Assamese literature ( as, অসমীয়া সাহিত্য, translit=ɔxɔmiya xaɦitjɔ}) is the entire corpus of poetry, novels, short stories, plays, documents and other writings in the
Assamese language
Assamese (), also Asamiya ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language, and it serves as a '' lingua franca'' of the wider region. The easternmost Indo-Iranian langua ...
. It also includes the literary works in the older forms of the language during its evolution to the contemporary form and its cultural heritage and tradition. The literary heritage of the
Assamese language
Assamese (), also Asamiya ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language, and it serves as a '' lingua franca'' of the wider region. The easternmost Indo-Iranian langua ...
can be traced back to the c. 9-10th century in the ''
Charyapada
The Charyapada (IAST: Caryapāda, Assamese/Bengali: চর্যাপদ) is a collection of mystical poems, songs of realization in the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism from the tantric tradition in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.
It was w ...
'', where the earliest elements of the language can be discerned.
Banikanta Kakati divides the history of Assamese literature into three prominent eras—
Early Assamese
Early Assamese ( as, পুৰণী অসমীয়া, translit=Puroni Oxomiya) or Proto-Eastern Kamarupa is an ancestor of the modern Assamese language. It is found in the literature from the 14th century to the end of 16th century in Kam ...
,
Middle Assamese and
Modern Assamese—which is generally accepted.
Ancient era: Literature of the beginning period, 950-1300 AD
*
Charyapada
The Charyapada (IAST: Caryapāda, Assamese/Bengali: চর্যাপদ) is a collection of mystical poems, songs of realization in the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism from the tantric tradition in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.
It was w ...
* Mantra Sahitya
Medieval era: 1300-1826 AD
* 1st period: Pre-Shankari literature, 1300-1490 AD
* 2nd period: Shankari literature, 1490-1700 AD
* 3rd period: Post-Shankari literature, 1700-1826 AD
Modern era: 1826 AD-present
* 1st period: Missionary literature, 1826-1870 AD
* 2nd period: Hemchandra-Gunabhiram Barua's era, 1870-1890 AD
* 3rd period: Romantic era or Bezbaruah's era, 1890-1940 AD
* 4th period: Current period, 1940 AD-PRESENT
History
Old Assamese
The first reference to the language of Assam was found in the account of famous Chinese monk-cum-traveler
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
. He visited the
Kamarupa Kingdom
Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam.
Though Kamarupa prevailed from 350 to 11 ...
during the reign of
Kumar Bhaskara Varman
Bhaskaravarman () (600–650), the last of the Varman dynasty, was an illustrious king of medieval Kamarupa. After being captured by the Gauda king during the reign of his father, he was able to re-establish the rule of the Varman's. He made ...
of
Varman dynasty
The Varman dynasty (350–650) was the first historical dynasty of the Kamarupa kingdom. It was established by Pushyavarman, a contemporary of Samudragupta. The earlier Varmans were subordinates of the Gupta Empire, but as the power of the Gu ...
. While visiting Kamrupa in seventh century,
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
noted that the language of the region was slightly different from the language of Middle India (
Magadha
Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
). He was able to identify the phonetic differences evident in the region. Even though systematic errors in the Sanskrit of
Kamarupa inscriptions
The Kamarupa inscriptions are a number of 5th-century to early 13th-century rock, copper plate and clay seal inscriptions associated with the rulers and their subordinates of the Kamarupa region. The common language of these inscriptions is Sansk ...
portray an
underlying Pakrit in the pre-12th century period, scarce examples of the language exist. The ''
Charyapada
The Charyapada (IAST: Caryapāda, Assamese/Bengali: চর্যাপদ) is a collection of mystical poems, songs of realization in the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism from the tantric tradition in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.
It was w ...
''s, the Buddhist ballads of 8th-10th century some of whose composers were from
Kamarupa and the language of which bear strong
affinities with Assamese (besides
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
,
Maithili and
Oriya), are considered the first examples of Assamese literature. The spirit of the ''Charyapadas'' are found in later-day ''Deh-Bicaror Geet'' and other aphorisms; and some of the ragas found their way to the 15th-16th century ''
Borgeet
Borgeets ( as, বৰগীত, lit=songs celestial, translit=Borgeet) are a collection of lyrical songs that are set to specific ragas but not necessarily to any tala. These songs, composed by Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva in the 15th ...
s''.
