The Plough and the Pen: Peasantry, Agriculture and the Literati in Colonial Bengal PDF
Preview The Plough and the Pen: Peasantry, Agriculture and the Literati in Colonial Bengal
THE PLOUGH AND THE PEN Peasantry) Agriculture and the Literati in Colonial Bengal BIPASHA RAHA MANO HAR 2012 First published, 2012 © Bipasha Raha, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the author and the publisher. ISBN 978-81-7304-941-5 Published by Ajay Kumar Jain for Manohar Publishers & Distributors 4753/23 Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi 110 002 Typeset at Digigrafics Ne\v Delhi 110 049 Printed at Salasar Imaging Systems Delhi 110 035 for Swapan ! Contents Acknowledgements 9 List ofA bbreviations 11 1. Colonial Rule: The Changing Rural Landscape 13 2. Evolution of Agrarian Thinking 43 3. Debating the Peasant (1859-1885) 73 4. The Ploughmen's Poet 126 5. Changing Images of the Rural World and the Political Programme 196 j 257 6. Conclusion I 269 Appendix I 275 Appendix II Glossary of Indian Terms 281 287 Bibliography Index 313 I Acknowledgements This book took a very long time to see the light of day. I have incurred · several debts in the process. Over the years I, have benefited from the help and advice r.endered by friends and colleagues and the ungrudging service of librarians who have helped me locate my sources. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teacher Prof. Binay Bhushan Chaudhuri for always being there to answer my endless queries. He prompted my interest in agrarian history since I was a . . postgraduate student. I continue to learn from him. Sir and Triptidi will be happy to see th£-book. Deepak Kumar has been my source of encouragement. Without his prodding) this work would probably have remained unpublished. I have lost count of the number of times I have told him the manuscript is almost ready though never quite. I cannot adequately thank him. He has given this manuscript careful reading a number of tir'nes. He also brought to my notice the Voelcker Report. Peter Robb toolt time off his busy schedule to read ·this manuscript at SOAS and offer new insights. I am especially indebted to the librarians, British Library and the School of Oriental and African Studies Library in London, the National Library, the Nehru Memorial Library, the Indian National Archives, the West Bengal State Archives, Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture and Library, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Visva-Bharati Central Library and the Rabindra Bhavana Archives in Santiniketan, India. The latter is the greatest repository ofTagore's works. My research for this book was helped by grants from the Charles Wallace Trust and the Indian · Council of Historical Research. I am grateful to Richard Alford for the interest he took in my work. There are many friends and colleagues who have helped me in my research. Suchibrata Sen and Shouvik Mukhopadhyay have always .! i been generous with books and advice. I have benefited from endless discussions with them. I would also like to thank Sanjukta Das Gupta and Subhayu Chattopadhyay. Mystudents Arnab Sarkar and Madhumita Monda! helped me in locating books. I would also like to mention ., my students in the postgraduate classes at Visva-Bharati University. ., With those who specialized in agrarian history, a course I have been 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS teaching for years, I have discussed many of my ideas that have found expression in this book. These interactions have helped to keep alive my interest in the subject. iVly debt to my family is too great to be enumerated. My mother has been my constant source of support. So has been my mother-in law who has never complained about the long hours I devoted to my research. It will be my eternal regret that my father and father in-law did not live to see the publication of this work. My sister Manisha was always encouraging. My sons Arka and Aritra have frequently reminded me that there is more to life than agriculture and peasantry. Rimi, Roni, Subho and Shayan have been a constant source of joy. My husband Swapan has been by my side, as usual, throughout the writing of my book, always encouraging me to get it done. Eternally patient, he has helped with his suggestions, read drafts and done much of the typing. Now I can take the train to Santiniketan without having to think about agrarian history. BIPASHA RAHA / '.\ I Ab breviatio11s B.S. Bangla San (Bengali Year) BPP Bengal Past and Present BIA British Indian Association GOI Government of India IESHR Indian Economic and Social History ReJliew IHR Indian Historical Review Misc. Miscellaneous n.d. Not dated n.m. Not mentioned Proc. Proceeding~;· Rev. ·Revenue RNP Confidential Report on Native Papers (Bengal) RR Rabindra Rachanavali . ' ' , ~ I ··~ . . . ' . !
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