Analysis Of Pratapaditya

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and early 20th century, it became necessary to imagine a hero of ‘our’ own whose valor could be established at par with those who had been included in the ‘martial races’. Sarala Devi found that ‘hero’ in Pratapaditya. Pratapaditya was a 17th century zamindar of Jessore. His life and character had been the subject of several Bengali literary works. Bharatchandra writing in the late 18th century mentioned about him in his magnum opus Annadamangal. Ram Ram Basu in his ‘the History of Raja Pratapadityu’ (Boshoo [1802] 1348 B.S. 1941 C.E.) tried to write the history Pratapaditya from ‘beginning to end’. This book by Basu was hailed once as ‘an authentic history of the government of Bengal from the beginning of the reign of Achber to the end of …show more content…

The hero worship continued with a new play ‘Vanger Pratapaditya’ written by Khirodeprasad Vidyavinod. In this drama, all incidents are depicted to have taken place during the reign of Akbar- evidently it lacked chronological sense. Bengalis are described as a nation weak in physical prowess. But once they were united under Pratapaditya they became the most powerful. Pratapaditya was described as a chivalrous, dutiful family man. A picture of social solidarity was also constructed- Hindus and Muslims (and even Christians!), Brahmans and Pathans; all the sons of Bengal- together fighting for the independence of Bengal. Mughals were considered as the invaders and resisting them became a sort of ‘jihad’ (Vidyavinod 1936: 132). Pratapaditya became ‘the king of Bengal’; his primary identity being a Bengali, and not a Hindu or a Muslim. At the end of the drama, the recovery of Jessore- primarily of whose king was Pratapaditya- was attributed to the arrival of ‘Britannia- the civilized, the generous, and the mighty’(!) (ibid.: …show more content…

After some time, he obtained leave to return to his Raja with his covenant that the Raja should present himself before Islam Khan at Alaipur with sufficient equipments to show his loyalty to the sublime court' (Borah ed. 1936 vol. I: 14). According to the arrangements, Pratapaditya personally came to the camp of Islam Khan situated on the bank of river Atrayee opposite the thana of Shahpur to submit to the ‘sublime court’. Then ‘Islam Khan, for the sake of drawing the attention of other zamindars and also in consideration of the high position held by the aforesaid Raja among the zamindars of Bengal, bestowed honors upon him beyond measure, and consoled and encouraged him’ (ibid.: 27). The long list of gifts presented to the Raja included ‘a horse, a khilat and a bejeweled sword belt’. By these measures ‘he was converted into a loyal officer’

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