Bangala Sahityer Itihas 1 by Sukumar Sen [Hardcover]

For the past half-century, Sukumar Sen and his work "Bangla Sahityer Itihas" have become almost synonymous. This monumental book is so well-known and essential that it does not require a new introduction. The first publication of "Bangla Sahityer Itihas" was in 1940. During its printing, the book's subject matter and writing style impressed none other than Rabindranath Tagore. In a letter from Mongpu to Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, Tagore wrote that he had never read such a complete picture of the entire Bengali literature before. The book provides a comprehensive historical and anthology-like form by including extensive excerpts from the discussed works.

There is no doubt that Sukumar Sen's book is a unique example in writing the history of Bengali literature. He emphasized the importance of writing history in a chronological and objective manner. Another notable aspect is that he was never complacent. Each new edition of this book became a new version in the true sense. Based on newly discovered information, he added new data, corrected errors, and reflected changes in his previous ideas or opinions in the book. This new Anand edition is a completely new book with revisions, reorganizations, and additions. The first volume of this edition, which covers up to the sixteenth century, includes new interpretations of Charyapada and significant revisions and additions about Mukundaram. Sukumar Sen, whose age is almost equal to this century, has provided an excellent example of his meticulous and inquisitive mind through this Anand edition of the first volume of "Bangla Sahityer Itihas."