In the 12th-14th century period the works of Ramai Pundit (''Sunya Puran''),
Boru Chandidas
Chandidas (born 1408) was a medieval poet of Bengal, or possibly more than one. Over 1250 poems related to the love of Radha and Krishna in Bengali with the ''bhanita'' of Chandidas are found with three different sobriquets along with his name, ...
(''
Krishna Kirtan''), Sukur Mamud (''Gopichandrar Gan''), Durllava Mullik (''Gobindachandrar Git'') and Bhavani Das (''Mainamatir Gan'') bear strong grammatical relationship to Assamese; and their expressions and their use of ''adi-rasa'' are found in the later Panchali works of Mankar and Pitambar.
These works are claimed as examples of
Bengali literature as well. After this period of shared legacy, a fully differentiated Assamese literature finally emerged in the 14th century.
Medieval era
Pre-Shankari literature (1300-1490 AD)
This period saw the flourishing of two kinds of literary activity: translations and adaptations, and choral songs.
=Translations and adaptations
=
The earliest known Assamese writer of this period was
Hema Saraswati
Hema Saraswati ( as, হেম সৰস্বতী) (fl. late 14th century) was amongst the earliest known Assamese writers, most known for his poem, ''Prahlada Charita'', the earliest known poetic work in Assamese language. He was court poet ...
, whose well known works include ''Prahlad Charita'' and ''Hara Gauri Samvada.''
The story of the ''Prahlad Charita'' is taken from the
Vamana Purana
The ''Vamana Purana'' ( sa, वामन पुराण, IAST: ), is a medieval era Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism. The text is named after one of the incarnations of Vishnu and probably was a Vaishnava text in ...
and the ''Hara Gouri Samvada'' includes the myth of Hara-Gouri marriage, birth of Kartik etc. Kaviratna Saravati's ''Jayadratha-vadha'';
Rudra Kandali
Rudra Kandali ( Assamese: ৰুদ্ৰ কন্দলি ) (B. 1200s) was a litterateur from Kamrup. He was a well known poet of the 12th century and contemporary of the likes of Haribara Vipra and Hema Saraswati.
He wrote short narrative ...
's ''Satyaki-pravesa'' are prominent works of this era.
Harivara Vipra
Harivara Vipra ( Assamese:হৰিবৰ বিপ্ৰ) is amongst the earliest known Assamese writers. He was patronaged by Kamatapur's king Durlava Narayan (14th Century). His compositions, ''Babrubahanar Yudha'', ''Lava-Kushar Yudha'', ''Ta ...
, a court poet of
Kamata Kingdom
The Kamata Kingdom (pron: ˈkʌmətɑ) emerged in western Kamarupa probably when Sandhya, a ruler of Kamarupanagara, moved his capital west to Kamatapur sometime after 1257 CE. Since it originated in the old seat of the Kamarupa kingdom, a ...
, composed ''Vavruvahanar Yuddha'' (based on the Mahabharata), ''Lava-Kushar Yuddha'' (based on the Ramayana) and ''Tamradwajar Yudha''. Though translated works, they contain local descriptions and embellishments, a feature that describes all translated work of this period. His ''Vavruvahanar Yuddha'', for instance makes references to articles of the
Ahom kingdom, which at that time was a small kingdom in the east, and describes the undivided
Lakhimpur region, and in ''Lava-Kushar Yuddha'' he departs from the original and describes local customs for Rama and Sita's ''
pumsavana
Pumsavana ( sa, पुंसवन, ) (literally: quickening the fetus, or engendering a male or female issue) is the second of the 16 saṃskāras ( sacraments, rite of passage) in ancient texts of Hinduism. The rite of passage is celebrated in ...
'' ceremony. All these works are associated with Durlabhanarayan of
Kamata Kamata can refer to:
Places
*Kamata, Tokyo, a neighborhood in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan
**Kamata High School, a school located in the Kamata neighborhood, Ōta, Tokyo, Japan
* Kamata Kingdom, a 13th-century kingdom in Assam, India
* Kamata, New Zealand ...
and his immediate successors.The major work from this period that left a lasting impression is ''
Saptakanda Ramayana ''Saptakanda Ramayana'' (Assamese: সপ্তকাণ্ড ৰামায়ণ) is the 14th-15th century Assamese version of the ''Ramayana'' attributed to the famous assamese poet Madhava Kandali. It is considered to be the second translati ...
