The Plough and the Pen: Peasantry, Agriculture and the Literati in Colonial Bengal

316 Pages·2012·10.978 MB·English

by  Bipasha Raha

THE PLOUGH AND THE PEN
Peasantry) Agriculture and
the Literati in Colonial Bengal
BIPASHA RAHA
MANO HAR
2012
First published, 2012
© Bipasha Raha, 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without prior permission of the author and the publisher.
ISBN 978-81-7304-941-5
Published by
Ajay Kumar Jain for
Manohar Publishers & Distributors
4753/23 Ansari Road, Daryaganj
New Delhi 110 002
Typeset at
Digigrafics
Ne\v Delhi 110 049
Printed at
Salasar Imaging Systems
Delhi 110 035
for
Swapan
!
Contents
Acknowledgements 9
List ofA bbreviations 11
1. Colonial Rule: The Changing Rural Landscape 13
2. Evolution of Agrarian Thinking 43
3. Debating the Peasant (1859-1885) 73
4. The Ploughmen's Poet 126
5. Changing Images of the Rural World and
the Political Programme 196
j 257
6. Conclusion
I
269
Appendix I
275
Appendix II
Glossary of Indian Terms 281
287
Bibliography
Index 313
I
Acknowledgements
This book took a very long time to see the light of day. I have incurred ·
several debts in the process. Over the years I, have benefited from the
help and advice r.endered by friends and colleagues and the ungrudging
service of librarians who have helped me locate my sources.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teacher Prof.
Binay Bhushan Chaudhuri for always being there to answer my endless
queries. He prompted my interest in agrarian history since I was a
. .
postgraduate student. I continue to learn from him. Sir and Triptidi
will be happy to see th£-book. Deepak Kumar has been my source
of encouragement. Without his prodding) this work would probably
have remained unpublished. I have lost count of the number of times
I have told him the manuscript is almost ready though never quite.
I cannot adequately thank him. He has given this manuscript careful
reading a number of tir'nes. He also brought to my notice the Voelcker
Report. Peter Robb toolt time off his busy schedule to read ·this
manuscript at SOAS and offer new insights.
I am especially indebted to the librarians, British Library and the
School of Oriental and African Studies Library in London, the
National Library, the Nehru Memorial Library, the Indian National
Archives, the West Bengal State Archives, Bangiya Sahitya Parishad,
Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture and Library, Centre for
Studies in Social Sciences, Visva-Bharati Central Library and the
Rabindra Bhavana Archives in Santiniketan, India. The latter is the
greatest repository ofTagore's works. My research for this book was
helped by grants from the Charles Wallace Trust and the Indian ·
Council of Historical Research. I am grateful to Richard Alford for
the interest he took in my work.
There are many friends and colleagues who have helped me in my
research. Suchibrata Sen and Shouvik Mukhopadhyay have always .!
i
been generous with books and advice. I have benefited from endless
discussions with them. I would also like to thank Sanjukta Das Gupta
and Subhayu Chattopadhyay. Mystudents Arnab Sarkar and Madhumita
Monda! helped me in locating books. I would also like to mention
.,
my students in the postgraduate classes at Visva-Bharati University. .,
With those who specialized in agrarian history, a course I have been
10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
teaching for years, I have discussed many of my ideas that have found
expression in this book. These interactions have helped to keep alive
my interest in the subject.
iVly debt to my family is too great to be enumerated. My mother
has been my constant source of support. So has been my mother-in
law who has never complained about the long hours I devoted to
my research. It will be my eternal regret that my father and father
in-law did not live to see the publication of this work. My sister
Manisha was always encouraging. My sons Arka and Aritra have
frequently reminded me that there is more to life than agriculture
and peasantry. Rimi, Roni, Subho and Shayan have been a constant
source of joy. My husband Swapan has been by my side, as usual,
throughout the writing of my book, always encouraging me to get
it done. Eternally patient, he has helped with his suggestions, read
drafts and done much of the typing. Now I can take the train to
Santiniketan without having to think about agrarian history.
BIPASHA RAHA
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Ab breviatio11s
B.S. Bangla San (Bengali Year)
BPP Bengal Past and Present
BIA British Indian Association
GOI Government of India
IESHR Indian Economic and Social History ReJliew
IHR Indian Historical Review
Misc. Miscellaneous
n.d. Not dated
n.m. Not mentioned
Proc. Proceeding~;·
Rev. ·Revenue
RNP Confidential Report on Native Papers (Bengal)
RR Rabindra Rachanavali
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