Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, also known as Chattopadhyay (1838-1894) was an Indian novelist, poet, essayist and journalist. Born in the village of Kanthalpara, Naihati, in an orthodox Bengali Brahmin family, is widely regarded as a key figure in literary renaissance of Bengal as well as the broader Indian subcontinent. Some of his writings, including novels, essays and commentaries, broke away from traditional verse-oriented Indian writings, and provided an inspiration for authors across India. He was the author of the 1882 Bengali language novel <i>Anandamath</i>, which is one of the landmarks of modern Bengali and Indian literature, and the composer of <i>Vande Mataram</i>, written in highly sanskritized Bengali, personifying Bengal as a Mother Goddess and inspiring activists during the Indian Independence Movement.<br />Chattopadhayay wrote fourteen novels and many serious, serio-comic, satirical, scientific and critical treatises. He is known as Sahitya Samrat (Emperor of Literature) in Bengali.<br />The Chattopadhyay&rsquo;s essay <i>Vedic Literature</i> was first published in the <i>Calcutta University Magazine</i>, March 1 and April 1, 1894.