শরদিন্দু বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের ঐতিহাসিক ছোটগল্প : Fictionalised History or Historical Fiction?/ The historical short stories of Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay: Fictionalised History or Historical Fiction?

Abstract

The primary objective of historical fiction is to portray the social, political, cultural, and economic backdrop of a specific historical era. Authors bring to light lesser-known historical events or figures, infusing them with the essence of their imagination to craft literary narratives; there is no doubt that Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay was a master of this art. A wide array of figures—ranging from Tathagata Buddha to Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanya, and from Atish Dipankara to Malik Kafur—have been vividly brought to life through Sharadindu’s pen. Sharadindu encompassed a vast span of history in his writings, ranging from the arrival of the Aryans in India to the India of the twentieth century. Yet, was his focus limited merely to history or historical figures? Far from it; his aim was to portray contemporary society and politics beyond the confines of history books. Thus, in ‘Shankhya-Kankan’, we witness Mayur being wounded by an assassin, while in ‘Bishkanya’, we see the Emperor of Magadha, Chanda, being oppressed by his own subjects. The truth is, Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay was a writer more than a history enthusiast. Yes, he loved history but his main focus was on the plot and character development of the story. That's why many of his stories are about people, culture and life that are coated in the timeline of history. And that is precisely why his stories have become all the more engaging and vivid. The narrative structure of his tales transports readers—at once—to the era of the Buddha’s spiritual quest, while simultaneously plunging them into the turbulent waves of the ocean alongside Vasco-da-Gama’s fleet.

          It is not possible to analyze all of Sharadindu’s novels and short stories within the scope of this brief essay; therefore, we have selected five stories from his rich repertoire. Those stories are ‘Pragjyotish’, ‘Rokto-Sandhya’, ‘Chuyachandan’, ‘Bishkanya’ and ‘Sankhya-Kankan’. Each of these stories speaks of different times and people—some are deeply rooted in history, while others take flight on the wings of imagination. Through these stories, we aim to highlight the historical consciousness embedded in Sharadindu’s short fiction.