The first evidence of Bengali literature is known as Charyapada or Charyageeti, which were Buddhist hymns from the 8th century. Charyapada is in the oldest known written form of Bengali.^[1] The famous Bengali linguist Harprashad Shastri discovered the palm leaf Charyapada manuscript in the Nepal Royal Court Library in 1907. Bengali or Bangla (IPA: ) is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit, Pāli and Sanskrit languages. ... Charyapada is the oldest known Bengali written form. ... A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ... The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between India and Bangladesh) on the Indian subcontinent with a history dating back four millennia. ... Charyapada is the oldest known Bengali written form. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Starting of modern era

In the middle of 19th century, Bengali literature gained momentum. During this period, the Bengali Pandits of Fort William College did the tedious work of translating the text books in Bengali to help teach the British some indian languages including Bengali. This work played a role in the background in the evolution of Bengali prose. Fort William College was an academy and learning center of oriental studies, set up by then British India Governor General Lord Wellesley. ...

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy arrived in Calcutta in 1814 and engaged in literary pursuits. Translating from Sanskrit to Bengali, writing essays on religious topics and publishing magazines were some the areas he focussed on. He established a cultural group in the name of 'Atyio Sova' (Club of Kins) in 1815. Raja Ram Mohan Roy is regarded as the Father of the Bengal Renaissance Ram Mohan Roy, also written as Rammohun Roy, or Raja Ram Mohun Roy (Bangla: রাজা রামমোহন রায়, Raja Rammohon Rae), (May 22, 1772 – September 27, 1833) was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj, one of the first Indian socio-religious...

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyaya (popularly known as "Vidyasagar" which means 'ocean of knowledge') was mainly known as a social reformer and an educator. But his contribution to the Bengali literature was also crucially important . Most modern scholars agree that, it was he who played the most significant role in the inception of effective Bengali prose writing, partly laying the foundation of modern Bengali literature. Indian postal stamp on Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (Bangla: ঈশ্বর চন্দ্র বিদ্যাসাগর) (1820-1891) (born Ishwar Chandra Bandopadhyay) was a Bengali polymath. ...

Vidysagar realized the need of educating women in the society. With his tireless effort to uplift the status of women in the society, he was able to establish some Girl's schools in different parts of Bengal. But there was no good Bengali text book for basic Bengali education. He wrote Bengali books with basic language construct and fundamentals, like, "Barnaparichay", "Bodhoday", "Kathamala" etc. and then easy grammar books like "Upakramonika" and "Byakaron Kaumudi". He also introduced some basic books for Mathematical logic. Rabindranath Tagore called him as the father of modern Bengali language. Vidyasagar translated some masterpieces of Sanskrit and English literature into Bengali: "betaal panchabingshati"(Sanskrit Kathasarit sagar, "shakuntala", "bhranti bilaas" , "sitaar banabaas" and edited books like "raghubangsha", "kumarsambhab" etc. (Bengali: , IPA: ) (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), also known by the sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo Samaj philosopher, visual artist, playwright, novelist, and composer whose works reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ...

Engr. G. C. Barman Shapon

He was born in 1977 in the Bangladeshi district of Dinajpur under Nawabgonjthana in the village of Fatepur Marash. He is a modern writer and also a hard thought writer. Dinajpur is a district in Northern Bangladesh. ...

Impact of Nil Bidroho and Dinabandhu Mitra

In 1857, the famous 'Sipahi Biplob' (Sepoy Mutiny) took place. With the wind of it, 'Nil Bidroho'(Indigo Revolt)scattered all over then Bengal region. This Nil Bidroho lasted for more than a year (In 1859-1860). The literature world was shaken with this revolt. In the light of this revolt, a great drama was published from Dhaka in the name of 'Nil Dorpon' (The Indigo Mirror). Dinabandhu Mitra was the writer of this play. Combatants Indian Patriots, Rebellious East India Company Sepoys, 7 Indian princely states, deposed rulers of Oudh and Jhansi, Indian civilians in some areas. ... Dhaka (previously Dacca; Bengali: Ḍhākā; IPA: ) is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. ... Dinabandhu Mitra (Bengali: ) (1830-1873) the Bengali dramatist, was born in 1830 at Chouberia in Nadia, and was the son of Kalachand Mitra. ...

