Karatoya : North Bengal University journal of History, Vol. 17

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/5674

Editorials

On behalf of the Department of History, University of North Bengal, it is our privilege to present to the readers Volume 17 (2024) of the Karatoyā: North Bengal University Journal of History. The present volume has incorporated research papers covering a wide range of issues and from various sub-disciplines of History. The empirical works dealing with diverse spheres of identity politics, freedom movements, electoral politics, territorial struggles at the supra-local level, the study of sculptures, heritage, social history, ethnicity, sports history, women’s history, etc., have enriched its contents. The volume also includes three review articles. It is being published after all the articles have been refereed, peer reviewed and critically edited with the ISSN 2229-4880.

It is our solemn duty to express our deepest gratitude to our Honourable Vice Chancellor, Registrar, and Finance Officer for their generous concern for ‘Academic Endeavour’. We are also grateful to our colleagues in the Department of History for their warm encouragement and necessary cooperation for publishing this journal.

We are also thankful to all the contributors for providing valuable research papers. Finally, the officials and the staff of the North Bengal University Press deserve the heartiest thanks for their cooperation in printing the journal within a limited span of time.

 

Editors

Sudash Lama, Ph.D.

Dipsikha Acharya Ph.D.



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    A Brief History of Sports in the Colonial Era and Its Post-Colonial Legacy
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Halder, Santu
    During the long period of colonial rule, their influence on the society, economy, and culture of India was deep and far-reaching. During that time period, mainly Western sports were introduced in India. Although introduced by colonial rulers, Western sports gradually became an integral part of Indian culture. Sports like cricket, hockey, and football spread their influence and gained popularity in different regions over the vast landscape of India. Here, it is interesting to note that these sports got popularized specifically in different parts of the subcontinent, as cricket became popular in the western and southern regions of India, but football in the eastern region. The article attempts to find the answer to how Western sports were introduced in India in the early stages and which media played a significant role in their further popularization. Besides Western sports such as cricket, football, hockey, and athletics, indigenous sports such as hunting, wrestling, and polo continued to be practised in the colonial era. This paper also highlights how far the initiatives have been taken by the governments and private institutions in promoting sports in the post-independence era.
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    A Historical Study of the Memorial Stones from the Present Khorda District, Odisha: Their Political and Socio-Religious Significance
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Mahanta, Abhijit
    Humankind’s innate need to remember, honour and forge a connection with their ancestral past is demonstrated by the tradition of erecting memorial stones. These stones have been utilized to honour notable figures and occasions, symbolize cultural identity and maintain communal memory. The memorial stones are placed in remembrance of someone’s bravery, sacrifice and dedication. The sites of Kanjiyagarh, Chandramapatapur, Lendo, Sisupalgarh, Pandiabili, and Banapur in the present Khorda district of Odisha bear the traces of memorial stones having enormous historical significance. From the eighth to seventeenth century CE, there were various dynasties such as Bhaumakara, Somavanshi, Eastern Ganga, Gajapati, and Bhoi that ruled over the Khorda region. Their battle for political supremacy led to the erection of a number of memorial stones in honour of warriors and rulers. These portray the political and socio-religious facets of the area, which make them important from a historical standpoint. Highlighting the nature, origin and historical background of these memorial stones is the main aim of this paper.
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    A Note on an Image of Tārā from Dumnitala (Beldanga) of Murshidabad District, West Bengal
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Mondal, Bijan
