Rev. Lal Behari Day · 1880

Bengal Peasant Life

USD 85

Being a New Edition of Govinda Samanta; or, The History of a Bengal Raiyat

A pioneering Indian English novel and ethnographic portrait of the social and domestic life of rural Bengal.

DAY, the Rev. Lal Behari.Bengal Peasant Life.London: Macmillan and Co., 1880.Description:Octavo. Early lifetime printing. Originally published in 1874 under the title Govinda Samanta, or, The History of a Bengal Raiyat—which won the prestigious £50 prize offered by zemindar Baboo Joy Kissen Mookerjea for the best novel illustrating rural life—this work was permanently retitled Bengal Peasant Life in its subsequent editions.

Historical Significance:

A foundational milestone in South Asian literature, Dey’s work stands out as one of the earliest substantial novels written in English by an Indian author. Seamlessly blending social realism, reformist critique, and ethnographic observation, it provides an invaluable firsthand account of the domestic, economic, and social frameworks operating within the rural populations of late 19th-century Bengal.

Edition

New edition

Provenance

Early ownership inscriptions on the title page; names are not fully legible from the supplied photograph.

Condition

The title page shows scattered spotting, marginal ownership inscriptions and light handling marks.

Status

Available