Michael Madhusudan Dutt

In this time, Michael Madhusudan Dutt emerged as the first epic-poet of modern bangla literature. Dutt, a Christian by conversion, is best known for his Ramayana-based masterpiece, "The Slaying of Meghnadh," (in Bengali "Meghnadh Bodh Kabbo" (মেঘনাদ বধ কাব্য)), which essentially follows in the poetic tradition of Milton's Paradise Lost. Those who have read it consider this work a world-class epic poem of the modern era. Michael Madhusudan Dutta is also credited with the introduction of sonnets to Bangla literature. He ruled the bangla literature wold for more than a decade (1858-1863). Image File history File links MichaelMadhusudanDatta. ... Michael Madhusudan Dutt (Datta), (Bengali: ) (1824-1873), born Madhusudan Dutt, is a famous 19th century Bengali poet and dramatist. ... For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ... For other persons named John Milton, see John Milton (disambiguation). ...

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay starts his journey through bangla literature with his first published novel 'Durgeshnondini' (Daughter of the Fort Lord) in 1865. he is considered as one of the leading Bengali novelists and is popularly known as the author of India's first national song, "Bande Mātarom" (pronounced in Hindi "Vande Mātāram").The song appears in his novel "Anandamath", considered to be a masterpiece in Bengali literature. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (26 June 1838 - 8 April 1894) (Bengali: Bôngkim Chôndro Chôţţopaddhae) (Chattopadhyay in the original Bengali; Chatterjee as spelt by the British) was a Bengali Indian poet, novelist, essayist and journalist, most famous as the author of Vande Mataram or Bande Mataram... Typical depiction of Bharat Mata by Abanindranath Tagore Vande Mataram (Sanskrit: वन्दे मातरम् Vande Mātaram, Bengali: বন্দে মাতরম Bônde Matorom) is the national song of India, distinct from the national anthem of India Jana Gana Mana. The song was composed by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay in a mixture of Bengali and Sanskrit. ...

Others

Bangla literature also become rich with its variations. It started to spread its different branches also. in poetry Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Biharilal Chokroborty, Kaykobad, in novel Romeshchandra Dutt, Mir Mosharraf Hossain, in plays Girish Chandra Gosh, in essays Akshay Kumar Boral, Ramendro Sundar Tribedy and many others contributed to enrich bangla literature in this time. Indian postal stamp on Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (Bangla: ঈশ্বর চন্দ্র বিদ্যাসাগর) (1820-1891) (born Ishwar Chandra Bandopadhyay) was a Bengali polymath. ... Kaykobad (Bangla: কায়কোবাদ) (also spelt Kaikobad) is the pen name of the poet Kazem Ali Quereshi. ... Mir Mosharraf Hossain Mir Mosharraf Hossain (Bangla: মীর মোশাররফ হোসেন) (1847-1912) was a Bengali language novelist, playwright and essayist in 19th century Bengal. ...

A lot of literature magazines and newspapers started to come under day light. A number of educational institutes appears all over the region. This helps a lot to nurture the future author and poets of bangla language.

Influence of Rabindranath Tagore

Possibly the most prolific writer in Bangla is Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore dominated both the Bengali and Indian philosophical and literary scene for decades. His 2,000 Rabindrasangeets play a pivotal part in defining Bengali culture, both in West Bengal and Bangladesh. He is the author of the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh, both composed in Bangla. Other notable Bangla works of his are Gitanjali, a book of poems for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, and many short stories and a few novels. It is widely accepted that Bangla Literature accomplished its contemporary look by the writings and influence of Rabindranath. Rabindranath Tagore This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... The Nobel Prizes (Swedish: ), as designated in Alfred Nobels will in 1895, are awarded for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. ... (Bengali: , IPA: ) (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), also known by the sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo Samaj philosopher, visual artist, playwright, novelist, and composer whose works reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogising the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognised either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Gitanjali is a collection of 103 English poems, largely translations, by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. ...

