University Library, University of North Bengal

We are delighted to present the eleventh issue (March 2018) of Karatoya: North Bengal University Journal of History (ISSN 2229 4880, a Refereed and Peer Reviewed Journal, UGC approved, Serial no: 42512) for the readers, scholars, learners and researchers of history. It has incorporated sixteen research articles from different areas of history, reflecting the expansion and diversification that has occurred in historical research in India in recent years. History no longer is the representation of the past with stories of kings and kingdoms and wars and truce, but it is the profundity of the past to comprehend the foundation of the socio-economic and cultural milieu of the present. The journal examines the regional and national history with this perception, pays attention to the neglected areas of India’s past, and keeps into consideration the new directions of history by adopting an interdisciplinary approach. It provides a forum for well-known researchers, faculties of reputed institutes and budding scholars of history. 

We are thankful to all the contributors for bringing up important historical nuances across the local and national boundaries. A special thanks is given to Prof. Mary Hanneman, Fullbright Nehru Visiting Scholar at the Department of History, University of North Bengal in 2019, for contributing a well-researched article of academic excellence.  All the articles in the journal explore a wide range of newly emerging paradigms of historical research which consist of urbanization, power and society, labour issues, industrialization during the post-independent period, environmental history, plantation economy as part of the capitalist economy, post-structuralism, national movement, identity formation, subaltern history, communalism, partition, municipal administration, art, architecture and regional history. We are hoping that all these articles will provide new perceptions of the social, economic and cultural dimensions of history to the researchers and academic society.

We convey our deep gratitude to the Honourable Vice-Chancellor, University of North Bengal, The Registrar, and The Finance Officer for their support on this academic endeavour. We are grateful to the cooperation and encouragement provided by the colleagues of the Department of history in publishing this journal. A heartfelt thanks to all the reviewers who have taken the responsibility of reviewing the articles in spite of their busy academic schedule. We express our appreciation for all those who have directly or indirectly helped in the publication of this volume. The unfailing cooperation and help of the officials and staffs of the North Bengal University Press are greatly remembered for publishing the journal within a short span of time. 

The editors have worked as a team in editing, processing and proofreading as required in the publication of the journal. The facts, opinions and conclusion reached in the articles are solely the concern of the author and the editor- in- chief or the associate editor of the journal does not accept any responsibility for the same. 

Dr. Dahlia Bhattacharya (Editor-in-Chief)

Dr. Amrita Mondal (Associate Editor)