keyword: Mangalkavyas
Mangalkavyas
- Exploring the Socio-Religious World of Medieval Bengal Through the Lens of the Mangalkavya Literature
Issue: Leeds Medieval Studies, 4 (2024)
This article examines the relationship between Islam and Brahmanism in medieval Bengal through the Mangalkavya texts. Mangalkavyas were narrative poems that were dedicated to specific deities and had a performative dimension. From the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, these texts combined piety and leisure, and enjoyed immense popularity across rural Bengal. The establishment of Islamic political rule in 1204 in Bengal brought about momentous changes in the social, economic, and political landscape of Bengal. However, one of the most important developments that took place in this period was the arrival of Islam into the region. The liberal and egalitarian rhetoric of Islam meant that it soon emerged as a challenge to the Brahmanical order in Bengal. It is at this crucial juncture that Mangalkavyas make their appearance in the Bengali countryside. This article analyses several Mangalkavya texts to find answers to the following two questions: firstly, did Islam play any role in stimulating the production of these texts, and secondly how did these texts respond to and engage with Islam? Answering these questions helps in understanding the rationale behind the composition of Mangalkavyas while providing an insight into the dynamic engagements between Brahmanism and Islam in Medieval Bengal.