Kazi Nazrul Islam

Nazrul playing a flute, Chittagong, 1926

In a similar category is Kazi Nazrul Islam, a Muslim who was invited to post-partition Bangladesh as the National Poet and whose work transcends sectarian boundaries. Adored by Bengalis both in Bangladesh and West Bengal, his work includes 3,000 songs, known as both as nazrul geeti and "nazrul sangeet". He is frequently called the rebel poet mainly because of his most famous and electrifying poem "Bidrohi" or "The Rebel", and also because of his strong sympathy and support for revolutionary activities leading to India's independence from British Rule. His songs and poems were frequently used during the Bangladesh Liberation War as well. Though he is acknowledged as the rebel poet, Nazrul very effectively contributed in all branches of literature. He wrote poems that lights the fire against enequality or unjust and the same time he wrote some awesome romantic poems. He wrote a lot of Islami Gazals and in the same time wrote a number of Shyama Sangeet (songs for the Hindu Mother Goddess, Kali). Nazrul was not only a poet, he was writer, musician, journalist and philosopher. He was sent to jail for his literary works against then prevailing British rule. Image File history File links Nazrul. ... Image File history File links Nazrul. ... This article is about Chittagong as a city in Bangladesh. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nazrul playing a flute, Chittagong, 1926 Kazi Nazrul Islam (Bangla: কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম) (b. ... Many nations have adopted a poet who is perceived to represent the identity, beliefs and principles of their culture. ... Combatants Mukti Bahini India Aided By Soviet Union Pakistan Aided By United States Commanders • Col. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

Other notable names

Novelists

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was one of the most popular novelists of early 20th century whose speciality was exploring complex human psychology and drama. Tarashankar Bandopadhyay was another famous novelist whose works feature a realistic picture of the many-colored fabric of life in rural Bengal in a pioneering modernist style of prose in fiction. Other famous bengali novelists are Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay, Satinath Bhaduri, Manik Bandopadhyay, Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay(Banophool), Saradindu Bandopadhyay, Bimal Mitra, Bimal Kar, Samaresh Basu etc. Early bengali science fiction works were also written in the 19th and early 20th centuries by writers such as Jagadananda Roy, Hemlal Dutta, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Premendra Mitra, Satyajit Ray, etc. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, also known as Sarat Chandra Chatterjee (15 September 1876 - 16 January 1938) was a popular Bengali novelist of early 20th century India. ... Tarasankar Bandopadhya (23 July 1887 -14 September 1971) at Lavpur, Birbhum in the state of West Bengal. ... Bangla Science Fiction is a rich part of Bengali literature. ... Jagadananda Roy was an eminent Bengali science fiction writer in the 19th century. ... Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose (Bengali: জগদীশ চন্দ্র বসু Jôgdish Chôndro Boshu) (November 30, 1858 – November 23, 1937) was a Bengali physicist from undivided India, who pioneered the investigation of radio and microwave optics. ... Premendra Mitra (1904), a renowned Bengali poet, novelist, later, a thriller and science fiction writer. ...   (Bengali: সত্যজিত্ রায় Shottojit Rae) (May 2, 1921–April 23, 1992) was an Indian filmmaker who is widely regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. ...

Short story writers

Bengali literature is also famous for short stories. Some of the famous short story writers are Rabindranath Tagore, Manik Bandopadhyay, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay, Raj Shekhar Basu (Parasuram), Premendra Mitra, Sibram Chakraborty, Saradindu Bandopadhyay, Subodh Ghosh, Narendra Nath Mitra, Narayan Gangopadhyay, Santosh Ghosh, etc. Manik Bandopadhay (Bangla: মানিক বন্দোপাধ্যায়) (1908-1956) is one of the most influential novelists in Bangla literature. ... Tarasankar Bandopadhya (23 July 1887 -14 September 1971) at Lavpur, Birbhum in the state of West Bengal. ... Bibhutibhushan Bandhopadhyay Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay (Bengali: Bibhutibhushon Bôndopaddhae; last name also rendered as Bannerjee or Banerji) was a Bengali novelist and writer. ... Premendra Mitra (1904), a renowned Bengali poet, novelist, later, a thriller and science fiction writer. ... Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay (Bangla: শরিদন্দু বন্দোপাধ্যায়) (30 March 1899 - 22 September 1970)is a well known literary figure of Bengal. ... Subodh Ghosh (1909-1980) was a noted Bengali author. ... Narayan Gangopadhyay (1918-1970),(also known as Narayan Ganguly was a renowned South Asian author. ...