'', composed by
Madhava Kandali
Kaviraja Madhava Kandali ( as, মাধৱ কন্দলি) (circa. 14th century) was an Indian poet from the state of Assam. He is one of the renowned poets pertaining to the Pre- Shankara era. His Saptakanda Ramayana is considered the earl ...
in verse, and recited in the court of a 14th-century Baraha king Mahamanikya (Mahamanikpha) who ruled either in the Nagaon or the Golaghat region. In chronology, among vernacular translations of the original Sanskrit, Kandali's Ramayana comes after
Kamban's (
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
, 12th century), and ahead of
Kirttivas' (
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
, 15th century),
Tulsidas
Tulsidas (; born Rambola Dubey; also known as Goswami Tulsidas; c.1511pp. 23–34.–1623) was a Ramanandi Vaishnava Hindu saint and poet, renowned for his devotion to the deity Rama. He wrote several popular works in Sanskrit and Awadhi, but ...
' (
Awadhi
Awadhi (; ), also known as Audhi (), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in northern India and Nepal. It is primarily spoken in the Awadh region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. The name ''Awadh'' is connected to Ayodhya, the ancient city ...
, 16th century), Balaram Das' (Oriya) etc. Thus the
Saptakanda Ramayana ''Saptakanda Ramayana'' (Assamese: সপ্তকাণ্ড ৰামায়ণ) is the 14th-15th century Assamese version of the ''Ramayana'' attributed to the famous assamese poet Madhava Kandali. It is considered to be the second translati ...
becomes the first rendition of the
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
into an
Indo-Aryan language
The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily concentrated in India, Pa ...
in the Indian subcontinent. The literary language (as opposed to the colloquial Assamese) this work adopted became the standard literary language for much of the following periods, till the rise of new literature in the 19th century. That his work was a major influence can be inferred from
Sankardev
Srimanta Sankardev( শ্ৰীমন্ত শংকৰদেৱ )(; ; 1449–1568) was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of im ...
a's tribute to the "Opromadi Kobi/ অপ্ৰমাদী কবি''" (''"unerring predecessor poet").
The ''pada'' form of metrical verse (14 syllables in each verse with identical two syllables at the end of each foot in a couplet) became a standard in Assamese ''kavya'' works, something that continued till the modern times. Though a translated work, it is infused with local color, and instead of the heroic, Kandali instead emphasized the homely issues of relationships etc. Among the two kinds of ''alamkara's'', ''arthalankara''s were used extensively, with similes and metaphors taken from the local milieu even though the original works are set in foreign lands; whereas the ''shabdalankara'' (alliteration etc.) were rarely used.
In the pre-shankari era, a renowned mathematician,
Bakul Kayastha from
Kamarupa Kingdom
Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam.
Though Kamarupa prevailed from 350 to 11 ...
, compiled ''Kitabat Manjari(1434)'', which was a translation of the
Līlāvatī by
Bhāskara II into
Assamese. ''Kitabat Manjari'' is a poetical treatise on
Arithmetic,
Surveying and
Bookkeeping. The book teaches how accounts are to be kept under different heads and how stores belonging to the royal treasury are to be classified and entered into a stock book. The works of
Bakul Kayastha were regarded as standards in his time to be followed by other
Kayasthas in maintaining royal accounts.
= Choral songs
=
Choral songs composed for a popular form of narration-performances called
Oja-Pali, a precursor to theater and theatrical performances, came to be known as ''Panchali'' works.
Though some of these works are contemporaneous to Sankardeva's, they hark back to older forms free of Sankardeva's influences and so are considered pre-Sankardeva literature. The ''Oja-palis'' follow two different traditions: ''biyah-gowa'' which tells stories from the Mahabharata and ''Maroi'', which tells stories on the snake goddess
Manasa
Manasa () is a Hindu goddess of snakes. She is worshipped mainly in Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, Lower Assam and other parts of northeastern India and in Uttarakhand, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite, and also for fertility and p ...
.
The poets—Pitambar, Durgabar, Mankar and Sukavi Narayan—are well known for the compositions.
