128 BENGALI LITERATURE a grammar, compiled a dictionary, and composed text-books but he was at the same time the centre of the learned Bengalis, whom by his zeal he attracted around him as pundits and munsis, as inquirers and visitors. The impetus which he gave to Bengali learning is to be measured not merely by his productions or by his educational labours at this institution or at Srirampur but also by the influence he had exerted and the example he had set before an admiring public who soon took up না টং his work in earnestness. He had to literature. gathered around him a number of scholars who were at first his teachers but whom he had succeeded in employing in extensive literary work. Of the fifteen munsis! who taught Bengali in the College, the chief was his own pundit, Mrtyuiiay, who wrote some of the most learned and elaborate treatises of the time. He induced three other pundits of the College, Rim Basu, Rajib-lochan and Chandicharan, to undertake the composition of vernacular works and he always befriended those who took any interest in the vernacular literature. It was at his suggestion and encouragement that Mohan-prasad Thakur, assistant Librarian to the College of Fort William, compiled his éaglish-Bengali Vocabulary? (1810) which he dedicated to Dr. Carey. It
- Buchanan, op cit. p, 239.
- A Vocabulary Bengali and English for the use of students, arranged
in alphabetical order under different subjects, by Mohan Prasad Thakur (1810); 2nd Ed.1815 ; 8rd Edition 1852. The Calcutta Review (1852) speaks of it as “exceedingly useful to all students of the Bengali language.” On the doubtful authority of Rev, Long (Catalogue) the date of this book is fixed to be 1805 by Mr. Sen (History, pp. 866-67). The copy (2nd Edition) in the library of the Board of Examiners bears 1815 as the date of publication. Mohan Prasad was appointed Librarian to the College in October, 1807 (Roebuck, op cit. App. LI. p. 51): so he could not have compiled this work at the suggestion of Oarey before this date. See also Preface to Haughton’s Dictionary.