The famous Bengali film director Satyajit Ray also wrote many short stories. One of his stories was Bankubabur Bandhu (Banku Babu's Friend) written in 1962, which was the first science fiction story to portray an alien from outer space as a benign and playful being invested with magical powers and best capable of interacting with children, in contrast to earlier science fiction stories which portrayed aliens as dangerous monsters. He later adapted the story as a script for a film called The Alien in 1967, though the film was later cancelled. However, Ray's story was strikingly similar to Spielberg's film E.T. later released in 1982, which may have been inspired by Ray's script for The Alien. Bengali cinema, or the Bengali film industry, is one of the earliest film industries in India. ...   (Bengali: সত্যজিত্ রায় Shottojit Rae) (May 2, 1921–April 23, 1992) was an Indian filmmaker who is widely regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. ... The Alien was a science fiction film under production in the late 1960s which was eventually cancelled. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The Alien was a science fiction film under production in the late 1960s which was eventually cancelled. ... Steven Spielberg (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director and producer. ... For the Atari 2600 video game based on the movie, see E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Atari 2600). ...

Poets

Jibanananda Das was a famous poet who, along with Buddhadev Basu, marks the beginning of the move to transcend the Tagore legacy. The new genere of Bengali poets departed considerably from Tagore's ideological style and adoped realism in their writing more pronouncedly. Titled polli-kobi (Poet of the Village) for works relating to the villages and countryside of Bengal, Jasimuddin is particularly famous for his poems that have become major highlights for pedagogical purposes in both West Bengal and Bangladesh. Shamsur Rahman is widely known for his 'playing with words'. He has built on the ground of the 30's poets, but he has developed the ground, explored into areas they thought too dark for exploration, has added new features to it, landscaped it and in the process left his footprints all over. THIS ARTICLE IS BEING REVAMPED. TO BE FINALIZED BY NOV 2007. ... Jasimuddin (Bangla: জসীমউদ্দীন) (full name Jasimuddin Mollah) (1903-1976)was a renowned Bengali poet. ... Shamsur Rahman (Bangla: শামসুর রাহমান) is a Bangladeshi poet. ...

Musicians

Seminal Hindu religious works in Bangla include the many songs of Ramprasad Sen. His works (still sung today) from the 17th century cover an astonishing range of emotional responses to the goddess Kali, detailing complex philosophical statements based on Vedanta teachings and more visceral prouncements of his love of the goddess. They are known as Shyama Sangeet and were the literary inspiration for Kazi Nazrul Islam's later, famed Shyama Sangeet. There are also the laudatory accounts of the lives and teachings of the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (the Choitanyo Choritāmrit) and Shri Ramakrishna (the Ramakrishna Kathamrita, translated roughly as Gospel of Ramakrishna). There is also a large body of Islamic literature, that can be traced back at least to Noornama by Abdul Hakim. Bishad Sindhu depicting the death of Hussain in Karbala is very popular novel written by Mir Mosharraf Hossain. Later works influenced by Islam include devotional songs written by Nazrul, and popularized by Abbas Uddin, among others. Ramprasad Sen (Bangla: রামপ্রসাদ সেন) (1720-1781) was a Bengali song-writer and singer of Hindu devotional songs, specially Shyamasangit (Songs devoted to the goddess Kali). ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... This article is about the Hindu philosophy. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ... Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST ) (Bengali ) (1486 - 1534), was an ascetic Vaishnava monk and social reformer in 16th century Bengal[1], (present-day West Bengal and Bangladesh) and Orissa in India[2]. Chaitanya was a notable proponent for the Vaishnava school of Bhakti yoga (meaning... Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (Bangla: রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস Ramkrishno Pôromôhongsho), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay (Bangla: গদাধর চট্টোপাধ্যায় Gôdadhor Chôţţopaddhae) [1], (February 18, 1836–August 16, 1886) was a Hindu religious teacher and an influential figure in the Bengal Renaissance of the Nineteenth century. ... Abdul Hakim was a poet in medieval Bengal. ... // Karbala (Arabic: ; BGN: Al-Karbalā’; also spelled Karbala al-Muqaddasah) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32. ... Mir Mosharraf Hossain Mir Mosharraf Hossain (Bangla: মীর মোশাররফ হোসেন) (1847-1912) was a Bengali language novelist, playwright and essayist in 19th century Bengal. ... Abbas Uddin Ahmed (1901-1959), popularly known by his first name, was a famous Bangla folk singer. ...

