Kumkum Chatterjee’s analysis of Mangal-kavya explores their role in advocating deity worship
while addressing social and political concerns. These Bengali literary narratives emerged during
agrarian expansion under Muslim rule, contrasting forests with settled domains and reflecting anxieties
about governance. They emphasize warrior ethics and both male and female agency on the frontier,
evolving from the late 15th century through Mughal rule. By the 18th century, increased taxation and
provincial autonomy fueled local discontent, and British rule eventually ended the production of new
mangal-kavya. In the 1880s, Bengali Hindu nationalists classified them as a distinct literary genre.
Unlike Sanskrit kavya, which emphasizes aestheticized politics, mangal-kavya prioritize performance
and didactic storytelling. These texts incorporate elements from Sanskrit epics, Krishna stories, and
Puranic traditions but adapt them for contemporary audiences. Paul Ricoeur’s theory of literary
reception explains how audiences actively engaged with these narratives. The major subgenres include
Manasamangal (worship of Manasa, goddess of snakes, countering literal and figurative poisons),
Candimangal (focusing on Candi, symbolizing transitions from hunting to settlement), and
Dharmamangal (venerating Dharma, a deity linked to just rule and warrior ethics). These texts explore
social mobility, gender roles, and caste anxieties, often presenting alternative voices through oral
traditions.
Mangal-kavya rarely depict contemporary historical events but construct authoritative worship
practices rooted in an imagined past. They symbolically represent political authority through the
contrast between wild forests (ban) and settled domains (rajya), illustrating governance complexities.
In Candimangal, Kalketu, a hunter is commanded by Candi to stop hunting and establish a kingdom,
symbolizing the transition from wilderness to governance. Dharmamangal portrays a ruler whose
neglect leads to chaos, demonstrating the need for divine intervention in political authority. The texts
also depict Bengal’s open frontiers, especially riverine landscapes like the Sundarbans, where deities
protect woodcutters and merchants. Journeys, such as Behula’s quest in Manasamangal and Lau Sen’s
trials in Dharmamangal, incorporate both realism and supernatural dangers. Depopulated cities,
markets, and cremation grounds appear as liminal spaces reflecting social tensions, governance
failures, and divine influence. A key theme is the analogy between rulers and tigers, reflecting the
balance between protection and exploitation in governance. Mangal-kavya also explore women’s
agency, particularly through figures like Behula and Khullana, who use strategic actions to challenge
societal norms. However, by the late 18th century, the texts shift toward portraying women in more
passive roles.
Under Akbar (1556-1605), Mughal policies of sulh-i-kul (universal peace) promoted religious
tolerance, influencing temple construction and religious practices. Raja Man Singh, a Mughal
mansabdar, played a major role in patronizing Hindu religious traditions in Bengal, including early
Durga Puja celebrations. Mughal emperors were sometimes depicted in folk traditions as sympathetic
to Hindu customs, integrating them into Hindu religious narratives. From the 16th to 18th centuries,
goddess worship in Bengal became more Brahmanized and elite-driven, reflected in temple
construction influenced by Sultanate-era mosques. The late 16th century saw a resurgence of brick
temple architecture under Mughal patronage, peaking in the 18th and 19th centuries. Rising economic
instability paralleled the increasing prominence of Durga Puja, reinforcing its connection to kingship
and elite patronage.
