Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/820

 778 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. “The Maharatta raiders have overun the country. and the Bulbulis (7rdus jocosus) have eaten up the crops. ‘How shall we pay the rent ?” Gangarama wrote his historical poem in 1750 A. D.,—seven vears before the battle of Plassey. His account of the raids seems to be a faithful one. The author describes how Alivardi Khan, the Nawab was suddenly attacked by Bhaskara Pundit at Bur- dwan and made a captive there for a short time. This is borne out by a statement in Tarikhi-Yusuf, though in Mitaksarin, Tarikhi Bangala, and in the accounts of Mr. Holwel we do not find this inci- dent mentioned. Gangarama gives a great many facts about the Maharatta raids which will be found interesting to the readers of the history of Bengal. 3. Samser Gazir gan. This poem, which runs through 4,000 couplets, describes the life and achievements of Samser gazi who was originally a robber, and who grew so powerful as to dethrone a king of Tippera and proclaim himself its chief for a time. Samser gazi lived 200 years ago, and the poem commemorating his exploits is sung by the rustic folk of Tippera to this day. It is said that Samser used to carry the vast riches, he obtained by looting, to the depths of the jungle in the | Udayapura hills. He would then dismiss the car- riers and with the help of a carpenter make deep cavities in the trunks of large Cal trees, where he stored his hoards, and after carefully closing them up with blocks of timber, and effacing all marks of the work, be would cut off the head of the poor artisan, thus removing all chances of. detection.