Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal (A Sub-Himalayan Tract) Edited by

Transcription

1 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal (A Sub-Himalayan Tract) Edited by Publish by Global Vision Publishing House Sukhbilas Barma Kamata Language A Brilliant Past and Tragic End Dharma Narayan Barma Long before the epic ages, North-east India was infested with different tribes namely Austric, Dravidians and Mongoloid people. The Austric people entered this region from Australia through south-eastern direction of India, Dravidians from west and Mongolians from China through North-eastern passes. And lately came the Aryans from Mid- India. In the Ramayana, we find that Naraka the foster son of king Janaka of Mithila entered Pragjotishpur and dethroned Ghataka, the Kirat king. According to Kalikapurana, Naraka on his coronation brought in many Aryans from Mithila and made them settled there permanently. Naraka was a unique warrior who demolished the neighbouring Kirat kingdoms and established an empire in Pragjyotishpur. Because of his heroic nature and might, he could easily sustain the wrath of the neighbouring tribal kings for which he was known as Asura. The appellation, Asura does not mean demon; Rig Veda has clearly said that the term Asura means warrior, and great hero. Dharma Narayan Barma: A retired teacher of Tufanganj High School.

2 212 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal Kamrupa, an Ancient Settlement of the Aryans After Naraka, his son the famous king Vagadatta of Mahabharata, sided with the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war and gave his daughter Bhanumati to marriage with Duryodhana, the Kaurava king. In these ways, Aryans spread towards the east (Pragjyotispura) in those days. In the 4 th century B.C. during the reign of Mahapadmananda many Aryans too entered this region and permanently settled here. Thus an incoming flow of Aryans went on. As a result, cultural and linguistic affinity between Mithila and Pragjyotishpur befell even in the ancient days. Dr. Nihar Ranjan Roy in his book Bangalir Itihas (P-69), voiced the same idea, The cultural and social separation between North Bengal and North-Bihar (Mithila) occurred in the middle age. In the early times there was no separation. These two lands had been taken to be same land. Dr. K. L. Barua in his Early history of Kamrupa opined, The old Kamrupi language was a variety of eastern Maithili and that is why Huen Tsang remarked that the spoken language of Kamrupa differed a little from the language spoken in Mid- India i.e. Magadha and Mithila. In History of Cooch Behar by S.C. Ghosal, it is stated, we can conclude that Aryan had come to this country when the Rigveda was compiled. He also stated that in the Brahmans of the Vedas the Aryans settled in the eastern country by crossing the river Sadanira between Kosala and Mithila. This is recounted also in the Satapatha Brahman. The Aryans came to Kamrupa through Mithila. According to the views of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee also, Kamrupa is an ancient settlement of Aryans. Dr. Suniti Chatterjee also said: Geographical situation, linguistic evidence, tradition, history all go to prove that the Aryan language came to Bengal as an

3 Kamata Language A Brilliant Past and Tragic End 213 overflow from Bihar. It cannot be divined when the Aryan speech first came to Bengal, to North Bengal probably from Mithila, and Central and South Bengal from Anga. In respect of eastern Indo-Aryan sub group of languages, the linguists have come to the conclusion that languages viz Kamrupi, Bangla, Radhi and Uria have formed their entity from Magadhiya Prakrit which sprang to these regions through Mithila. The Prakrita languages of different regions initially were identical but on association with non-aryan languages of the respective places assumed different shapes and entities. Kamrupi Prakrita language accordingly assumed distinct character and so it was independent of other eastern Prakrita languages. Some Pan-Bengali scholars desired proto-language to be sub-dialect of Bengali language. And Assamese scholars also voiced accordingly Pan-Assamese theory. But, practically both the theories of the scholars of the states are far from truth as because this Kamrupi which is lately known as Kamatapuri/Kamata Bihari, linguistically is equidistant from Pan-Bengali or Pan-Assamese realities. In the 13 th century the name of the kingdom Kamrup was changed on shifting the capital of Kamrup to Kamatapur, fifteen miles south to Cooch Behar city. Henceforth the name of the state became Kamata, and from that time down to the end of 19 th century Kamata became the political and cultural centre of eastern India. The Kamata kingdom was ruled by 15 native kings successively beginning with Sandhya Roy in 1255 A.D. to Nilambar 1482 A.D. After that Pathan Chieftain Hossain Sah, conquered Kamata, but could retain his sway over it only for 12 years. In 1496, Biswasingha, attacked the kingdom