Bauls and traditional singers

The mystic Bauls of the Bengal countryside who preached the boundless spiritual truth of Sôhoj Pôth (the Simple, Natural Path) and Moner Mānush (The Man of The Heart) drew on Vedantic philosophy to propound transcendental truths in song format, traveling from village to village proclaiming that there was no such thing as Hindu, Muslim or Christian, only moner mānush. Baul on a train in West Bengal Bauls (Bengali: বাউল) are a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal, which comprises Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. ...

The literature discussed so far can be more or less regarded as the common heritage of both Bangladesh and West Bengal. Since the partition of Bengal in 1947, the east and west parts of Bengal have also developed their own distinctive literatures. For example, the Naxalite movement has influenced much of West Bengal's literature, whereas the Liberation War has had a similarly profound impact on Bangladeshi literature. , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... Bengal (Bengali: বঙ্গ Bôngo, বাংলা Bangla, বঙ্গদেশ Bôngodesh or বাংলাদেশ Bangladesh), is a historical and geographical region in the northeast of South Asia. ... Map showing the districts affected by the Naxalite movement Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to radical, often violent, revolutionary communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the Indian communist movement. ... Combatants Mukti Bahini India Aided By Soviet Union Pakistan Aided By United States Commanders • Col. ...

Major literary figures in Bangladesh include Shamsur Rahman, Sufia Kamal, Hasan Azizul Huq, Akhtaruzzaman Ilias and Humayun Azad , to name a few. Some notable writers from West Bengal are Sunil Gangopadhyay, Shankha Ghosh, Shakti Chattopadhyay, Mahasweta Devi and Joy Goswami.manzur rashid is going to a great poeat. Shamsur Rahman (Bangla: শামসুর রাহমান) is a Bangladeshi poet. ... Picture taken by Mufti Munir, Adhunica. ... Hasan Azizul Huq is a Bangladeshi writer, notable for his short stories. ... Akhtaruzzaman Elias (Bangla: আখতারুজ্জামান ইলিয়াস) was a notable Bangladeshi author. ... Humayun Azad (Bangla: হুমায়ুন আজাদ) (Rari Khal, Bangladesh, 28 April 1947 - Munich, Germany, 11 August 2004) was a prolific Bangladeshi author and scholar. ... Sunil Gangopadhyay was born on September 7, 1934 at Faridpur in what is now Bangladesh. ... Shankha Ghosh (Bangla: শঙ্খ ঘোষ) (1932-) is an Bengali Indian poet and critic. ... Shakti Chattopadhay (Bangla: শক্তি চট্যোপাধ্যায়) (25 november 1934) was a Bengali poet. ... Mahasweta Devi (born 1926 in Dacca now known as Bangladesh) is an Indian writer. ... Joy Goswami(1955-) is an Indian poet. ...

Sample

A Bengali poem Image File history File links 02_abani_bari2. ...

A section of the poem Abani Bari Achho by Shakti Chattopadhyay read by a male native speaker.

Problems listening to the file? See media help. Abani Bari Achho is a poem by Shakti Chattopadhyay. ... Shakti Chattopadhay (Bangla: শক্তি চট্যোপাধ্যায়) (25 november 1934) was a Bengali poet. ...

References

1. ^ Chatterjee, Gita. Bengal's Swadeshi Samgīt. Published in Banerjee, Jayasri (ed.), The Music of Bengal. Baroda: Indian Musicological Society, 1987.

See also

• History of Bengali literature
• Bengali novels
• List of notable Writers
• Chronological List of Bengali Writers
• Alphabetical List of Bengali Writers

// Main Article : Charyapada Charyapada is the oldest known Bengali written form. ... Bengali Novels occupy a major part of Bengali literature. ... This article provides lists of famous and notable Bengali people, from India or Bangladesh, or people with Bengali ancestry. ... This is a Chronological list of Bengali language authors (regardless of nationality or religion), by date of birth. ...

External links

• Library of Congress - Bengali Section
• Bangladeshinovels.com

External links

• Bangladeshinovels.com