History of Bengali Language and Literature c13.58

c13.58

Together, they discovered several further manuscripts, and in the intervals, the author continued his search by himself throughout the villages of Tippera, Noakhali, Sylhet, Dacca and Eastern Bengal generally. He thus collected numerous ancient manuscripts. The task, however, was one of difficulty, as the peasants in whose houses they were to be found, were unwilling to part with them or even to show them fearing that the enquiry was being made with the object of imposing a tax on the owners of books. Others were unwilling to part with manuscripts that had been in their families for several generations. Babu D. C. Sen, however, persevered in his enquiries in spite of all obstacles and the results of his six years' labours are now incorporated in his History now published. The cost of publishing the work which would have been beyond the author's means has been borne by the Maharaja of Tippera who deserves the thanks of all students of the Bengali language. * * * The thanks of all students of Bengali literature are due to Babu Dinesh Chandra Sen for the labours he has patiently carried on for six years, in the face of many difficulties."