BENGALI LITERATURE : A Vibrant Culture of Bengalis
The term "Bengali literature" (বাংলাসাহিত্য) refers to the body of writings in the Bengali language, including works in Old Bengali, Middle Bengali, and Modern Bengali, as well as works that reflect changes brought about by familial support or lack thereof. Bengali has changed over a period of about 1,300 years. Bengali literature claims to have been developed for 1,600 years, with the birth of that literature thought to have occurred around 650 AD. The Charyapada, a collection of Old Bengali Buddhist mystic songs from the tenth and eleventh centuries, is the earliest piece of Bengali literature still in existence. The three historical eras of Bengali literature are the ancient (650–1200), medieval (1200–1800), and current (after 1800). Novels first appeared in the middle of the 19th century. The most well-known author of Bengali literature outside of Bengal is Nobel prize winner Rabindranath Tagore. Kazi Nazrul Islam, known for his anti-British writing and activity, was once referred to as the rebel poet and is now recognized as Bangladesh's national poet.
At least seven centuries ago, Bangla literature began to emerge. It may be classified into three primary time periods: ancient, medieval, and modern. The various eras can be roughly divided into three groups: the ancient period, which spans from 650 to 1200, the medieval period, which lasts from 1200 to 1800, and the modern period, which lasts from 1800 to the present. The medieval era can be split into three distinct time periods: the early medieval, also referred to as the transitional period, from 1200–1350; the high medieval, from 1350–1700, which includes the pre–Chaitanya period from 1350–1500 and the Chaitanya period from 1500–1700; and the late medieval, from 1700–1800. The modern period, which began in 1800, can also be broken down into six different phases: the era of prose, which lasted from 1800 to 1860; the development period, which lasted from 1860 to 1900; the phase of RABINDRANATH TAGORE (1861–1941), which lasted from 1890 to 1930; the post–Rabindranath phase, which lasted from 1930 to 1947; the post–partition phase, which lasted from 1947 to 1970; and the Bangladesh phase.
Modern Period: The era of development (1860-1900) BANKIMCHANDRA CHAT TOPADHYAY was the first modern Bangla author. Among his fourteen works are Durgeshnandini, Kapalkundala, and Krishnakanter Will. Bankimchandra created books with strong narratives and characters that are nonetheless easily enjoyable by drawing inspiration from both history and modern life.
Modern period: The Tagore phase (1890-1930) An outstanding individual, Rabindranath Tagore made significant contributions to Bengali literature in all genres. He produced a wide range of rich and varied literary works, including over two thousand songs as well as plays, dance dramas, novels, short stories, and essays. He was a master of both fiction and non-fiction prose, and although he was known as "Vishvakavi" (world poet) and received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913 for his collection of poems, Gitanjali, he was also a poet. Rabindranath was a singular institution in Bengali literature for an entire generation and long after his passing because of the quantity and variety of his writings, his high aspirations, and his commitment to social causes.
SHARAT CHANDRA CHATTOPADHYAY was the most well-known novelist of the time (1876-1938). His books portray the daily lives of the Bangalis, and especially the lives of the Bangali women, with a great lot of clarity and empathy. His books are still well-read and have been adapted into practically all Indian languages. Several have been adapted into films and theater productions.
Bangladesh era There are three distinct periods in Bangladeshi literature: the first, from 1947 to 1957; the second, from 1958 to 1970; and the third, from 1971 on.
Initial stage (1947-1957) From the days before the division until the time before Ayub, this phase lasted. An increase of refugees, economic hardship, cultural unrest, and the Pakistani government's hostility for East Bengal and Bangla were just a few of the issues that East Bengal had to deal with. The people of Pakistan's eastern area quickly saw the insanity of a state founded purely on religion. Bengalis protested the decision to make URDU the only official language of the nation, which led to the language movement of 1952. The earliest phase of Bangla literature was founded on this realization of their linguistic rights.
A second stage (1958-1970) Following the declaration of martial law by the army chief Ayub Khan in 1958, literary and artistic activities throughout Pakistan, and particularly in East Pakistan, were blocked. The Bengalis turned against the rule as a result of restrictions on free speech, the development of a dictatorship under the cover of democracy, and other similar actions. The 1968 uprising of the people, the students' movement in 1969 to fulfill their 11-point demand, the Bengali victory in the 1970 general elections but the Pakistani shah's refusal to hand over power to them, the Bengali victory in the 1971 liberation war and the establishment of the sovereign state of Bangladesh—all of these events had a significant impact on the social life of the populace and were amply reflected in the Bangla literature of the 1958–1970 era.
One of Bengali literature's best poets, Nazrul, is highly recognized. Often referred to as Nazrul, he created a significant collection of poetry, music, messages, novels, stories, etc. with themes like equality, justice, generally pro, humanism, struggle against injustice, and religious devotion. The moniker "Bidroh Kôbi" was given to Nazrul for his fight for political and social justice as well as for writing the poem "Bidroh," which is Bengali for "the rebel" (Rebel Poet). His compositions are a part of Nazrul Gti's artistic musical style (Music of Nazrul)
Stage three (1971- ) The third phase of this region's literature began with the liberation war of 1971 and Bangladesh's independence.
Among several parts of the Bengali Literature, novels, poetry, drama enrich our Bengali Culture most.
Some of the poetry and literature in Bangla:- A poem is a work of writing that uses the meter, phonaesthetics, and other rhythmic aspects of language to communicate meaning.The first Bengali poetry written in blank verse was Michael Madhusudan Datta's epic Tilottama Sambhab Kabya, which was published in 1860.The oldest Bengali poetry and literary work is called Charyapad. Some well-known bangla poems include Gitanjali (Rabindranath), Naksi kathar math (Jasim Uddin), Agni bina (Kazi Nazrul Islam), and Meghnath bodh (Mikel Modhusudan Batta).
Drama: Dramas are fictional representations that feature performance and discussion. Dinabandhu Mitra produced the well-known Bengali play Neel Darpan between 1858 and 1859. Dramas like Birangona and Birpurush are also well-known.
Novel: Usually written in prose and published as a book, a novel is a rather lengthy piece of narrative fiction. Bengali literature is largely composed of novels. Although Karuna O Phulmonir Bibaran (1852) was the first Bengali novel, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's Durgeshnandini, published in 1865, is considered to be the birth of the Bengali novel. Shesher Kabita (Rabindranath Tagore, 1929) Kapalkundala (Bankim Chandra, 1866) Pather Panchali (Bibhutibhushan, 1955) and Devdas are some well-known works of bangla literature (Sarat Chandra,1917).
Our Bengali literature is divided into several different sections for the variety and richness of its civilizations. The literary tradition in Bengali is still expanding. This literature has therefore come a long way, picking up many treasures along the way. Still, there is a long way to go. The journey is still ongoing and will be for a very long time.
https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Main_Page
[ Jarin Tasnim is studying B.Sc in Computer Science and Engineering at BRAC University. She is from Narsingdi. She is more interested in literature. Apart from well academic background, she writes poetry and short stories. Her poems have been published in newspapers and in Navakantha publications.]
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