Crossing the Bay of Bengal

Crossing the Bay of Bengal PDF Author: Sunil S. Amrith
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674728475
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
The Indian Ocean was global long before the Atlantic, and today the countries bordering the Bay of Bengal—India, Bangladesh, Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia—are home to one in four people on Earth. Crossing the Bay of Bengal places this region at the heart of world history for the first time. Integrating human and environmental history, and mining a wealth of sources, Sunil Amrith gives a revelatory and stirring new account of the Bay and those who have inhabited it. For centuries the Bay of Bengal served as a maritime highway between India and China, and then as a battleground for European empires, all while being shaped by the monsoons and by human migration. Imperial powers in the nineteenth century, abetted by the force of capital and the power of steam, reconfigured the Bay in their quest for coffee, rice, and rubber. Millions of Indian migrants crossed the sea, bound by debt or spurred by drought, and filled with ambition. Booming port cities like Singapore and Penang became the most culturally diverse societies of their time. By the 1930s, however, economic, political, and environmental pressures began to erode the Bay’s centuries-old patterns of interconnection. Today, rising waters leave the Bay of Bengal’s shores especially vulnerable to climate change, at the same time that its location makes it central to struggles over Asia’s future. Amrith’s evocative and compelling narrative of the region’s pasts offers insights critical to understanding and confronting the many challenges facing Asia in the decades ahead.

Crossing the Bay of Bengal

Crossing the Bay of Bengal PDF Author: Sunil S. Amrith
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674728475
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 324

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Indian Ocean was global long before the Atlantic, and today the countries bordering the Bay of Bengal—India, Bangladesh, Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia—are home to one in four people on Earth. Crossing the Bay of Bengal places this region at the heart of world history for the first time. Integrating human and environmental history, and mining a wealth of sources, Sunil Amrith gives a revelatory and stirring new account of the Bay and those who have inhabited it. For centuries the Bay of Bengal served as a maritime highway between India and China, and then as a battleground for European empires, all while being shaped by the monsoons and by human migration. Imperial powers in the nineteenth century, abetted by the force of capital and the power of steam, reconfigured the Bay in their quest for coffee, rice, and rubber. Millions of Indian migrants crossed the sea, bound by debt or spurred by drought, and filled with ambition. Booming port cities like Singapore and Penang became the most culturally diverse societies of their time. By the 1930s, however, economic, political, and environmental pressures began to erode the Bay’s centuries-old patterns of interconnection. Today, rising waters leave the Bay of Bengal’s shores especially vulnerable to climate change, at the same time that its location makes it central to struggles over Asia’s future. Amrith’s evocative and compelling narrative of the region’s pasts offers insights critical to understanding and confronting the many challenges facing Asia in the decades ahead.

Empire and Ecology in the Bengal Delta

Empire and Ecology in the Bengal Delta PDF Author: Debjani Bhattacharyya
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108681727
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 485

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Book Description
What happens when a distant colonial power tries to tame an unfamiliar terrain in the world's largest tidal delta? This history of dramatic ecological changes in the Bengal Delta from 1760 to 1920 involves land, water and humans, tracing the stories and struggles that link them together. Pushing beyond narratives of environmental decline, Bhattacharyya argues that 'property-thinking', a governing tool critical in making land and water discrete categories of bureaucratic and legal management, was at the heart of colonial urbanization and the technologies behind the draining of Calcutta. The story of ecological change is narrated alongside emergent practices of land speculation and transformation in colonial law. Bhattacharyya demonstrates how this history continues to shape our built environments with devastating consequences, as shown in the Bay of Bengal's receding coastline.

Hungry Bengal

Hungry Bengal PDF Author: Janam Mukherjee
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190209887
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 346

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Book Description
Examines the interconnected events including World War II, India's struggle for independence, and a period of acute scarcity that lead to mass starvation in colonial Bengal.

The Changing Role of Women in Bengal, 1849-1905

The Changing Role of Women in Bengal, 1849-1905 PDF Author: Meredith Borthwick
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400843901
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Book Description
Basing her work on Bengali-language sources, such as women's journals, private papers, biographies, and autobiographies, Meredith Borthwick approaches the lives of women in nineteenth-century Bengal from a new standpoint. She moves beyond the record of the heated debates held by men of this period—over matters such as widow burning, child marriage, and female education—to explore the effects of changes in society on the lives of women and to question assumptions about "advances" prompted by British rule. Focusing on the wives, mothers, and daughters of the English-educated Bengali professional class, Dr. Borthwick contends that many reforms merely substituted a restrictive British definition of womanhood for traditional Hindu norms. The positive gains for women—increased physical freedom, the acquisition of literacy, and limited entry to nondomestic work—often brought unforeseen negative consequences, such as a reduction in autonomy and power in the household. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The History of Bengal

The History of Bengal PDF Author: Ramesh Chandra Majumdar
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bengal (India)
Languages : en
Pages : 552

