ময়মনসিংহ-গীতিকা: ভাষিক ও সাংস্কৃতিক বিচ্ছেদের সূত্র-সন্ধান

Abstract

Folklore is an invaluable cultural asset for any community, encompassing its traditions, customs, antrhopology, and the markers of class and caste. In Bengali literature, the medieval period is regarded as the golden age of folkloric expression. The ballads of the Mymensingh region, later compiled by Dinesh Chandra Sen as Mymansingh-Geetika, exemplify this tradition. Though their origins lie in the medieval era, these ballads reflect a mature linguistic form and embody elements of modern sensibility. However, in the nineteenth century, under the influence of colonial governance, a Sanskritized Bengali prose style and modern literary forms emerged. As a result, the urban educated elite rejected these ballads as rustic, severing Bengali literature from its own traditional and cultural roots. This rupture in both language and cultural identity was shaped by the politics of language and culture under colonial authority. Against this backdrop, the present essay seeks to examine the dynamics of such linguistic and cultural politics through the lens of Mymensingh-Geetika. This paper will apply both historical-analytical and comparative methods.