As a civil servant, as a spokesman of the then new generation of educated Indians, as a political leader of the liberal school, as a perceptive student of economic problems, as a scholarly historian and as a creative writer, Romesh Chundre Dutt was all that the rising Indian intelligentsia of the nineteenth century aspired to be.

Born on August 17, 1848, in a family noted for academic and literary attainments, he had a brilliant academic career which culminated in his passing the Indian Civil Service Examination in 1868 while in England. Before returning to India he was also called to the Bar.

His work in India as a civil servant evoked praise from all quarters, but he retired from the ICS in 1897. Then followed the most fruitful part of his career devoted to public activities and writing. Whether serving as the President of the Indian National Congress, as Revenue Minster of the State of Baroda or while working a Lecturer in Indian History at the University of London or serving as a Member of the Decentralisation Commission he produced valuable works on Indian history and civilisation, besides some fine novels in Bengali.

His monumental works include 'India under Early British Rule, 1757-1837' and the 'Economic History of India in the Victorian Age'. The poverty of the cultivators, the recurrent famines, the burdens of the land tax, the decline of indigenous industries, the impact of foreign capital, the excessive cost of administration and many other allied problems found their first scientific and factual analysis in these two volumes of his pioneering work.

In the field of Indian History, his great work was 'History of Civilisation in Ancient India'. There are many other writings by him in papers, articles, pamphlets and addresses.

He died at the age of 61 in 1909.

The P & T Department consider it their privilege to honour this great son of India by issuing a commemorative postage stamp.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India