Shankari literature (1490-1700 AD)
In Assamese literature, the era of
Shankardeva or Shankari era, incorporates the literary works that were produced mostly as pertinent to the
Neo-Vaishnavite movement which propagated the
Ekasarana Nama-Dharma. Sankardeva’s contribution to Assamese literature is multidimensional and spread through different genres of literature. He is credited with building on past cultural relics and devising new forms of music (
Borgeet
Borgeets ( as, বৰগীত, lit=songs celestial, translit=Borgeet) are a collection of lyrical songs that are set to specific ragas but not necessarily to any tala. These songs, composed by Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva in the 15th ...
), theatrical performance (
Ankia Naat
Ankia Naats ( as, অংকীয়া নাট) are a class of one act plays performed in Assam, India. The invention of the Ankia Naat is usually attributed to the medieval saint and social reformer Srimanta Sankardeva. These plays were writt ...
,
Bhaona
Bhaona ( as, ভাওনা) is a traditional form of entertainment, with religious messages, prevalent is Assam, India. It is a creation of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva, written in the early sixteenth century. He created the form to conve ...
), dance (
Sattriya
''Sattriya'' ( as, সত্ৰীয়া), or ''Sattriya Nritya'', is a major Indian classical dance. This dance was initially created as part of Bhaona which are performances of '' Ankiya Nat'', one-act plays, originally created by Sankar ...
), literary language (
Brajavali
Brajavali ( Assamese: ''Brôzawôli'') was a literary language used by Sankardev (1449–1568) for some of his compositions (Borgeets and Ankia Naats) in the context of his Vaishnavite religion, Ekasarana Dharma, in Assam. Though similar langua ...
). Sankardev produced a large body of work. Though there were others before him who wrote in the language of the common man, it was Sankardev who opened the floodgates and inspired others like
Madhavdev
Madhavdev (1489–1596) (Pron: ˈʃrɪ ˈʃrɪ ˈmɑ:dəbˌdeɪv) is an important preceptor of the Ekasarana Dharma known for his loyalty to his guru, Srimanta Sankardev as well as his artistic brilliance. Initially a sakta worshipper, he w ...
to carry on where he left off. His magnum opus is the ''
Kirtana-Ghosha'' which contains narrative verses glorifying
Shri krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of ...
, meant for community singing. His other prominent literary works include the rendering of eight books of the ''
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
'' including the ''Adi Dasama'' (Book X), ''Harishchandra-upakhyana'', ''Bhakti-pradip'', ''Nimi-navasiddha-samvada'', ''Bhakti-ratnakara'' (Sanskrit verses, mostly from the
Bhagavata, compiled into a book), ''Anadi-patana'',
Gunamala
Gunamala ( as, গুণমালা) is a scripture written by Sankardev within one night at the request of Koch king Nara Narayan in 1552. It is an abridged version (handbook) of Bhagavata Purana capturing in racy, rhyming and sonorous verses. ...
and many plays like ''Cihna Yatra,'' ''Rukmini haran'', ''Patni prasad'', ''Keli gopal'', ''Kurukshetra yatra'' and ''Srirama vijaya.''
Madhavdev
Madhavdev (1489–1596) (Pron: ˈʃrɪ ˈʃrɪ ˈmɑ:dəbˌdeɪv) is an important preceptor of the Ekasarana Dharma known for his loyalty to his guru, Srimanta Sankardev as well as his artistic brilliance. Initially a sakta worshipper, he w ...
a, a disciple of
Sankardev
Srimanta Sankardev( শ্ৰীমন্ত শংকৰদেৱ )(; ; 1449–1568) was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of im ...
a, has a large scale contribution to Assamese literature. His
Magnum opus
A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
,
Naam Ghosa
Naam Ghosa ( as, নামঘোষা) is a Vaishnavite scripture of verses in praise of Lord Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the ...
is based chiefly on the
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
. The Naam-Ghosa is known by the name of Hajari Ghosa as well, as it contains one thousand verses (''ghosas'').His ''Guru Bhatima,'' a long poem of praise to his Guru Sankardev, is also popular. ''Bhakti-Ratnavali'' is another notable work, rendered by Madhavadeva from the original work by Visnupuri in Sanskrit. Other prominent works include ''Naam Maalikaa,
Assamese'' rendering of the Adi Kanda of Valmiki's
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
, ''Janma Rahasya,'' 191
Borgeet
Borgeets ( as, বৰগীত, lit=songs celestial, translit=Borgeet) are a collection of lyrical songs that are set to specific ragas but not necessarily to any tala. These songs, composed by Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva in the 15th ...
s and several plays.
