Barrister and Anglicised Indian
Monomohun Ghose was called to the bar from Lincoln's Inn. After being called to the English bar, Ghose returned to India in 1866. At that time his father died and he started practising as a barrister in Calcutta High Court in 1867.
He was the first Indian barrister to practice in Calcutta High Court. Gnanendramohan Tagore was the first Indian to have been called to the bar in England in 1862 and Monomohun Ghose was the second Indian to be called in 1866. The third Indian to be called to the bar was W.C.Bonerjee in 1870. Gnanendramohan Tagore never practised in Calcutta High Court before departing permanently for England, and as such Ghose is considered the first practising Indian barrister.
His talents were immediately recognised and within a short period he made his mark as a criminal lawyer. In numerous cases he exposed the character of the British ruling elite and protected the subjects who were not guilty.
On return from England, one of the first things he did was to put his wife in charge of the nuns at Loreto Convent, for her education. It was only after his wife had completed her education that he settled down to family life.
While in England, Ghose yearned for the Bengali staple food, machher jhal and bhat (fish curry and rice), but back home he took on all the characteristics of an Anglicised Indian in defiance of opposition from the family and society. In later years, whenever the local press sought to criticize the denationalised Indian, Ghose invariably became the primary target of ridicule. In spite of the fact that he was close to the Tagore family, who were leaders in upholding Indian culture and heritage while keeping their doors open to the world, and was a personal friend of Satyendranath Tagore, he was inclined towards westernisation. While Satyendranth Tagore’s wife, Gynadanandini Devi, struck to wearing the traditional Indian sari, Ghose’s wife, Swarnalata, took to wearing the gown, in the style of English women.
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