Pyarichand Mitra and the Emergence of the Bengali Novel

Abstract

The rise of the Bengali novel in the nineteenth century was deeply intertwined with the social, cultural, and intellectual transformations of colonial Bengal. Among its earliest pioneers, Pyarichand Mitra (1814– 1883) occupies a seminal place as the author of Alaler Gharer Dulal (1857), widely regarded as the first Bengali novel in prose fiction. This research paper examines Pyarichand Mitra’s contribution to the emergence of the Bengali novel as both a literary form and a cultural intervention. It explores how his narrative style, use of colloquial language, and engagement with contemporary social realities initiated a decisive break from earlier literary traditions dominated by myth, poetry, and religious discourse. By situating Pyarichand Mitra’s work within the broader context of Bengal’s literary renaissance and colonial modernity, the paper argues that he not only inaugurated a new genre but also articulated the aspirations, anxieties, and contradictions of a society in transition. Pyarichand Mitra’s role, therefore, transcends that of a solitary innovator; he becomes a representative figure through whom the evolution of modern Bengali prose and the shaping of a national literary identity can be understood.