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Sir Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar
नारायण गणेश चंदवरकर
N G Chandavarkar.jpg
Vice Chancellor of University of Mumbai
In office
1911 - 1912
Preceded by Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar
Succeeded by John Heaton
President of the Indian National Congress
In office
1900 - 1901
Preceded by Romesh Chunder Dutt
Succeeded by Dinshaw Edulji Wacha
Personal details
Born 2 December 1855
Honnavar (Present day Honnavar town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka )
Died 4 May 1923
Nationality Indian
Mumbai University convocation hall photo 16
Statue of Sir N. G. Chandavarkar at the Convocation Hall, University of Mumbai.

Sir Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar (born December 2, 1855 – died May 4, 1923) was an important Indian leader. He was a politician with the Indian National Congress. He also worked to bring changes to the Hindu religion. Some people called him the "leading Hindu reformer of western India."

Early Life and Education

Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar was born in Honavar on December 2, 1855. This area was part of the Bombay Presidency back then. His uncle, Shamrao Vithal Kaikini, was also a well-known reformer.

Narayan studied at Elphinstone College. He later earned a law degree in 1881. In 1885, he traveled to England with two other people. Their goal was to teach the public about India before an election there. This trip helped him start his political career. He then joined the Indian National Congress when it began in Bombay in 1885.

Career Highlights

Sir Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar held many important positions. He became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Mumbai. This means he was a top leader at the university.

In 1900, he was chosen as the President of the Indian National Congress. This was a very important role in the political party. A year later, he became a judge at the Bombay High Court. He worked as a judge for about twelve years. During this time, he also helped many social groups.

One main group he worked with was the Prarthana Samaj. This group was like a "Prayer Society." They wanted to make changes to Hindu society. They aimed to make it more modern. Sir Narayan took over leadership of this group in 1901. In 1910, he was given the title of "Knight" by the British. This is why he is called "Sir."

Return to Politics

Sir Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar returned to Indian politics in 1914. The Indian National Congress split into two groups in 1918. Sir Narayan became a leader of the "All-India Moderates Conference." Other leaders with him included Surendranath Banerjea and Dinshaw Wacha.

In 1920, he led a public meeting in Bombay. This meeting protested a report about the Jallianwala Bagh incident. This was a terrible event where many people were killed. Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by this protest. Later, in 1921, Gandhi stopped his Civil Disobedience campaign. He did this after getting advice from Sir Narayan.

Important Thoughts

Sir Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar often spoke about changes in Hindu society. He believed that the ideas of Krishna were slowly changing Hindu society. He said, "The ideas that lie at the heart of the gospel of Krishna are slowly but surely permeating every part of Hindu society."

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