Bengali folk rhymes
and New Historicism: playful fantasy, experience and conflict in selected
rhymes from Khukumanir Chhora
Ishita Mondal,
Bachelor of Arts,
Department of English,
Scottish Church College,
Kolkata, West Bengal, India,
&
Songbortika Chakrabortty,
Bachelor of Arts,
Department of English,
Scottish Church College,
Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Abstract: Bengal
has witnessed an abundance of oral literary compositions. Children’s rhymes,
popularly known as “Chhora” in Bengali, are a major part of it. Along with
playful interactions, imagination and amusement, these oral compositions create
memories that define our childhood to a great extent. However, besides
establishing primary connections between a child and the outside world, these
rhymes carry subtle traces of history that Bengal had been a part of. This
paper aims to explore the underlying history of Bengal that silently appears in
some of the oral Nonsense Rhymes meant for children’s entertainment. Through a
qualitative analysis of some selected rhymes from the 1899 anthology Khukumanir
Chhora, a conducted study of the New Historicism and a detailed outlook on
Bengal’s history, this paper conducts a study of colonial Bengal’s
socio-cultural framework and their reflections in children’s rhymes. The
analysis revealed the echoes of Bengal’s history that some of the widely
acknowledged rhymes essentially carry. This study suggests the dual readership
of nonsense rhymes and how individual and collective experiences of Bengal’s
people survive as timeless memories.
Keywords: New Historicism, Colonialism, Bengal, Rhymes,
Society
Introduction
Oral folklores and rhymes can be rightly considered as
the socio-cultural and literary reservoirs. Bengal's rich cultural heritage and
abundant literary outputs, including traditional oral literature, have always
been quite a fascinating source of discussion. In this sphere of folk
literature, children’s rhymes, popularly known as “Chhora” in Bengali, are of
an immense socio-cultural significance, carrying traces of historical events
merged with childhood innocence and adult experience across generations. While
being popular among children mainly for their playfulness, humour and
imagination, rhymes also carry traces of history. A parallel study of history
and the literary trends of a particular period often throw light on the echoes
of history that silently crown the lines of literature. Consequently, these
rhymes and folklore are no exception. This research analyses a few selected
poems from the Bengali anthology Khukumanir Chhora in the light of New
Historicism. This anthology was published by Jogindranath Sarkar in 1899. The
purpose of this study is to explore the unspoken connections between some of
the most popular rhymes and the lived chapters of history that society would
never forget.
Research Methodology
Inspired primarily by the idea of Michel Foucault and as
a reaction against New Criticism, New Historicism emerged as a form of literary
theory which aims to understand intellectual history through literature and
literature through its cultural context. The term was first coined by the
American critic Stephen Greenblatt. Unlike the New Critics who refuse to
analyse a text in the light of its socio-cultural background, New Historicists
like Greenblatt and Montrose insist that one of the aims of New Historicism is
to re-figure the relationship between text and the cultural system in which
they were produced. To further elucidate it, new historicism is characterized
by a parallel reading of a text within its socio-cultural and historical
conditions, which form the ‘co-text’. It tends to give equal weightage to both
the literary and the non-literary text. This ‘equal weightage’ is suggested in
the definition offered by Louis Montrose: New Historicism is a combined
interest in “the textuality of history, the historicity of texts”. This never
intended to emerge as a new theory but as an array of reading practices, which
created dissatisfaction among other literary theorists in the beginning. As a
response to this, Greenblatt published an essay called Towards a Poetics of
Culture (1987), which changed the understanding of New Historicism. In this
essay, Greenblatt tries to show that the question of how art and society are
interrelated, cannot be answered through one single theory and he proves this
by juxtaposing Lyotard's and Jameson's concept of Capitalism. New Historicism
is a method that attempts to situate artistic text both as a product of a
historical context and as the means to understand cultural and intellectual
history and new historical essay will typically juxtapose literary and
non-literary text, reading the former in the light of the latter.
A New Historicist analysis of selected rhymes
Children's popular rhymes (Chhora), are created by the
rural folks of Bengal and shaped by their experience. Acting as a vivid archive
of collective memory encapsulating the historical and socio-cultural experience
of pre-independent Bengal, they present the then society through an interplay
of lived reality and imagination. It is one of the most enduring modes of oral
literature which help children learn language, enhance skills of memorization
and develop vocabulary. Evolving and transmitting through generations, these
oral narratives and verses bridge the gap between the past, present and future,
thereby creating timeless memories. However, this popularity of rhymes among
children frequently obscures their historical significance. The famous American
scholar and philologist Maurice Bloomfield had rightly stated, “The
popular rhyme is a striking example of poetic primitive, going back in its
construction and psychological essence almost to the primitive archaic times,
and at the same time it is frequently an expression of attitudes among the
masses of the people.”
