Govinda Samanta: Or the History of a Bengal Raiyat (1874) is a novel
by Lal Behari Dey. Inspired by a lifetime dedicated to serving the poor
and oppressed, Lal Behari Dey wrote Govinda Samanta in order to
portray the life of Bengali peasants in a positive, human light. Praised
by Charles Darwin, awarded a substantial prize by a prominent Bengali
zamindar, Lal Behari's novel is a masterpiece of Bengali literature. "It
was considerably past midnight one morning in the sultry month of April,
when a human figure was seen moving in a street of Kánchanpur, a village
about six miles to the north-east of the town of Vardahamána, or
Burdwán. There was no moon in the heavens, as she had already
disappeared behind the trees on the western skirts of the village..."
After introducing his novel with a brief warning to readers, Lal Behari
opens his story with a beautiful description of village life in Bengal.
In episodic fashion, he follows one "human figure" after another, each
of them enriching his description of his native land. Centered on the
raiyat boy Govinda, the story follows the journey from innocence to
experience of a youth shaped by the stories and traditions of his
village. Opposed to flowery language and romanticism, he hopes to tell
"a plain and unvarnished tale of a plain peasant, living in this plain
country of Bengal." Praised upon publication, Govinda Samanta: Or the
History of a Bengal Raiyat is a compelling and understated narrative of
working-class life from an author who dedicated his own life to serving
the poor. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset
manuscript, this edition of Lal Behari Dey's Govinda Samanta: Or the
History of a Bengal Raiyat is a classic work of Bengali literature
reimagined for modern readers.
