Regional history in literature, narratives and performance in Bengal and Santhal Pargana

Abstract

This is an attempt to study the regional history of Bengal with the help of literature and narratives and unheard past of Santhal Pargana through narrative performances. Since, the history was written for the ruling and aristocracy class which gives an understanding of the past from above and it hardly talks about the history of lower strata. There is a massive need of history writing pertaining to local areas. The knowledge of the local people is acquired through qualitative research because the indigenous knowledge is transferred from one generation to another and because of  the west centric knowledge, the indigenous knowledge is marginalised which will even vanish after sometime. Similar is the situation of the knowledge of spiritual and religious past. The hagiographical literature of this region is considered as an important source to understand the socio- religious outlook. Beneath these literatures, there were several proto socio- religious outlooks that exercised a profound impact on people at lower level. In process to study these , one has to depend upon the oral history available in its surroundings.