Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was a Bengali novelist whose historical romances helped establish the modern Bengali novel. His major works include *Durgeshnandini*, *Kapalkundala*, and *Anandamath*, the 1882 novel that introduced “Vande Mataram,” later adopted as India’s national song. Alongside his literary career, he served as a deputy magistrate in the colonial administration and edited the Bengali literary journal *Bangadarshan*.