B.D. Chattopadhyaya was educated at the University of Calcutta, and later, obtained his Ph.D at Cambridge. He taught, till his retirement in 2004, at the Centre for Histotical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Other Universities where he taught are: Burdwan University and Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan.

The published works of Chattopadhyaya include: Coins and Currency Systems in South India(1977); Aspects of Rural Settlements and Rural Society in Early Medieval India(1990); The Making Of Early Medieval India(1994) ; Representing the Other Sanskrit Sources and the Muslims (1998), and Studying Early India: Archaeology, Texts and Historical Issues(2003). Among the volumes edited by him, mention may be made of: D.D.Kosambi, Combined Methods in Indology and other Writings(2002, 2009), and A Social History of Early India(2008).

His Coins and Currency Systems in South India was awarded the Prix Duchalais by the Institut de France in 1978. He was also awarded the H.C Raychauduri Birth Centenary Gold Medalin 2002 by the Asiatic Society, Bengla for his contributions to the study of Indian hostory.