Biography of Michael Madhusudan Dutta

(1824-1873)

Michael Madhusudan Dutta was one of the greatest poets in the history of Bengali literature. His works were both in English and Bengali

He was born in Jessore (now in Bangladesh) in 1824. He was educated in Hindu College, Kolkata. Besides Bengali, he was well-versed in languages like Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Persian, Hebrew, Greek, etc. He was a multi-faceted genius who, through his writings, altered the whole course of Bengali literature and added new dimensions to it. He was a pioneer of the new westernized poetry and the new drama.

In 1859, his first Bengali poem ‘Tilottoma' was published which was written entirely in blank verses, a new trend in Bengali literature. The years 1861-62 were Madhusudan's most fruitful period when his renowned works "Meghnad-Vadh', Krishnakumari', 'Vrajangana', and 'Birangana got published. His long poem 'The Captive Lady', written in English, is a masterpiece. His works covered nearly all literary forms. He passed away in 1873.