    The present paper examines a hitherto unpublished image of the Buddhist deity Tārā discovered at Dumnitala in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, a region that historically functioned as a cultural corridor between Puṇḍravardhana/Varendra in the north and Dakṣiṇa Rāḍha in the south. Situated near an ancient spill-off channel of the Bhagirathi, the site forms part of a broader archaeological landscape enriched by monastic establishments such as Raktamṛttikā Mahāvihāra at Rajbadidanga, Paharpur, Jagajjivanpur and Bharatpur. Drawing upon epigraphic, literary, and sculptural sources, the paper contextualizes the antiquity and diffusion of Tārā worship across eastern India within the frameworks of Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna Buddhism, noting parallel developments in Brahmanical and Jaina traditions. While sharing compositional similarities with Tārā icons from Agradigun, Bamangola, and the Guneri–Kurkihar region, the Dumnitala image is comparatively crude in execution. Its stylistic traits, including the depiction of Amoghasiddhi and votive stūpas, underscore regional artistic idioms informed by the Pāla-Sena sculptural repertoire. Through comparative iconographic analysis, the study argues that the distribution of Vajrayāna sculptures, including Tārā, reflects patterns of monastic expansion, political patronage, and mercantile networks active along the middle and lower Ganga valleys.
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    Dissent and Articulation: Women’s Voices in the Kathāsaritsāgara
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Salomi Rai
    One of the significant problems pertaining to women as agents of history is the deliberate silencing of their voices by the dominant patriarchal order. This voicelessness reduces them to being an ‘inarticulate’ persona, subsequently making them largely invisible in the historical records. The search for women’s voices, therefore, is a means of empowerment that represents a vital aspect of feminist theory and practices since the 1960s. Notwithstanding the rigorous attempts to silence them, there are instances of several exemplary women in the past who articulated against the biased societal set-up and gendered prejudices. The historical literary traditions of the Indian subcontinent are replete with references to such dissenting voices of women speaking for themselves against the patriarchal hegemony. These records of women are left hidden or neglected for a very long time, as history itself has always been male-centric, with the task of transmission and interpretation vested in men. Nevertheless, it is high time now that such voices be heard and recognized. This article thus seeks to bring out such women’s voices of dissent and articulation from Somadeva’s Kathāsaritsāgara, an eleventh-century text of Kashmir.
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    Forced Temperance or Self-Control? Understanding Gandhi’s idea of Prohibition and Its Relevance in Post-Independent India
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Mondal, Amrita
    The Gandhian anti-liquor movement imprinted a long-lasting legacy on the Indian psyche. Despite the ingrained legacy of the Gandhian movement, alcoholism has become a major social problem. In independent India, several states implemented prohibition, but it was mostly unsuccessful because, on the one hand, the prohibition movement became a populist rather than a policy intervention to curb alcoholism, and on the other hand, the anti-liquor movements continued with their schematic assumption that complete prohibition is a foolproof solution to the existing liquor menace. However, the recurring issue of drinking and prohibition remains an unsolved social problem and a contentious issue that needs an informed and constructive debate. The present paper intervenes in the debate by exploring the Gandhian idea of temperance and tracing its relevance in the present scenario.
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    Historiographical Trends in Heritage Studies: Critical Discussion with a Special Emphasis on Lucknow’s Embroidery Industry
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Dhar, Bidisha
    The article, at the outset, explores the problematic of the concept of heritage, the various strands of heritage studies, and the ways in which the heritage industry incorporates these ideas according to its convenience. In the following two sections, it attempts to explore how these ideas are incorporated within the artisanal industries in India and what are its implications, for specific industries like the embroidery industry of Lucknow.
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    Humour and the Nation: Shankar, Laxman, and the Formation of Cartoon Culture in Early Post-Colonial India
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Sarkar, Sreya
    This article examines the vital role of cartoons in Indian journalism, particularly Kesava Shankar Pillai and R.K. Laxman, during the prime ministership of Jawaharlal Nehru in the early years of independence. This article analyses the contributions of cartoons as satire in India’s political discourse, Nehru’s relations with the cartoonists, and selected cartoons that deal with the key contemporary political and social issues. It examines how Shankar and Laxman’s works represent the political debates shaping public perceptions regarding India’s socio-political conditions through their distinct artistic styles and outlooks. Their cartoons portrayed criticism and commentary on governance and reflected the unique relationship between Prime Minister Nehru and his approaches to Indian democracy. This article focuses on the enduring influence of their works and the role of satire on India’s democratic discourse in shaping historical narratives.