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Book Description


From Little London to Little Bengal

From Little London to Little Bengal PDF Author: Daniel E. White
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421411644
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
How literary and religious traffic between Bengal and Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries impelled a complex and contested cosmopolitan imperial culture. From Little London to Little Bengal traces the traffic in culture between Britain and India during the Romantic period. To some, Calcutta appeared to be a “Little London,” while in London itself an Indianized community of returned expatriates was emerging as “Little Bengal.” Circling between the two, this study reads British and Indian literary, religious, and historical sources alongside newspapers, panoramas, religious festivals, idols, and museum exhibitions. Together and apart, Britons and Bengalis waged a transcultural agon under the dynamic conditions of early nineteenth-century imperialism, struggling to claim cosmopolitan perspectives and, in the process, to define modernity. Daniel E. White shows how an ambivalent Protestant contact with Hindu devotion shaped understandings of the imperial mission for Britons and Indians during the period. Investigating global metaphors of circulation and mobility, communication and exchange, commerce and conquest, he follows the movements of people, ideas, books, art, and artifacts initiated by writers, publishers, educators, missionaries, travelers, and reformers. Along the way, he places luminaries like Romantic poet Robert Southey and Hindu reformer Rammohun Roy in dialogue with a fascinating array of lesser-known figures, from the Baptist missionaries of Serampore and the radical English journalist James Silk Buckingham to the mixed-race prodigy Henry Louis Vivian Derozio. In concert and in conflict, these cultural emissaries and activists articulated national and cosmopolitan perspectives that were more than reactions on the part of marginal groups to the metropolitan center of power and culture. The British Empire in India involved recursive transactions between the global East and West, channeling cultural, political, and religious formations that were simultaneously distinct and shared, local, national, and transnational.

From Stigma to Strength: The Legacy of Bengal's Widowhood

From Stigma to Strength: The Legacy of Bengal's Widowhood PDF Author: Dr Anshumali Pandey
Publisher: Amazon Press
ISBN:
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 69

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Book Description
In the heartland of Bengal, a land teeming with history, tradition, and rich cultural heritage, lies a culinary tapestry that weaves together stories of resilience, empowerment, and the indomitable spirit of Bengali widows. This book, "From Stigma to Strength: The Legacy of Bengal’s Widowhood," delves into the depths of this lesser-known culinary tradition, unearthing the secrets, flavors, and significance behind the widow cuisine that has evolved over centuries. Bengal's widow culture, marked by its unique socio-cultural practices and challenges, has given rise to a distinct culinary legacy. Traditionally, widows in Bengal were subjected to societal restrictions and considered outcasts, burdened with grief and deprived of the joys of life. Yet, within the confines of widow ashrams and households, these resilient women managed to forge a culinary identity that not only sustained them but also served as a symbol of their strength and creativity. Through meticulous research, heartfelt anecdotes, and authentic recipes passed down through generations, this book aims to shine a light on the remarkable culinary heritage of Bengal's widow culture. It unveils the culinary artistry of these widows who, against all odds, managed to transform simple ingredients into delectable dishes that reflect the essence of Bengali cuisine. From the piquant flavors of Shorshe Ilish to the comforting warmth of Chhanar Dalna, the book explores a diverse range of recipes that have been lovingly prepared by Bengali widows for ages. Each dish carries with it a tale of survival, adaptation, and the preservation of tradition, offering a glimpse into the lives of these remarkable women who defied societal norms and carved their own path. Beyond the realm of recipes, this book delves into the historical and dietary importance of widow cuisine, shedding light on its cultural significance and the challenges faced by widow ashrams in Bengal. It explores the socio-cultural impact of widow ashrams, the journey towards empowerment, and the strides made in breaking down societal barriers. Through the pages of this book, we embark on a sensory journey, tantalizing our taste buds and immersing ourselves in the rich tapestry of flavors, aromas, and textures that define Bengal's widow cuisine. We pay homage to the unsung heroines who have preserved this culinary heritage and celebrate their resilience, creativity, and unwavering spirit. As you navigate through the chapters, let the stories of these extraordinary women and the flavors they have conjured transport you to a bygone era, where tradition and innovation coexist, and where food becomes a metaphor for the triumph of the human spirit. Welcome to the culinary heritage of Bengal's widow culture. Prepare to be captivated, enlightened, and inspired.

Bengal in Global Concept History

Bengal in Global Concept History PDF Author: Andrew Sartori
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226734943
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
In this study, Sartori closely examines the history of political and intellectual life in 19th- and 20th-century Bengal to show how the concept of 'culture' can take on a life of its own in different contexts, weaving the narrative of Bengal's embrace of culturalism into a worldwide history of the concept.

Bengal's Heart

Bengal's Heart PDF Author: Lora Leigh
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101108932
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
Reporter Cassa Hawkins has always supported Breed rights-especially in light of a specimen like Cabal St. Laurents, the epitome of the male animal. But when the Breeds are incriminated in a series of violent murders, it's left to Cassa and Cabal to discover the truth before they become prey.

The Partition of Bengal

The Partition of Bengal PDF Author: Debjani Sengupta
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316673871
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
This study looks at the rich literature that has been spawned through the historical imagination of Bengali-speaking writers in West Bengal and Bangladesh through issues of homelessness, migration and exile to see how the Partition of Bengal in 1947 has thrown a long shadow over memories and cultural practices. Through a rich trove of literary and other materials, the book lays bare how the Partition has been remembered or how it has been forgotten. For the first time, hitherto untranslated archival materials and texts in Bangla have been put together to assess the impact of 1947 on the cultural memory of Bangla-speaking peoples and communities. This study contends that there is not one but many smaller partitions that women and men suffered, each with its own textures of pain, guilt and affirmation.