15 August Special | How the arrogance of a British officer made Bankim Chandra pen Vande Mataram

The exact date of composition of the Vande Mataram song is not certain. But it first appeared in a magazine called Bangadarshan in 1875.

Vande Mataram or Bande Mataram, as it was originally conceived, was a slogan and a song that inspired Indians to seek independence from British colonial rule. It was a mantra from bureaucrat-novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay some time in the 1870s. It was a different India. The British had established themselves as the supreme force. Yet, nawabs and royalties in many regions still dreamt of wresting power back from the British. The reign of the Mughals and nawabs was still in the collective memory of the populace.