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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    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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    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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    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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    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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    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.