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)

12 LITERATURE 0F( BENGAL.

/

the burning fervour, the overwhelming love and faith,
are nowhere.

Yet Brahmaism, such as it is, has had its influence
on the literature of Bengal and specially in the forma-
tion of the prose literature and the hymnology of the
modern day, and it is for this reason tkat w*e make men-
tion of it in this rapid survey. In. a future chapter
wo shall trace the nature of the influence it ,has ecOTted
on our literature. ,

W& are averse to making any artificial division into
epochs, but those who have followed us through the
foregoing remarks will observe that the history of
Bengali literature as of the Bengali people, naturally
divides itself into three d'stinct periods viz :—

First, the period(of lyrical poetry, extending from the
twelfth to the end "of the fifteenth century of the Chris-
tian era. The representative men of this period are
1 Jayadeva, Vidyapati and Chandi Das. A host of other
poets of smaller note flourished in this period.

Second, the period of classical influence, extending
from the beginning of the 16th century to the end of the
eighteenth century. The representative men of this
period are the great Chaitanya, Kirttibas, Makunda
Earn, Kasi Ram Das, the great Raghunath and Bharat
Chundra Ray a.

Third, the period of European influence^ being the
period in which we are living, and commencing with the
nineteenth century. The central figures of this period
are the great Ram Mohan Raya, Akhai Kumar Datta,
"Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Ishwar Chandra Gupta,

r

(

■ (