History of Bengali Language and Literature c13.60

c13.60

"The graduates of the Calcutta University are often reproached with renouncing the study of literature as soon as they enter into the world. In many instances the reproach is well deserved. It is, therefore, with the greatest pleasure that we introduce Babu Dinesh Chandra Sen, B. A., to the notice of our educated countrymen as a gentleman who has done a good deal of original research in the field of Bengali literature. The result of his researches and labours has been embodied in a handy volume entitled 'Bangabhasa O Sahitya' in which he gives a history of Bengali literature which has cast into the shade all previous works on the subject. Indeed, this is the first work on the history of Bengali literature which deserves the name. Many hundreds of volumes of manuscripts, hitherto unknown to the educated public, have not only been brought to light, but classified, arranged and criticised. Different schools of poetry taking their rise at different periods of national existence, have been traced to their natural historical causes, and the lives of nearly a hundred authors have been saved from oblivion. The literature of Eastern Bengal was absolutely unknown. Nobody even thought that there were Bengali poets in Dacca, Tipperah and Chittagong who translated the whole of the Ramayan, the Mahabharat and the large number of other works bearing on Hindu religion and traditions, into Bengali. The credit of bringing this vast body of literature to public notice is entirely due to Babu Dinesh Chandra Sen and to him alone.”