Glimpses of Bengal in the Nineteenth Century

This book is based on three lectures delivered by the eminent historian R. C. Majumdar at Visva-Bharati University in September 1960, as part of the first course of Extension Lectures sponsored by the Inter-Departmental Study Circle. Titled “Bengal in the Nineteenth Century”, these lectures explore selected aspects of Bengal’s history during a transformative century marked by social, cultural, and political change.

Majumdar makes it clear in his Preface that the lectures were not intended as a comprehensive history of nineteenth-century Bengal. Instead, he chose a few significant themes that appeared to him to be both important and often neglected, even by educated Bengalis. He deliberately avoided attempting a broad outline of history, preferring instead to offer pointed discussions of crucial issues. Some topics such as religion, literature, and economic conditions are not covered in depth, largely due to the constraints of the lecture format.

What makes this work distinctive is Majumdar’s approach: he focuses on drawing attention to essential problems and key turning points rather than touching superficially upon a wide range of subjects. In doing so, he highlights aspects of Bengal’s nineteenth-century experience that demand deeper thought and analysis.

The Preface also reflects Majumdar’s awareness of the historical moment in which he was writing. He describes Bengal as being in decline compared to its past vitality, yet insists that Bengal’s contributions to history will outlast contemporary politics and live on in the annals of time. This gives the book both a scholarly focus and a poignant, almost elegiac tone.