4 214 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal and vanquished the Pathan ruler. Then Biswasingha ascended the throne of Kamata in the year Markendeya Purana, in 35 th pada, says: KÊmatÊ Nagare Biswasingha Narabar, Procanda ProtÊp RÊjÊ Bhoge Purandar. Indeed, Biswasingha became the ruler of Kamata after the Pathan. Twenty two kings of this line ruled over Kamata and lately Cooch Behar, for 454 years continuously from which is the longest dynastical rule in India. Language and Literature of Kamta Cooch Behar However, the Kamata-Cooch Behar kings were the great patrons of language and literature. Famous poets, authors, religious preachers enriched the literary treasures of the Kamata language. The letter of Maharaj Naranarayan of Kamatapur, written to the Ahom King, in the year 1555 is the first visible sign of prose literature of Kamata language. But surprisingly enough, the scholars of Bengal and Assam univocally demand this as visible sign of prose literature of their respective languages. However this contention of thesis is not tenable. It is a fact that when there was complete darkness in linguistic and political stability in the east and in the south, Kamtapur glew with its own unparallel radiance for language, culture and ideal administration. Dr. Arun Kumar Mukhopadhyaya of Calcutta University in support of Dr. K.L.Barua s work, the Early history of Kamrup very logically compared the reign of Maharaja Naranarayan with that of Elizabethian period of England (Sahitya Batayan). Some of the ancient literatures of this language and Sanskrit written in Kamta are:

5 Kamata Language A Brilliant Past and Tragic End 215 (i) Gopicandrer Gan of 13th century. (ii) Gonnather Gan. (iii) (a) Prahllad Carita (b)haragauri Sambad by Hem Saraswati (during the reign of Durllav Narayan). (iv) Joginitantra (S.K) written in the time of Maharaja Durlav Narayan,( ). (v) Padma Puran by Surnani. (vi) Translation of Aswamedha Yajna of the Mahabharata by Harihar Bipra. (vii) Daker Bacan by the poet Dak. (viii) Padmapuran by Durgabar. (ix) Padmapuran by Mankar. (x) Sankar Deva, the Court poet of Maharaja Naranarayan ( ) wrote many valuable books. Some of them are: (1) Ajamel Upakhyan (2) Adidasar Bhagabat (3) Utkalamala (4) Uddhab Sambad (5) Gunamala (6) Niminabasidha. (7) Premkalasi Ghosa (8) Bali Chalan (9) Bhakti Pradip (10) Bhakti Ratnakar (11) Ramayan (Uttar kanda) (12) Rukmini Haran (13) Harishchandra Upakhyan (14) Barisa Barnana Dramas: (1) Kalia Daman (2) Parijata Haran (3) Rasa Krida (4) Ram Vijay Nat (5) Sita Sayambar (6) Patniprasad (7) Kele Gopal (8) Sitaharan. The Ram Vijoy Nat, with the favour of Mahabir Cilarai was staged in the court of King Naranarayan. Sankar deva composed poems in praising Cilarai for his help in staging the drama: RÊmak Param Bhakati RasajnÊn Shrisukladhwaj Nripati PradhÊn Ramaka Vijoy Yo KarayÊli NaÑ MilÊhu TÊheka Baikanthak bañ.

6 216 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal Nam Ghosa Bhakti Ratnabali Bhattima Madhav Barageet Madhav - Madhav Deva - Madhav Deva - Deva - Deva Ramsaraswati was the Court Poet of Naranarayan. He,at the request of the king, translated the Mahabharat into Kamta language. Bagasurbadh, Byadhacarita, etc, were his creation. Bhatta Deva translated Katha Gita and Kathabhagabat in this language. Purusattam Vidyabagisa wrote Prayaga Ratnamala. (Sansk Grammer) Pitambar Sidhanta Bagis wrote Markendeya Candi, Nal Damayanti and Usha Parinaya. Many other books were written in this period by the renowned Pandits of Kamta. Dr. Ajoy Chakraborty s remark in this respect is important. As regards the language of literature written in Kamta Koch Behar Rajdarbar specially, from 14th century to 16th century, they were written in Kamrup dialect. At that time Bengali and Assamese languages had not taken definite shape. The two languages have taken definite shape from the 18th century. A host of poets of Kamta Rajdarbar translated various cantos of the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas. The poets of the rest of Bengal did the same. But in most works in the same cases the Kamrupi poets are pioneer in this time. As regards historical literature Kamta Koch Rajdarbar tops the list. The language and literature of Kamta Koch Rajdarbar: Indeed the kings of Kamta patronized the poets to translate Sanskrit books into Kamta language. Dr.Shasibhusan Das Gupta said, praising the kings of Cooch behar, The Princes felt it their duty to make provision for the distribution of culture, wealth of nation among the mass. They therefore selected poets of