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    Identity Politics, Ethnic Conflict and Altruistic Sentiments: Situating Assam in 1960
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Sen, Arpita
    In Assam, the perennial discords between the indigenous/native Assamese and immigrant/refugee Bengalis have posed serious challenges to peaceful cohabitation and administration. The year 1960 proved tumultuous in Assam’s history as these two communities clashed with each other. This paper traces the roots of ethnic conflict in Assam to British colonial policy of encouraging Muslim Bengali immigrants from erstwhile East Bengal to clear forests and cultivate in Assam, (a flow which soon became unrestrained); the middle class educated Bengalis who threatened the livelihood of the Assamese in oil refineries, tea gardens, government services and business; the introduction of Bengali as the official language in Assam from 1826 to 1873; and the Sylhet Referendum in 1947 which ousted Sylhet from Assam and led to an unprecedented refugee influx that led to immense resentment among the Assamese. An attempt to declare Assamese as the state language fuelled Bengali discontent and led to the political radicalization of the Assamese. In 1960, violent clashes erupted, especially in the Bengali-speaking district of Cachar. The disturbances were politicized by the political parties in Assam. This article also highlights the humanitarian side of ethnic conflict, which often lies in obscurity, with an illustration of how the Assamese people helped and supported a Bengali family at the height of communal tensions, thus giving expression to altruistic sentiments.
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    Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Healing Practices in Sikkim
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Pradhan, Saurav; Bhui, Ujjwal
    This paper aims to explore and document indigenous and traditional healing practices in the present Indian state of Sikkim. Traditional healing has been practised by various ethnic communities in Sikkim for centuries, each based on its own concepts and methods. Healers from different ethnic groups in Sikkim utilize plant species and animal parts to treat a variety of ailments. Faith and belief in these healing systems are crucial factors in their successful outcomes. This paper focuses on the diverse traditional healing practices practised by various ethnic communities in Sikkim. Additionally, it highlights the different medicinal plants and animal parts used by traditional healers, all of which are locally available in Sikkim.
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    Nepalis in Manipur: Making Their Mark in Electoral Politics
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Abrar, S.
    From the early colonial time onwards, the British had brought outsiders to the state of Manipur to meet their needs and services as labourers, servants, cooks, coolie, helpers, etc. Later, the migrants brought their families and started settling down with permission granted by the Manipur State Durbar and British Political Agents from time to time. The British were very much satisfied and attracted by these migrant communities because of their courage, hard work, trustworthiness, honesty, sincerity, and valour, and the British realized their importance both during the war and peacetime as soldiers and peasants, respectively. This migrant community is none other than the Nepalis/Gorkhas. Their coming and movement had been seen from the time of the British setting up of the Political Agency in Imphal in 1835, which even today inherits this legacy during the post-colonial time through the Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950. As the population influx occurred in the state in the 1960s and 1970s, the Nepali broadly expanded their settlement throughout the once Gorkha Reserve- Kanglatongbi-Kangpokpi belts and made the Kangpokpi AC 50-50 with the local tribes, which even led to being elected as representative from it after converted into a general seat. This legacy of fighting elections continues even today, even though they lost it by a margin after the 1980s. Besides, they have also participated in panchayat and ADC elections with elected members and cast their votes in the valley and hill constituencies other than Kangpokpi.
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    Resistance and Protest: Understanding People’s Participation in Colonial Movements of Darjeeling Terai
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Khasnobish, Sudip
