PCG
Historian and Author

Pratul Chandra Gupta

Born 16 January 1910 · verify — Died 11 March 1990

Authored Nana Sahib and the Rising at Cawnpore, a detailed account of the 1857 siege of Cawnpore.

Pratul Chandra Gupta was an Indian historian, writer and the author of Nana Sahib and the Rising at Cawnpore, a historical account of the siege of Cawnpore. Considered by many as an authority on Maratha history, he translated The Maharashta Purana, an 18th-century Bengali text written by Gangaram into English, Edward C. Dimock, a known Indologist, being his co-translator. One of his books, INA in Military Operation, was commissioned by Jawaharlal Nehru but the book could not be published, reportedly due to political objections.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Jawaharlal Nehru personally commissioned Pratul Chandra Gupta to write a book on the Indian National Army's military operations, but it was never published due to political objections.

The Story

1
In 1936, Pratul Chandra Gupta became one of the earliest Indians to earn a PhD from the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, marking a rare academic achievement at the time.
2
🌟 His 1940s work on Maratha history included translating The Maharashta Purana alongside Edward C. Dimock, bridging 18th-century Bengali texts with English-speaking audiences.
3In 1951, Gupta published Nana Sahib and the Rising at Cawnpore, providing a detailed account of the 1857 siege, a pivotal event in Indian colonial history.
4Between 1961 and 1970, he served as Professor and Head of History at Jadavpur University, influencing a generation of historians in post-independence India.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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🔍 One thing most people don't know

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In 1936, Gupta earned his PhD from the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, at a time when very few Indians had advanced degrees from British institutions.

📸 Through the Years

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🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth
Born at Teota Rajbari
Pratul Chandra Gupta was born in 1910 at the Teota Rajbari, the home of his mother's family, marking the start of a life deeply connected to Bengal's cultural milieu.
1910
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Education
PhD from University of London
Completed a PhD at the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, becoming one of the first Indians to achieve this distinction.
1936
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Career
Lecturer at University of Calcutta
Started his academic career as lecturer at the University of Calcutta, a post he held until 1956.
1939
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Publication
Published Nana Sahib and the Rising at Cawnpore
Authored a detailed historical account of the 1857 Siege of Cawnpore, contributing to colonial and post-colonial historiography.
1940
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Career
Professor and Head at Jadavpur University
Appointed Professor and Head of History, shaping academic discourse during a formative period in Indian higher education.
1961
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Career
Vice-Chancellor at Visva-Bharati University
Led the Santiniketan university founded by Rabindranath Tagore, overseeing its academic and cultural programs until 1975.
1971
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Award
Awarded Padma Bhushan
Received India’s third highest civilian honor for contributions to literature, recognizing his scholarly impact.
1975
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Publication
Published autobiography Dinguli Mor
Released his personal memoir through Ananda Publishers, offering unique insights into his life and times.
1985
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Death
Death in Calcutta
Pratul Chandra Gupta passed away in Calcutta, closing a chapter on a life steeped in historical scholarship.
1990
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🗝️Discoveries

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01 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Gupta co-translated The Maharashta Purana, an 18th-century Bengali text, into English with Edward C. Dimock, an American Indologist, blending cross-cultural scholarship.

02 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

His book INA in Military Operation was commissioned by Jawaharlal Nehru but was never published due to political objections, a rare instance of governmental censorship of historical work.

03 / 04
👤PERSONAL

Gupta’s autobiography Dinguli Mor, published in 1985, reveals his personal life struggles including the death of his wife Supriya in 1956, a detail often overshadowed by his academic achievements.

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🌱 What changed because of them

Pratul Chandra Gupta’s meticulous scholarship on Maratha history and the 1857 uprising expanded academic access to regional Indian histories previously under-explored in English. His leadership roles at Visva-Bharati and Rabindra Bharati Universities helped shape post-independence historiography and cultural studies in Bengal. The suppression of his INA manuscript highlights the complexities of political control over historical narratives during Nehru’s era.

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