7 Kamata Language A Brilliant Past and Tragic End 217 appreciable merit and entrusted them with sacred duty of rendering in the popular language (Manushi Bhasa) all that was hidden in the iron safe of the Divine language. Inspite of this exalted position of Kamta language the scholars of Bengal and Assam tend to underestimate Protolanguage by saying that it is the dialect of Bengal and on the other hand of Assamese. Banikanta Kakati wrote, It was under the patronage of kings of Kamatapura, outside the Western limits of modern Assam, fourteen miles to the south of Cooch Behar that the earliest Assam books were written. Even now the spoken language of North Bengal and Western Assam (dialect of Goalpara and Kamrup) is substantially the same and seems to form one dialect group. (Ref: Assamese, Its Formation and Development. P-16, Chapter I.) The above remark of Dr. Kakati seems to be deceitful. How the Kamta court poets books can be earliest books of Assamiya language? Undoubtedly, the books written in Kamata Raj darbar must be the books of Kamata language, the court language of the kingdom. Dr. T.C. Rastogi and Arun Choudhury affirmed that the Kamata language is the progenitor of Assamese and Bengalee languages. Dr. Arun Kr. Mukherjee in Sahitya Batayan opined that in order to have a knowledge of the ancient Bengali, we shall have to look into the language of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Kamrupi upabhasa, also. So it is deducible that Kamta language is an ancient language which is prior to Bengali and Assamese which came to light in the 18th century under patronage of British Government. But the position underwent radical changes for various reasons: The change of geo-polity of this region brought about downfall of proto-language. During the British rule Kamata kingdom was divided into four parts, one was tagged with the newly founded

8 218 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal Assam state (1874), another portion with Bengal, the other with Bihar and the residue was Cooch Behar state. Consequently the regional language of the respective states took upper hand; thereby this language had to recede back. Moreover, Calcutta University was established in the year 1857 and through this University, teaching of Bengali language spread into Eastern India. So, Bengali became medium of instruction in Bengal and Cooch Behar and Assamese in Assam. And naturally Kamta was pushed backward. It is a language of 150 lakhs of people of Western Assam, undivided North Bengal, Purnia of Bihar, Jhapa and Morang of Nepal. Its speakers are Rajbanshi, Khen, Nath community, Brahmins, Kayasthas, Muslims, even Koches and such other communities living in the region. All of them equally demand this Kamata language as their mother language. Still now this language is living among the people of the above community in the teeth of serious adverse position. REFERENCES An article in Moulana Azad Academy Journal: R.C. Rastogi, May, Assamese Its Formation and Development: Bani Kanta Kakati, Guwahati, Asamia Viwa Kosh, Part I, Chief Editor: Rajani Kanta Dev Sharma, Asom Prakashan Parishad, Guwahati. Bangalir Itihas: Nihar Ranjan Ray, Dey s Publications, Calcutta, 1410 BS. Early History of Kamrup: K.L. Barua, Guwahati, History of Cooch Behar: S.C. Ghosal, Cooch Behar State Press, Kalika Puran: Edited by Panchanan Tarkaratna, Naba Bharat Publishers, Calcutta. Kamtapuri Bhasa Sahitter Ruprekha: Dharmanarayan Barma, Raidak Prakashan, Tufanganj, 1407 BS.

9 Kamata Language A Brilliant Past and Tragic End 219 Language and Literature written in Kamta Koch Rajdarbar: Dr. Ajoy Chakraborty, published by Dr. Ajoy Chakraborty, Dhubri, Assam, Origin and Development of Bengali Language (ODBL): Dr. Suniti Kumar Chattopadhyaya, Rig Veda: R.C. Dutt, Haraf Prakashani, Calcutta. Red Rivers Blue Hills: Hem Barua, published by Khagendra Nath Dutta Barua, Guwahati, A Step to Kamta Bihari Language:Dharmanarayan Barma, Jalpaiguri, 1991.