Mahipatram Rupram Nilkanth

Mahipatram Rupram Nilkanth (Gujarati: મહીપતરામ રૂપરામ નીલકંઠ) was Gujarati educationist, reformer, novelist and biographer.

He was born in Surat on 3 December 1829 to Vadnagara Nagar Brahmin family of Rupram Nilkanth and Girijagauri. He lost his mother when he was one and half years old. He was engaged, when four years old, to three years old girl Parvatikunwar. He completed elementary education of local 'village school' in Gopipura, Surat known as Pranshankar Mehtaji's school. Later he joined Government English school. During his school days, he was influenced by his teachers and reformers Durgaram Mehta and Dadoba Pandurang, brother of Atmaram Pandurang who founded Prarthana Samaj. He also attended weekly meetings of Manav Dharma Sabha run by them.

Later he joined his alma mater as an associated teacher in 1851. In 1852, he joined Highschool department of Elphinstone Institute, Bombay and was appointed as an assistant teacher in 1854. He was closely associated with reformist organisations; Gyan Prasarak Sabha and Buddhivardhak Sabha in Bombay. He was later appointed as an acting headmaster at the Ahmedabad High School in 1857 and later made a deputy education inspector there. In 1859, he was appointed as a member of school textbooks committee, the textbooks known by T. C. Hope's name as Hope Series, and was sent to England on 27 March 1860 to experience training colleges by Education Department. After returning on 13 April 1861, he served as a principal of P. R. Training College in Ahmedabad until his retirement. He was excommunicated from community for twelve years by his Nagar Brahmin community for crossing the sea. He was not even allowed to perform last rites of his father. He had to seek compromise and went to several rituals to enter his community again.

He had edited Parhejdar magazine in 1850 and also edited educational monthly Gujarat Shala Patra (1862-78, 1887-91). He was an incharge of reformist weekly Satyaprakash for ten months in 1857. In 1885, he was awarded Rao Saheb and Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) by the British government. He was associated with Ahmedabad Prarthana Samaj and Gujarat Vernacular Society as well several other organisations seeking social reforms like widow remarriage, prohibition of child marriage. He had also served as commissioner and chairman of Ahmedabad Municipality.

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