Samayiki by Pradip Basu [Hardcover]

The invaluable assets of 19th-century Bengali life and culture are preserved in the old newspapers and magazines. The detailed picture of Bengali life in the newspapers of that era is unmatched and cannot be found elsewhere. However, due to the lack of proper preservation, these newspapers are now on the verge of destruction. Many renowned periodicals of that time are also in a similar deteriorating condition. Due to the lack of maintenance, these priceless resources may one day be completely lost. Rabindranath Tagore wrote in Jibansmriti about the first illustrated monthly magazine of Bengal, Bividarthasangraha, which was printed with beautiful line engravings. He mentioned, "Rajendra Lal Mitra Mahashaya published a magazine called Bividarthasangraha with pictures. A part of it was kept in a wardrobe with a lock. I had collected it. The joy of reading that book repeatedly is still fresh in my mind. Holding that large book to my chest, I would lie on the cot in our bedroom, reading the stories of Norlhal Timimatsya, the humorous tales of Kazi's judgment, and the novel Krishnakumari during my holidays. There is no such paper anymore." Rabindranath’s lament has become even truer today with the demise of old periodicals. The role of these periodicals as invaluable sources of Bengali life thought, and literary culture is always significant.

Earlier, Brajendranath Bandopadhyay in Sangbadpatre Sekaler Katha and Binoy Ghosh in Samoyikpotre Banglar Samajchitra tried to paint a complete picture of 19th-century Bengali society by highlighting various aspects of Bengali life. In this book, however, it is not a linear or sketch-like societal depiction but rather an integrated form that showcases the multifaceted subjects and characteristics of 19th-century knowledge practices. The origins, sources, rules, and methodologies of this knowledge found in newspapers are undoubtedly influenced by Western intellectual traditions. Moreover, one of the primary mediums for translating and spreading this Western knowledge and science into Bengali was these periodicals. Many magazines aimed to free the people from superstitions by following Western scientific logic.

The subjects of knowledge and science discussed in the early 19th-century periodicals included geography, geology, physics, mathematics, geometry, astrology, and chemistry. There were also separate periodicals dedicated to zoology. In this selected collection of writings, the author attempts to capture the discussions emerging in the second half of the 19th century from the intersection of Western science and indigenous knowledge, life, customs, and practices. The time period of the selected writings is from 1850 to 1901. The periodicals from which these writings have been selected include Bividarthasangraha (1851-61), Rahasya-Sandarbha (1862-74), Bangamohila (1875-76), Anubikshan (1875), Nababarsiki (1880), Nabyabharat (1881), Bigyan Darpan (1884), Chikitsa Sammilani (1885-94), Garhastya Bigyan (1886), Chikitsak O Samalochak (1895-96), and Swathya (1898-1901). No significant writings published in these periodicals have been omitted, and in fact, the writings themselves have chosen their place in this collection based on their subject matter.

It is noteworthy that in this book, the writings are presented as they were originally printed, without any changes to the original text, spelling, or titles. The writings have been arranged according to topics: health, psychology, anthropology, population, geography, language, music, and miscellaneous. Essentially, the behaviors, traditions, customs, society, religion, and economy of the 19th century are reflected in this collection. To understand the course of scientific discussions of that time, this collection is indispensable. This meticulously selected and meaningful collection has been edited by Professor Pradip Basu, a social science professor at the Center for Studies in Social Sciences.