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Anandamath
Title page of the second edition of the books
Title page of the second edition of the books
AuthorBankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Original titleআনন্দ মঠ
TranslatorJulius J. Lipner
LanguageBengali
Genre(Nationalist)
PublisherRamanujan University Press, India
Publication date
1882
Publication placeIndia
Published in English
2005, 1941, 1906
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages336 pp

Anandamath (Bengali: আনন্দমঠ Anondomôţh) (lit. The Abbey of Bliss) is a Bengali historical novel, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and published in 1882. It is inspired by and set in the background of the Sannyasi Rebellion in the late 18th century, it is considered one of the most important novels in the history of Bengali and Indian literature.[1]

Vande Mataram, "Hail to the Motherland ", first song to represent India - as the Motherland was published in this novel.[2]

Plot summary

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The book is set in the years during the famine in Bengal in 1770 CE.[3] It starts with introduction to a couple, Mahendra and Kalyani, who are stuck in their village Padachinha without food and water in a time of famine. They decide to leave their village and move to the next closest city where there is a better chance of survival. While doing so, the couple become separated and Kalyani has to run through the forest with her infant to avoid getting caught by robbers. After a long chase, she loses consciousness at the bank of a river. A Hindu “Santana” (who were not true sanyasis but common people who took the symbol of sanyasis and left their household so as to rebel against the British East India Company) named Jiban takes the infant to his home, handing her to his sister, while he moves Kalyani to his ashram.

The husband, Mahendra, at this point is more inclined towards joining the brotherhood of the monks and serving the Mother Nation. Kalyani wants to help him attain his dreams by trying to kill herself, thereby relieving him of worldly duties. At this point, Mahatma Satya joins her but before he can help her, he is arrested by the East India Company soldiers, because other monks were fuelling the revolt against Company rule. While being dragged away he spots another monk who is not wearing his distinctive robes and sings,

"In mild breeze, by the bank of the river,
In the forest, resides a respectable lady."

The other monk deciphers the song, rescues Kalyani and the baby, and takes them to a rebel monk hideout. Concurrently, Mahendra is also given shelter by the monks; thus Mahendra and Kalyani are reunited. The leader of the rebels shows Mahendra the three faces of Bharat Mata (Mother India) as three goddess idols being worshipped in three consecutive rooms:

  1. What Mother was – an idol of goddess Jagaddhatri, referring to the past glory of Bengal/India
  2. What Mother has become – an idol of goddess Kali, a reference to the economic exploitation of the land & the famine
  3. What Mother will be – an idol of goddess Durga, referring to their vision for a future India.

Gradually, the rebel influence grows and their ranks swell. Emboldened, they shift their headquarters to a small brick fort. The East India Company troops attack the fort with a large force. The rebels blockade the bridge over the nearby river, but they lack any artillery or military training. In the fighting, the troops make a tactical retreat over the bridge. The Sanyasis' undisciplined army, lacking military experience, chases the troops into the trap. Once the bridge is full of rebels, the East India Company artillery opens fire, inflicting severe casualties.

However, some rebels manage to capture some of the cannons, and turn the fire back on to the East India Company lines. The East India Company troops are forced to fall back, the rebels winning their first battle. The story ends with Mahendra and Kalyani building a home again, with Mahendra continuing to support the rebels.

The song Vande Mataram is sung in this novel. Vande Mataram means "I bow to thee, Mother". It inspired freedom fighters in the 20th century and its first two stanzas became the national song of India after independence.

Characters

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Commentary

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The story’s setting was based on the time period around the devastating Bengal famine of 1770 during the period of Company rule in India and unsuccessful Sannyasi rebellion. In the book, Chatterjee imagines an alternative history where untrained Sannyasi soldiers defeat the experienced East India Company forces. The novel is criticized by some[citation needed] for its tacit promotion of Hindu nationalism & reiterating the colonial era historigraphical depiction of Muslim rule in India, (the rule of the Nawabs of Bengal in this case) as an entirely oppressive era for Hindus.

In adaptation

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Film

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The novel was later adapted into a film, Anand Math in 1952, directed by Hemen Gupta, starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Bharat Bhushan, Pradeep Kumar, Ajit and Geeta Bali. The music was composed by Hemant Kumar, who gave a version of the Vande Mataram sung by Lata Mangeshkar, which became a cult success.[4]

Other

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It was adapted as a comic in the 655th and 10028th issue and also in a Special Issue Great Indian Classic of the Indian comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha.[5] [6]

References

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  1. ^ Julius, Lipner (2005). Anandamath. Oxford, UK: OUP. pp. 27–59. ISBN 978-0-19-517858-6.
  2. ^ Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi (2003). Vande Mataram. New Delhi: Penguin. pp. 68–95. ISBN 978-0-14-303055-3.
  3. ^ "Bengal famine of 1770". www.cambridgeforecast.org. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  4. ^ Pradeep Kumar Rediff.com.
  5. ^ Anand Math. Amar Chitra Katha. April 1971. ISBN 978-81-8482-012-6.
  6. ^ "Anand Math".
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