State PCS - West Bengal (WBCS)

• 18 Jun 2025

Historian Chittabratan Palit, Pioneer of Agrarian History, Dies

Why in News? 

Chittabrata Palit, a renowned expert in the agrarian history of colonial Bengal, as well as in indigenous science, technology, medicine, and American history, passed away in Kolkata on 13 June 2025 at the age of 82.  

• He is remembered for his significant contributions to academia, particularly in the areas of Bengal’s rural society and the history of science. 

Key Points 

• Early Life and Education: He was born on 18 October 1941, in Khulna, Bangladesh. 
  • He completed his PhD on the land system in agrarian Bengal at Cambridge University. 
• Career: He began his teaching career at Burdwan University before joining the history department at Jadavpur University, where he spent a significant portion of his professional life.  
  • He retired from Jadavpur University in 2010, later being appointed Emeritus Professor in 2012.  
  • He was also a member of the Indian delegation to the International Conference of History of Sciences in 2013, where he presented a paper on Girish Chandra Bose and Indian Botany.  
  • In January 2015, he was awarded the Legend of History of Science at the International Conference of History of Science Kolkata Chapter. 
• Academic Contributions: In 1996, He founded the Corpus Research Institute with his former students, which has published over 50 titles.  
  • He authored more than 100 books on various subjects, including the economic history of Bengal, science and nationalism, and the history of medicine in India.