Bankim Chandra Chattejee's Publications
Index

Samya

A breathtaking and penetrating analysis of inequality in India's caste system, gender inequality and economic discrimination and that of the establishment of the supreme truth of equality between men and women, brahmins and the untouchables, the fallen victims and the victorous ruling class. Samya was first published in 1879. The thesis was later disowned by the author as 'erroneous' for some mysterious reasons and the book was not published thereafter. It seems appropriate to assume that despite his immense intellectual capacity, his conservative upbringing in a brahmin family in the end overcame him. Sad though, it is the reality of a society and his time. Samya is, however, included in his complete works even though it is not clear whether the author would have assented to its further publication.



Acknowledgement:

Much of the materials for this article was sourced from the Bankim Rachanabali (Complete Works of Bankim Chandra), Tuli-Kalam, Calcutta 1986