After Sankardev and Madhavdev, several other writers emerged and contributed to Assamese literature.
Ananta Kandali
Ananta Kandali ( as, অনন্ত কন্দলী; 1540–1580) was Brahmin poet from Hajo, Kamrup district. Ananta Kandali's real name was Haricharan, but he is popularly known by his scholastic title "Ananta Kandali". His father, Ratna P ...
's ''Mahiravana Vadha'', ''Harihara Yuddha'', ''Vrttrasura Vadha, Kumara Harana and Sahasra Nama Vrttanta;''
Rama Saraswati
Rama Saraswati was 16th century poet from Kamrup, India. He was well known for translation of entire Mahabharata to Early Assamese from Sanskrit for which he is also known as Axom Byas.
See also
* Bhattadeva
* Hema Saraswati
Hema Saraswati ...
's translation of the
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
, ''Geeta Govinda'' and ''Vadha Kavyas;'' a part of
Naam Ghosa
Naam Ghosa ( as, নামঘোষা) is a Vaishnavite scripture of verses in praise of Lord Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the ...
by Ratnakar Kandali;
Sridhar Kandali
Sridhara Kandali was medieval vaishnavite poet from Kamrup region of Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state i ...
's ''Kumara Harana''; ''Janmajatra'', ''Nandutsav, Gopi-Uddhab Sambad'' and ''Sitar Patal Pravesh by''
Gopaldev
Gopaldev (1540–1611) was an Indian poet, dramatist and chief preacher of the Vaishnava sect in eastern Assam. He was belonged from Bhabanipur, Assam so people called him as Bhabanipuria Gopal Ata. He is also a disciple of Mahapurush Shrimanta S ...
; compilation of
Kirtan Ghosha
The Kirtan Ghosha (Assamese: ) is a collection of poetical works, primarily composed by the medieval saint Srimanta Sankardev in the Brajavali language. It was meant for community singing in the Ekasarana religion. Its importance in the religio ...
by Ramcharan Thakur; ''Nava Ghosha, Santasaar, Burha-Bhashya'' by Purushottam Thakur etc. are notable of the period.
Bhattadeva
Bhattadeva (1558–1638)( অসমীয়া: বৈকুণ্ঠনাথ ভাগৱত ভট্টাচাৰ্য), (Baikunthanatha Bhagavata Bhattacharya) is acknowledged as the father of Assamese prose. Though ''Bhaktiratnakar-kat ...
, another notable writer of this period, is acknowledged as the father of Assamese prose. ''Katha Bhagavata, Katha Gita, Bhaktiratnavali, Bhakti Viveka (Sanskrit)'' etc. are his prominent works. BhattadevBhattadeva's erudition in Sanskrit grammar and literature, and his command over the Bhagavata earned him the title of ''Bhagavata Bhattacharya.''
Post-Shankari literature (1700-1826 AD)
Along with the expansion of power and border of the
Ahom kingdom, literary works other than Neo-vaishnavite centric started gaining momentum in the 18th century. However the tradition of composing works based on Sanskrit scriptures still continued. Raghunath Mahanta was one of the most important figures of this period whose well known works include Katha-Ramayana, Adbhut Ramayana and Satrunjoy- all of them are based on the
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
. Kabiraj Chakravarti's translation of
Brahma Vaivarta Purana
The ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' ( sa, ब्रह्मवैवर्त पुराण; ) is a voluminous Sanskrit text and a major Purana (''Maha-purana'') of Hinduism. It is an important Vaishnavism text. This Purana majorly centers ar ...
and
Shakuntala, Gitar Puthi of Kabiraj Chakravati mentions several songs themselves composed by the Ahom Rajas
Rudra Singha
Sukhrungphaa (reigned 1696–1714), or Swargadeo Rudra Singha, was a Tungkhungia ahom king and 30th king of the Ahom kingdom under whom the kingdom reached its zenith of power and glory, he is considered as the most illustrious of the Ah ...
and
Siva Singha
Sutanphaa also Siva Singha was a king of Assam who reigned from 1714 to 1744 A.D. He was the eldest son of Rudra Singha. Siva Singha was with his dying father at Guwahati, who then proceeded to the capital Rangpur where he ascended to the th ...
