History of the Bengali People  -  From Earliest Times to the fall of the Sena Dynasty

History of the Bengali People - From Earliest Times to the fall of the Sena Dynasty

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Author: Nihar Ranjan Ray
Translator(s)/ Editors(s): John W. Hood/Sumit Sarkar
Publisher: Orient BlackSwan
Year: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 615
ISBN/UPC (if available): 9788125050537

Description

Niharranjan Ray’s highly acclaimed magnum opus, Bangalir Itihas: Adi Parva, translated here as History of the Bengali People is a seminal work on the history of the Bengalis from the earliest times to the beginning of the Muslim rule in India.

As much a work of literature as of history, this book is not a story of kings and the extension of their power but of the life of ordinary people. Thus, through detailed, methodical discussions on origins of the various peoples, their language and literature, science, trade and commerce, religious practices and rituals, there emerges a vivid picture of society and its development through the passage of time.

This able translation by J. W. Hood has retained the vibrancy and subtle nuances of the Bengali original. In his Foreword to this edition of the translation, Sumit Sarkar writes: ‘Niharranjan Ray was, indeed, a towering figure among my generation of historians. But not many scholars are familiar with his writings these days. The new edition of the English translation, which has done full justice to the original version, hopefully will rectify this.’

About the Translators:

John W. Hood(trans.) obtained his PhD in Bengali vernacular historiography from the University of Melbourne and has spent most of his life studying and writing about Indian especially Bengali culture. In addition to his Niharranjan Ray published in the Sahitya Akademi's 'Makers of Indian Literature' series, he has written a number of books on Indian art cinema and has translated a variety of Bengali poetry and fiction into English.

Contents

Textual Note
Foreword to this edition by Sumit Sarkar
Foreword by Sir Jadunath Sarkar
Preface to the original edition
Preface to the abridged edition
Abridger’s remarks
Translator’s Introduction

1. The Argument
2. The Origins
3. The Land
4. Economic Life
5. Land Systems
6. Caste Patterns
7. Class Patterns
8. Villages and Towns
9. Administrative Patterns
10. The Dynastic Round
11. Everyday Life
12. Religious Thought and Practice
13. Language Literature and Learning
14. The Fine Arts and Music
15. Some Implications

Index
Maps