Gobinda Samanta Ba Banglar Ek Rayat er Itihas by Reverend Lalbihari De [Hardcover]

In 1872, the book Bengal Peasant Life was written in two volumes as part of a literary competition organized by Babu Jayakrishna Mukhopadhyay, an enlightened zamindar from Uttarpara. By 1874, it was announced as the best narrative, earning high praise from a distinguished panel of judges, which included Ramanath Tagore, Digambar Mitra, Rajendralal Mitra, Reverend J. Long, and Sir W. J. Herschel.

Jayakrishna Mukhopadhyay was a devoted reader of Charles Dickens and was eager to discover Dickens’ literary successor in Bengali literature. It seems that he saw a reflection of Dickens' storytelling style in Lal Behari Dey.

In 1874, the book was published in English under the title Govinda Samanta, or The History of a Bengal Ryot. The book’s impact reached Charles Darwin, who wrote to the publisher:

"I see that the Rev. Lal Behari Day is Editor of the ‘Bengal Magazine’, and I shall be glad if you would tell him, with my compliments, how much pleasure and instruction I derived from reading, a few years ago, his novel, Govinda Samanta."

This acknowledgment by Darwin highlights the book’s historical and literary significance, offering a rare insight into the life of Bengal’s peasants during the 19th century.