. Kavichandra Dwija's ''Dharma Purana'', Bishnu Dev Goswami's ''Padma Purana, Putala Charitra'' by Borruchi, Ramchadra Borpatra's ''Hoigrib-Madhva Kahini,'' Acharya Dwija's ''Ananda-Lahari,'' Ruchinath Kandali's translation of C''handi Aakhyana a''re important works of this period. Among translation of texts related to practical knowledge include translation of Srihastha Muktavali on
Dance and mudra by Suchand Ojha, translations of Kaamratna- Tantra, Bhaswati by Kaviraj Chakraborti.
Hastividyarnava, commissioned under the patronage of king
Siva Singha
Sutanphaa also Siva Singha was a king of Assam who reigned from 1714 to 1744 A.D. He was the eldest son of Rudra Singha. Siva Singha was with his dying father at Guwahati, who then proceeded to the capital Rangpur where he ascended to the th ...
and translated by Sukumar Barkaith, is based on the Sanskrit text ''Gajendra-Chintamoni'' by Sambhunath. Books like Ghora Nidaan, Aswanidaan by Surjyakhari Daivajna were also compiled during this period.
Attached to the palace of the Ahom Kings there was a set of apartments for the preservation of royal manuscripts, records, letters despatches, and maps in charge of a high official named Gandbia Barua. There was another officer named Likhakar Barua literally the superintendent of scribes who supervised the work of an army of clerks and copyists.
Modern era
This is a period of the prose chronicles (''
Buranji'') of the
Ahom court. The Ahoms had brought with them an instinct for historical writings. In the Ahom court, historical chronicles were at first composed in their original
Tai-Kadai language, but when the Ahom rulers adopted Assamese as the court language, historical chronicles began to be written in Assamese. From the beginning of the 17th century onwards, court chronicles were written in large numbers. These chronicles or buranjis, as they were called by the Ahoms, broke away from the style of the religious writers. The language is essentially modern except for slight alterations in grammar and spelling.
Effect of British rule
The British imposed
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
in 1836 in Assam after the state was occupied and annexed with the
Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...
. As a result of this language imposition, the progress of education in Assam remained not only slow but highly defected and a lot of Bengalis were imported and employed in the different schools of Assam. Writing of text books in Assamese for school children did not get any encouragement and Assamese literature naturally suffered in its growth. Due to a sustained campaign, Assamese was reinstated in 1873 as the state language. Since the initial printing and literary activity occurred in eastern Assam, the Eastern dialect was introduced in schools, courts, and offices and soon came to be formally recognized as the Standard Assamese. In recent times, with the growth of
Guwahati
Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
as the political and commercial center of Assam, the Standard Assamese has moved away from its roots in the Eastern dialect.
Influence of missionaries
The modern Assamese period began with the publication of the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
in Assamese prose by the American
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
missionaries in 1819. The currently prevalent standard
Asamiya Asamiya may refer to:
* Assamese language, an Indo-Aryan language of Assam, India
** Assamese people, an ethnic-group from Assam, India
* Kia Asamiya, Japanese manga artist
* Athena Asamiya, a fictional character
See also
* Assamese (disambigua ...
has its roots in the Sibsagar dialect of Eastern Assam. As mentioned in Bani Kanta Kakati's "Assamese, its Formation and Development" (1941, Published by Sree Khagendra Narayan Dutta Baruah, LBS Publications, G.N. Bordoloi Road, Gauhati-1, Assam, India) – "The Missionaries made Sibsagar in Eastern Assam the centre of their activities and used the dialect of Sibsagar for their literary purposes". The American Baptist Missionaries were the first to use this dialect in translating the Bible in 1813.
The missionaries established the first
printing press
A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in which the ...
in
Sibsagar
Sivasagar (Pron: or ) ("the sea of Shiva"), is a city in and headquarters of the Sivasagar district, Assam. Sivasagar is situated about 360 kilometers (224 mi) northeast of Guwahati. It is well known for its Ahom palaces and monuments. S ...
in 1836 and started using the local Asamiya dialect for writing purposes. In 1846 they started a monthly periodical called ''
Arunodoi'', and in 1848,
Nathan Brown published the first book on Assamese grammar. The Missionaries published the first Assamese-English Dictionary compiled by M. Bronson in 1867.
