During the Swadeshi movement, a National College was started in Calcutta under the principalship of

During the Swadeshi movement, the Bengal National College was established in Calcutta on August 15, 1906, as part of a broader initiative by the National Council of Education to provide education on national lines [1][3]. Aurobindo Ghosh (Sri Aurobindo) was appointed as the first principal of this institution [1][2][4]. He resigned from his prestigious position in the Baroda service to take up this role, aiming to encourage patriotic thinking and an education system rooted in Indian culture rather than the British model [2]. While Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan served as an inspiration for the college and he contributed significantly to the movement through songs and social initiatives, he was not the principal [1][2]. Other figures like Rajani Kant Sen and Syed Abu Mohammad were primarily known for their patriotic compositions during this period. Aurobindo eventually resigned from the principalship in 1907-1908 due to his increasing involvement in revolutionary politics and legal cases [3].

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Programme of Swadeshi or National Education > p. 266
2. [3] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement > Evolution of the idea of Swadeshi > p. 20
3. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Swadeshi Movement > p. 804
4. [4] https://msubaroda.ac.in/Distinguishedalumnidetail?id=117