In the 19th century there were only a few Bengali judges who were successful in the profession of law. Sri Aswani Kumar Basu Thakur was one of the very few.

Sri Gobindo Kumar Basu Thakur, who was the father of Shri Aswani Kumar Basu Thakur, was a very successful person in the nineteenth century Bengal. He passed his senior scholarship exam from Dhaka just after Sri Ramkumar Bhagoban Chandra and. got a job as an assistant in the Governor General’s Home Department. Now an assistant means a Clerk, but at that time the work of Assistant was much in line of an Assistant Secretary in today’s time. Sri Gobindo Chandra Basu Thakur wrote an English book called ‘Folktales’ and got highly praised at that time by the critics of the literature. A lot of intellectuals praised his work at that time. Writing a book in English was really a great achievement during that time.

Mother of Sri Aswani Kumar Basu Thakur was the youngest daughter of Sri Kirti Chandra Guha Roy who was a resident of Bikna Village at Barisal District’s Jhalkati Police Station. Sri Aswani Kumar Basu Thakur was born on 15th of January 1855. His father died when he was only Thirteen years old. They were three brothers. Sri Aswani Kumar was the oldest, then Sri Prasanna Kumar and the youngest was Sri Sudhanya Kumar. He was orphaned at a very young age and his grandmother looked after him when he was a child and in his youth. One of the cousins of Sri Gobindo Kumar Basu Thakur was Sri Bharat Chandra Basu Thakur. Sri Bharat Chandra didn’t have any kids and so he took Sri Sudhanya Kumar as his foster child.

Sri Aswani Kumar and Sri Prasanna Kumar were raised by their grandmother. He was admitted to Dhaka Collegiate School. From there he passed his entrance examination with a scholarship of Rupees Fifteen. He then passed his F.A. examination from Dhaka College with a scholarship of Rupees Twenty. In 1877 he passed his B.A. examination from Dhaka College in first division.

After finishing his studies from the middle of 1877 till 1880 he was an assistant headmaster at Dhaka Pagog School. In 1883 he passed his B.L. Examination from Dhaka College. He then started practicing law. However, he never liked this profession and that is why in 1885 he joined as a Munsif. After working there for Twenty Six years and on 16th of January, 1911 he retired from his job while he was in the post of a Sub judge.

On 13th of August, 1938 at 10PM Sri Aswani Kumar Basu Thakur died of heart attack in his Kolkata house. He had six sons and a daughter and his oldest son Sri Hem Chandra Basu Thakur passed M.A. and B.L. from Dhaka and started working in the post office as Munsif. His job was transferable and so he was posted in different parts of Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Assam. At that time the local courts of these states were under the jurisdiction of Calcutta High Court. He worked for Twenty Seven years and finally retired from his job in 1932 while sitting in the post of District judge. After One year of retiring in the year 1933 the government awarded him with the Title of ‘Rai Bahadur’. During those times he and his father both enjoyed their pensions together. His other sons also got established in their respective lives and professions. His son Dr Prafulla Chandra Basu Thakur and his life were discussed elsewhere.

Most of the people who are discussed here were mostly successful people of the 19th century. Most of them worked in different departments of the British Government with high-efficiency and distinction. For example Sri Rasik Lal was the Deputy Magistrate who worked during the end of the 19th century. His brother Sri Pyari Lal Basu was the Deputy Superintendent of police and he worked there with distinction. The others were discussed in other places.