One of the major contributions of the American Baptist missionaries to the
Assamese language
Assamese (), also Asamiya ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language, and it serves as a '' lingua franca'' of the wider region. The easternmost Indo-Iranian langua ...
is the reintroduction of Assamese as the official language in
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
. In 1848 missionary
Nathan Brown published a treatise on the Assamese language. This treatise gave a strong impetus towards reintroducing Assamese the official language in Assam. In his 1853 official report on the province of Assam,
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
official Moffat Mills wrote:
Beginning of modern literature
![Bhasha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Bhasha.JPG)
The period of modern literature began with the publication the Assamese journal ''
Jonaki'' (জোনাকী) (1889), which introduced the short story form first by
Lakshminath Bezbaroa
'
Lakshminath Bezbarua (, 14 October 1864), was an Assamese poet, novelist and playwright of modern Assamese literature. He was one of the literary stalwarts of the Jonaki Era, the age of romanticism in Assamese literature when through his e ...
. Thus began the Jonaki period of Assamese literature. In 1894 Rajanikanta Bordoloi published the first Assamese novel ''
Mirijiyori''.
The modern Assamese literature has been enriched by the works of
Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla,
Birinchi Kumar Barua
Birinchi Kumar Barua (16 October 1908 in Puranigudam, Nagaon, Assam, India – 30 March 1964) was a folklorist, scholar, novelist, playwright, historian, linguist, educationist, administrator and eminent 20th century littérateur of Assam, with ...
,
Hem Barua
Hem Barua (Assamese: হেম বৰুৱা) was a prominent Assamese poet and politician from Assam.
Early life
Born on 22 April 1915, at Tezpur, Hem Barua obtained his M.A. degree from Calcutta University in 1938 and joined the J.B. Co ...
,
Atul Chandra Hazarika
Atul Chandra Hazarika (1903–1986) was a prominent Assamese poet, dramatist, children's writer and translator. He was bestowed the epithet "Sahitycharjya" by Asam Sahitya Sabha, the premier literary organization of Assam..
Life and literary wo ...
,
Mafizuddin Ahmed Hazarika,
Nalini Bala Devi,
Navakanta Barua,
Syed Abdul Malik,
Mamoni Raisom Goswami
Indira Goswami (14 November 1942 – 29 November 2011), known by her pen name Mamoni Raisom Goswami and popularly as Mamoni Baideo, was an Indian writer, poet, professor, scholar and editor.
She was the winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award (1983 ...
,
Bhabendra Nath Saikia
Bhabendra Nath Saikia (20 February 1932 – 13 August 2003) was a novelist, short-story writer, Editor and a Film director from Assam, India. Dr. Saikia received his doctorate in physics from the University of London. He began his career as a ...
,
Homen Borgohain
Homen Borgohain (7 December 1932 – 12 May 2021) was an Assamese author and journalist. He was awarded the 1978 Sahitya Akademi Award in Assamese language for his novel ''Pita Putra''. He was also the President of Assam Sahitya Sabha from 20 ...
,
Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya
Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (14 October 1924 – 6 August 1997) was an Indian writer. He was one of the pioneers of modern Assamese literature. He was the first ever Assamese writer to receive the Jnanpith Award, which was awarded to him in t ...
,
D. K. Barooah, Nirupama Borgohain,
Kanchan Baruah
Bhubanmohan Baruah ( as, ভূবনমোহন বৰুৱা; 1914 - 1998) was a novelist, short story writer from Assam. He wrote many novels under the pen-name of Kanchan Baruah (কাঞ্চন বৰুৱা).
Life and works
Baruah ...
