উনিশ শতকের বাঙালি স্বদেশভাবনা ও রঙ্গলাল বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়/ Rangalal Bandyopadhyay and Nineteenth-Century Bengali Patriotism

Abstract

During the mid-nineteenth century, Western education, print culture, and the rediscovery of India’s past stimulated debates among educated Bengalis regarding nationhood, freedom, and identity. Rangalal Bandyopadhyay emerged as a pivotal literary figure in this awakening, introducing patriotic sentiment into Bengali narrative poetry instead of conventional romantic themes. Drawing on historical chronicles, he explored the value of liberty, duty toward the motherland, and self-respect.

         In Padmini Upakhyan (1858), Rangalal elevated the concept of the homeland from a physical territory to a sacred motherland, framing freedom as an essential condition of human dignity. His verses articulated that true life finds fulfillment in self-sacrifice for national liberation. This historical narrative served as a moral mirror to evaluate contemporary colonial subjugation without inviting direct conflict. In Karmadebi (1862), Rangalal engaged in critical self-reflection, contrasting past heroism with the moral decay, fear, and inertia of contemporary Bengali society. He asserted that subjugation stemmed not merely from external power, but also from internal moral collapse, emphasizing that national resurgence demanded unity and truth.

         In Shursundari (1868), he engaged with Hindu historical identity while          forcefully critiquing internal social evils, particularly caste divisions and fratricidal conflict, arguing that inner fractures hindered collective resistance. Furthermore, female figures in his works embodied agency, resistance, and sacrificial honor. Broadening his geographical horizon in Kanchikaveri (1879), Rangalal incorporated the historical and folk legends of Utkal into Bengali poetry, imagining a multi-regional cultural synthesis rather than a monolithic past.

         Rangalal’s vision represented a formative, culturally rooted nationalism centered on kings, warriors, and legends rather than a modern socio-economic nation-state. His lasting contribution lies in bridging regional histories with present moral inquiries to build foundational emotional symbols for India’s anti-colonial consciousness.