Page:History of Bengali Literature in the Nineteenth Century.djvu/31

 CHAPTER II ০০০৯3 Intropucrory ReErTrospecr. 01004, 1760-1800. Taking 1800 A.D. to be roughly the date of commence- ment of the modern era of Bengali Literature, we find, however, that it is not until nearly half a century elapses that we come across any literature strictly deserving the name. In the meantime if we pause The necessity of a for a moment and look at the political cursory retrospect of : ৮8187685109 history of the country and _ the general condition of general condition of the people, from Bengal between 1760- নর 1800. 1760 to the beginning of the 19th century, we shall find that it was an age in which we can hardly expect any quiet development of literature under favourable political and social conditions. It will be profitable at the outset to study here, however briefly, the general history of the period in relation to its literature : for every history of literature must always have a back-ground of political and social history. The political history of Bengal in the latter half of the 18th century is essentially the history of the rise, growth, and gradual establishment of the British rule. The so-called battle of 1757 is usually Rise and growth of 20d popularly regarded as marking the English power. a turning point in the history of Bengal: but it is well-known that this petty rout,’ usually glorified with the association ‘ So designated by Lyall, Rise of the British Dominion tn 17700) p. 107. See Hill, Bengal in 1756-57, 1. ccii and ০০111 7 also ILI, 212; Firminger, Introduction to the Fifth Report, Vol.I, p. i-iii, and references cited therein,