,
Saurabh Kumar Chaliha
Saurabh Kumar Chaliha ( as, সৌৰভ কুমাৰ চলিহা; 1930 – 25 June 2011) is the pen name of a famous Assamese short story writer. His real name was Surendra Nath Medhi. His short story collection ''Ghulam'' won the pre ...
and others. Moreover, as regards the spreading of Assamese literature outside Assam, the complete work of
Jyoti Prasad Agarwala
Jyoti Prasad Agarwala (2 July 1903 – 17 January 1951) was a noted Indian playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and film maker from Assam. He was considered as Assamese cultural icon, deeply revered for his creative vision and output and is pop ...
has been translated into Hindi to reach a wider audience by
Devi Prasad Bagrodia
Devi Prasad Bagrodia, is a noted writer, social worker and tea planter based in Dibrugarh in Assam, India.
Biography
Early life
Devi Prasad Bagrodia was born to Shew Bhagovan Bagrodia of Bhekulajuan village of Tengakhat in Dibrugarh district ...
. Bagrodia has also translated
Shrimanta Shankardev's 'Gunamala' into Hindi.
In 1917 the
Asam Sahitya Sabha
The Asam Sahitya Sabha (; Literary Society of Assam) is a non Government, non profit, literary organisation of Assam. It was founded in December 1917 in Assam, India to promote the culture of Assam and Assamese literature. A branch of the organi ...
was formed as a guardian of the Assamese society and the forum for the development of Assamese language and literature.
Padmanath Gohain Baruah
Padmanath Gohain Baruah ( as, পদ্মনাথ গোহাঞি বৰুৱা; 1871–1946) was the first president of Asam Sahitya Sabha and a prominent name in the early part of modern Assamese literature. He was a novelist, poet, dram ...
was the first president of the society.
Contemporary literature
Contemporary writers include
Arupa Patangia Kalita
Arupa Kalita Patangia was born in 1956 and is an Indian novelist and short story writer and known for her fiction writing in Assamese. Her literary awards include: the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad award, the Katha Prize and the Prabina Saikia Awar ...
,
Parismita Singh, Monikuntala Bhattacharya, Mousumi Kondoli, Monalisa Saikia, Geetali Borah, Juri Borah Borgohain. Emerging trends are marked by experiments with post modernist literary technique and growing fascination of young writers with magic realism and surrealism. In the realm of literary criticism young literary critics Areendom Borkataki, Bhaskar Jyoti Nath, Debabhusan Borah are exploring different possibilities and ideas to meet the needs in literary criticism. Assamese literature is currently booming in Assamese-speaking world, with readership of Assamese books gradually increasing over the last decades. A huge success can be seen in North East book fair and Nagaon book fair, when selling of Assamese books increased then English books.
See also
*
List of Assamese writers with their pen names
Assamese literature is the entire corpus of poetry, novels, short stories, documents and other writings in the Assamese language. It also includes popular ballads in the older forms of the language during its evolution to the contemporary form. ...
*
Oxomiya Bhaxa Unnati Xadhini Xobha
Axomiya Bhaxa Unnati Xadhini Xobha ( as, অসমীয়া ভাষা উন্নতি সাধিনী সভা, en, Assamese Language Development Society) was a lite organization formed on Saturday 25 August 1888 (1810 Saka). It is ...
*
Assamese Short Story
Assamese may refer to:
* Assamese people, a socio-ethnolinguistic identity of north-eastern India
* People of Assam, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious people of Assam
* Assamese language, one of the easternmost Indo-Aryan language ...
*
Assamese Poetry
Assamese poetry is poetry in Assamese language. It borrows many themes from Sanskrit literature and is mainly devotional in tone. The origins of Assamese poetry are considered to have taken place in the early 13th century, the ''Bhagavat Purana' ...
*
List of Assamese poets
*
Indian literature
*
List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Assamese
Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1955, by Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters), to writers and their works, for their outstanding contribution to the upliftment of Indian literature and Assamese literature in p ...
*
Assam Sahitya Sabha
The Asam Sahitya Sabha (; Literary Society of Assam) is a non Government, non profit, literary organisation of Assam. It was founded in December 1917 in Assam, India to promote the culture of Assam and Assamese literature. A branch of the organi ...
*
Sadou Asom Lekhika Samaroh Samiti
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Life and Works of Bhattadeva, the Father of Assamese ProseAssamese proverbs, published 1896
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assamese Literature
Assamese language
Assamese fiction
Assamese novels
Assamese short story collections
Assamese-language books
Assamese-language culture
Assamese-language works
Assamese-language poets
Assamese-language writers
Literature by language
Indian literature by language