Translation Itihasashrito Bangla Kobita(1751-1855)

About this text

Introductory notes

'Itihas Ashrito Bangla Kobita' is a compilation of extracts and complete reproduction in certain cases of Bengali poems with references of historical events. The compilation was edited by Suprakash Bandopadhyay and was published by M.C. Sarkar & Sons in 1954.

The present selection include a short poem on the Famine of 1770. The author or origin of the poem though is anonymous. Bandopadhyay assumes, the poem was composed during or sometime after the famine and was popularly recited across the villages.

Selection details

The present selection include a short poem on the Famine of 1770. The author or origin of the poem though is anonymous. Bandopadhyay assumes, the poem was composed during or sometime after the famine and was popularly recited across the villages.

[Page 86]

1. A poem on the Famine of 1176

All the rivers, creeks and ponds dried up as people began to die due to scarcity of food grains. Reza Khan brought all rice from the market. Monopolization war followed by rise in price of food grains. Hoarded rice was sold at a very steep price as the Famine of 1176 assumed a serious proportion. People started abandoning their families because of dearth. Numerous people also died through consumption of unwholesome food.

This text is an English-language translation of the original version:
Original

This is a selection from the original text

Keywords

dearth, famine, food, grain, rice

Source text

Title: Itihasashrito Bangla Kobita(1751-1855), Chiyattorer Manwantar Somporke ekti Chora

Author: Anonymous

Editor(s): Suprasanna Bandopadhyay

Publisher: M.C.Sarkar & Sons

Publication date: 2016, 1954

Original compiled 1770

Edition: 1st Edition

Place of publication: CalcuttaCalcutta

Provenance/location: Original compiled 1770

Digital edition

Original editor(s): Suprasanna Bandopadhyay

Language: English

Selection used:

  • 1 ) page 86

Responsibility:

Texts collected by: Ayesha Mukherjee, Amlan Das Gupta, Azarmi Dukht Safavi

Texts transcribed by: Muhammad Irshad Alam, Bonisha Bhattacharya, Arshdeep Singh Brar, Muhammad Ehteshamuddin, Kahkashan Khalil, Sarbajit Mitra

Texts encoded by: Bonisha Bhattacharya, Shreya Bose, Lucy Corley, Kinshuk Das, Bedbyas Datta, Arshdeep Singh Brar, Sarbajit Mitra, Josh Monk, Reesoom Pal

Encoding checking by: Hannah Petrie, Gary Stringer, Charlotte Tupman

Genre: India > poetry

For more information about the project, contact Dr Ayesha Mukherjee at the University of Exeter.

Acknowledgements