    The history of the freedom movement in Darjeeling Terai remained understudied and also difficult to reconstruct due to the paucity of sources. However, interlinked sources suggest that the region was not immune to the storm of the freedom struggle during the colonial era. The freedom movement of Darjeeling Terai has different currents and trends, some may be called ‘mainstream’, and others may be ‘non-mainstream’. So, in Siliguri or Darjeeling Terai freedom movement did not come suddenly and was definitely not one–centric. Diverse paths and many ideologies united with the same goal of ‘freedom’, whether ‘mainstream’ or ‘non-mainstream’.
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    The Delineation of Socio-Cultural Ethos of Early Medieval Bengal with Special Reference to Northern Bengal: Based on Literary Sources
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Sarkar, Sriya
    The ancient and early medieval Bengal was constituted of various geo-cultural and geo-political units of which Pundravardhana, Varendra, Radha, Vanga, Samatata, Vardhamana, Dandabhukti, etc, are of prime importance. The literature of a particular historical period reflects the image of its polity, society, economy, religion, and culture. In the context of early medieval Bengal, the literary sources can be grouped into categories. The first group constitutes the Brahmanical texts, among which mention should be made of the Puranas, namely the 1. Brhaddharmapurana and the 2. Brahmavaivartapurana. Among the other Puranas, the 3. Mahabhagavatapuraṇa and the 4. Devibhagavatapurana are also of particular importance. The other group of texts consists of Sanskrit texts with no clear Brahmanical propagation; rather, these are texts of varied nature, including biographies, agriculture, an anthology of poems, and Sanskrit verses. These essentially consist of 5. Krrissiparasara 6. Subhasitaratnakosa of Vidyakara 7. Saduktikarṇarṛta of Sridharadasa 8. Ramacarita of Sandhyakaranandin and 9. Caryagitis. This paper will attempt to explore the social, economic, cultural, and religious life of Early medieval Bengal in the light of literary sources, also having a broader perspective on the human-nature interaction of the then Bengal. In other words, this paper will also shed light on understanding the secular aspects, environmental issues, socio-cultural elements, and settlement dynamics of the early medieval period through a critical textual analysis.
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    The Plantation Enclave, the Colonial State and Healthcare: A Study of the Tea Industry of Jalpaiguri Duars (1902-1947)
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Biswas, Supam
    During the pioneering years of tea plantation, medical care was probably not available in the tea gardens in Duars. Hunter found that the principal endemic diseases in duars were malaria and blackwater fever. On the initiative of the Indian Government, the Malaria Commission of the Royal Society, London, visited duars in 1902. The members included J.W.W. Stephens, S.R. Christophers and C.W.W. Daniels. Based on the reports of Christophers and Bentley, the Government of Bengal and Assam formed the Duars Committee in 1910 for the improvement of the sanitary and medical condition of the duars region. They emphasised imparting training to the resident doctors, the establishment of dispensaries and recommended provision of potable water and quinine in coolie lines to prevent various diseases. Milligan commented in 1919 that the chief need of the district was an increase in the number of qualified doctors. This paper is an attempt to study the nature of various diseases, including the shortage of qualified doctors, and also to argue that disease control acted as a mode of colonial power, governance and intervention in areas of productivity.
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    The Urban and the Provincial Deliberation in the Works of Bhabanicharan’s Literary Flair
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Roy, Varun Kumar
    Throughout the course of our study, a captivating series of satirical writings emerged in the local newspapers, offering a sharp critique of contemporary society. These pieces, penned anonymously, vividly illustrated the behaviours and attitudes of the new Babus—an emerging social class in Calcutta during the early 19th century. The writings were not merely mockeries; they juxtaposed humour with pointed criticism, shedding light on the complexities of these individuals' identities and their impact on the fabric of urban life. Central to this conversation is the work of Bhabanicaran Bandyopadhyay, whose insights are crucial for grasping the broader concept of social change and cultural dynamics during this fascinating period in Calcutta’s history. Bhabanicaran is primarily recognized today as a contemporary figure and a notable antagonist of the renowned reformer Rammohan Ray. Despite his significance, a lack of thorough evaluation has led to an underappreciation of his pivotal role and contributions to Bengali literature. As a result, his literary achievements and influence remain largely overlooked in the broader discourse surrounding that vibrant literary period.
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