Dutt, Romesh Chunder: The literature of Bengal: being an attempt to trace the progress of the national mind in its various aspects, as reflected in the nation’s literature from the earliest times to the present day ; with copious extracts from the best writers (Calcutta, 1877)

INTRODUCTION,

wilfliltogether find ample materials to write a pistory of
the* people, and of the national mind of the ^.ryans in
India.

It wtfl still be objected by some that the litera-
ture of a people does not furnish one with an account of
the reignigg princes and dynasties, of wars, conquests,
or settlements. No,—but the idea that history consists
of an account of the lives and reigns of priuces, is getting
obsolete, and will at a no distant date be utterly rejected.
It is the> history of a people, not the history of princes,
0thkt we are anxious to have; and if we succeed in learning
how our forefathers progressed in civilization, how they
acted, thought, and lived, how manners, religion and
society were gradually moulded in accordance with the
various requirements of various ages,—we for one, shall not
regret that a list of princes,5 and a \st of wars and con-
quests are wanting to complete the History of India,
o As it is in England, as it is in India, even so it is in
Bengal. The literature .of Bengal reflects the national
mind through successive ages, and is the only real index
to the, history of the people. Ask a schoolboy, and he
will give you details of all the wars from the conquest
of Bengal by the Muhammadans to-the battle of Plassey ;
he will tell you the names of all the rulers of Bengal
, from Bukhtiar Rhiliji down to Sir Richard Temple.
And yet' how little do we know of the true history of
the people. Too much of the canvas is filled up with
the figures of rulers and warriors and the details of tileir
wars, too little indeed is given to those silent millions who
$lod from day to,day, from year.to year, and dot t>he levei