Historical Assamese Novel written by Padmanath Gohain Baruah and Lakshminath Bezbaroa

Novelist Padmanath Gohain Baruah and Lakshminath Bezbaroa

The journey of Assamese novel was triggered by Bhanumati (written by Padmanath Gohain Baruah) and Padum Konwari (written by Lakshminath Bezbaroa), published in Bijuli and Jonaki respectively in 1891. However, Lahori, published in 1892, is the first Assamese novel printed as a book. Assamese literature had its heyday in the writings of these prolific writers. In due course of time, they opted for other genres of literature; thereby put an end to the writing of novels. It is noteworthy that Gohain Baruah and Bezbaroa heralded a new horizon that inspired many writers to follow their foot-prints to write novels.

Credits go to Padmanath Gohain Baruah, Lakshminath Bezbaroa and their contemporaries like Chandra Kumar Agarwalla, Hem Chandra Goswami and several others, as they helped to trigger the Indian renaissance in Assamese literature through their manifold writings. Nationalistic aspiration in tune with growing movement for the country’s freedom from the British rule came to influence many of the Assamese writers, more in terms of looking back and reading the cultural heritage of Assam along with ushering in new ideas, forms and expressions in Assamese literature. Newer literary forms were experimented by these writers resulting in a literary upsurge in Assamese which included novel writing also. The Romantic movement in Assamese literature, like that in the West was also centred around the revelation of the individual mind of the author including personal emotions, finding expression in different ways. Patriotic fervor also formed a part of such expressions in some of the authors. Bhanumati, the first novel of Gohain Baruah that dwells on the revolt of the Mowamariyas, as an example, captures this romantic vein to a larger extent. Here, the novelist depicts the ideal of a romantic love culminating in self-destruction, like Juliet in the play of Shakespeare. A look into the novel reveals that it is full of social elements more than the historic ones. The story drawn on an imaginary line including the characters, a king without identity has been pulled into the fabric. And King Siva Singha and Queen Phuleswari, the two historical figures although have been taken for granted to be the triggers of the revolt do not seem to play in the expansion of the story. (Barua 1957: 73) However, material of history and the royal influence over the story line cannot be denied. (Sarma 2004: 33)

Lahori, another novel written by Gohain Baruah, depicts the picture of the same love. However, the novelist characterizes it as a family novel. The salient features of these two novels are their use of everyday languages and the delineation of events drawn from social reality. From this perspective, he can be held the trail-blazer of modern Assamese novel.

The same vein and ideal of romanticism, as found in Gohain Baruah, was also expressed in Padum Konwari, the only novel written by Lakshminath Bezbaroa. This novel captures the historical background of the strife called the Danduwa Droh, initiated and headed by Haradutta and Birdutta, during the reign of Ahom King Kandrapesar Singha. However, the central attraction of the story lies in the imaginary love theme between Padum Kunwari, the daughter of Haradutta and his step son Surjyakumar. “The sorrowful events meted out to Padum Kuwari find expressions in the folk songs prevalent in the Kamrupa areas. Perhaps Bezbaroa was inspired by this in creation of this novel.” (Bharali 2012: 31, 32) Credit goes to Bezbaroa as he has splendidly blended the historicity of the events with the romantic note in the story.

Padmanath Gohain Baruah was not instantly inspired to write out novels. He undertook the journey in order to mitigate the dearth in this respect. He was hugely inspired by Walter Scott, the popular British novelist, and Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay, the Bengali novelist, who followed the footprints of Scott. Scott had the rare capacity to pick up characters from history and his influence was just all-encompassing. Gohain Baruah emulated him and endeavored to write out novels on his models. His attempts had popular impact. Following him Lakshminath Bezbaroa and later on Rajanikanta Bordoloi wrote several novels which captured the historical events as their themes.

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