremost at political freedom is the very height of ignorance and futility.

Aurobindo completely rejected the approach of seeking part and limited political reform by petitioning the government. His key contribution lies in the fact that he sought a radically new method towards the goal of complete freedom:

What is Nationalism? Nationalism is not a mere political programme. Nationalism is a religion that has come from God....It is religion by which we are trying to realise God in the nation, in our fellow countrymen ... it is because God has chosen to manifest himself and has entered into the hearts of his people that we are rising again as a nation... It will move forward until God's will in it is fulfilled.

Aurobindo's appeal was particularly directed to the youth. His powerful narrative explained how freeing the country-the Motherland was the most sacred of duties and all means were justified.

Introduction

Early Life, Family and Education

Sri Aurobindo was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and nationalist who lived from 15 August 1872 to 5 December 1950. He joined the Indian national movement to free india from Beck domination. He created his theory of spiritual development and human advancement. The developme of human existence into divine life is the main theme of Aurobindo's writings.

Aurobindo Ghose was born on 15 August 1872 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bengal Presidency, Bengali family with ties to the village of Konnagar in the Hooghly region of what was then West Bengal His father, Shri Krishnadhan Ghose, was a civil physician in Khulna at the time and had prevody been active in the Brahmo Samaj movement for religious reform. In Edinburgh, where he continues his medical training, he developed a deep affection for the recently proposed theory of evolution H mother, Swarnalata Devi's father, Shri Rajnarayan Bose, was a well-known Samaj leader. The two older siblings of Aurobindo were named Benoybhusan and Manmohan Barindra Kumar was his younger brother (also referred to as Barin), while Sarojini was his younger sister.

His parents desired to raise him a European manner and thus registered him at the Loreto Cont School in Darjeeling. At the age of 7, he relocated to England to pursue his education. He graduated from King's College in Cambridge. He studied Latin, Greek, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and several other foreign languages. He came back to India in 1892.

Aurobindo cleared the exam for the Indian Civil Service, but since he was unwilling to work for the British government, he decided to not pursue it. However, in 1893, he consented to a position is the Baroda state service. Before becoming the principal of Baroda State College, he worked there for 13 years. In addition to acquiring Sanskrit, he read the Vedas, the Upanishads, epics, and his mother tongue-Bengali, Marathi, and Gujarati.

Role in the Indian Freedom Struggle

His early political activism was centred on the demand of total independence from the British government. While employed by the Baroda administration, he wrote for Indu Prakash and surreptitiously made contact with Madhya Pradesh and Bengal rebel groups. When Bengal was to be divided in 1996, he relocated to Kolkata. Although Aurobindo openly backed non-cooperation and passive resistance to British rule, he engaged in covert revolutionary activities and helped to foster the revolutionary atmosphere in the country.

**Contents and Sample Pages**