Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (27 June 1838 – 1894): Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay or Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was a Bengali writer, poet and journalist.He was the composer of India’s national song Vande Mataram, originally in Sanskrit stotra personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring the activists during the Indian Independence Movement. Chattopadhyay wrote thirteen novels and several ‘serious, serio-comic, satirical, scientific and critical treaties’ in Bengali. His works were widely translated into other regional languages of India as well as in English.
Born to an orthodox Brahmin family, Chattopadhyay was educated at Hooghly Mohsin College founded by Bengali philanthropist Muhammad Mohsin and Presidency College, Calcutta. He was one of the first graduates of the University of Calcutta. From 1858, until his retirement in 1891, he served as a deputy magistrate and deputy collector in the Government of British India.
Among the novels his most popular novel is anand math. This novel includes the song ‘vande mataram’. This novel inspired the freedom fighters to fight for their country.
In April 1892 ,he started ‘Bangadarshan’ a Bengali literary magazine.
When Bipin Chandra Pal decided to start a patriotic journal in August 1906, he named it Vande Mataram, after Chattopadhyay’s song. Lala Lajpat Rai also published a journal of the same name.