The exact dates of composition of these selected poems
from the anthology Khukumanir Chhora remain unknown to this day. In some
cases, even the identities of their creators are not yet deciphered. So, the
only remnants are these captivating, interactive rhymes. As a matter of fact,
the rhymes listed in this anthology potentially serve as brilliant social and
cultural artefacts and present a relatively discernible historical picture.
They were not essentially meant to act as social critiques, nor were they
created to remain secluded from the social framework that drives the social
beings. Regardless, they serve as multifaceted pieces capturing life and
experience of the traditional Bengali households. This offered intricacy makes
this 1899 publication, one of the most layered products of the Bengali society,
which was in a state of absolute flux due to the grasp of colonialism.
The mid-18th century Bengal fell prey to catastrophic
communal tensions as a consequence of the merciless incursions by the Maratha
cavalry units. The first major strike began around 1741, when Bengal had her
fourth Nawab, Alivardi Khan, on the throne, ruling over the fertile landscape
of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Several ruthless campaigns under the leadership of
the ruler of Nagpur, Raghuji Bhonsle, executed by his Prime Minister, Bhaskar
Ram Kolhatkar and his marauders, were carried upon Bengal. Consumed by the
desire of collecting “Chauth” i.e., an annual tax amounting to 25% of the total
revenue of the concerned area, brutal atrocities were perpetrated. Sudden
attacks were launched on markets, towns, villages and other localities. The
invaders destroyed the crops, seized the cattle and looted the granaries,
resulting in a massive paucity of resources and strain in agriculture, economy,
communication and survival. The 18th century historical text Maharashtra
Purana by the poet Gangaram Dev records the detailed accounts of how
innocent people were tortured and killed.
Following this gruesome epoch, survived a prolonged
psychological impact within the minds of the people. So naturally, the term
“Bargi” (etymology: Persian), which refers to the cavalry units of those
Maratha invaders, gradually came to evoke a horrific image of crisis and
helplessness, which survived in the folklore of Bengal as well. One such widely
prevalent Bengali oral rhyme is ‘Borgi Elo Deshe’, which was published in this
anthology. The author of this rhyme is unknown, so is the exact year of its
creation but clearly, it is set against the backdrop of the Bargi
Invasions.
|
Khoka
ghumulo para jurulo, Borgi
elo deshe; Bulbulite
dhan kheyeche, Khajna
debo kishe? Dhan
furulo, paan furulo, Khajnar
upay ki? Ar
kota din shobur koro Roshun bunechi. |
খোকা ঘুমুল পাড়া জুড়ুলো, বর্গী এলো দেশে; বুলবুলীতে ধান খেয়েছে, খাজনা দেবো কিসে? ধান ফুরুল পান ফুরুলো, খাজনার উপায় কী? আর কটা দিন সবুর করো রসুন বুনেছি |
The chhora of ‘Borgi Elo Deshe’, with its familiar
presence in almost every Bengali household, carries traces of a horrific memory
that survived in the quietest and tiniest corners of the colonial Bengali
society. The rhyme goes like a monologue of a mother who is singing a lullaby
to put her endearing child to sleep. The poetic cadence and soothing melody
amalgamate with the agony of the helpless mother who sings a song of agony
about how to pay the “khajna”, i.e., the land revenue to the oppressive Bargi
who have invaded the estate. The question of how to pay the tax is asked twice,
which implies the urgency and tribulation of the period. The devastating
picture of scarcity has survived and the wound still persists. The conflicted
mother represents all the other afflicted people whose resources were depleted
and thus, left at the mercy of the plunderers.
The dual layered structures of these rhymes are what
makes them unforgettable creations. So, for an innocent infant, who is not yet
psychologically exposed to the communal hazard and its lingering effects, this
rhyme comes off as a soothing lullaby. But for an adult, who has withstood the
calamity, this is a lamentation. Thus, the rhythmic notes actually blend with a
severe note of crisis and wailing.
The 19th century Bengal was a period of extreme
socio-cultural unrest. Bengal emerged as an important administrative unit of
the British empire. The nationalistic zeal was gradually attaining a new
height. The late 19th century and the early 20th century Bengal was a period of
transition; a call for reforms. Women were subjugated and assigned roles of a
homemaker and a child bearer. They were essentially deprived of their rightful
shares of knowledge by denying education to them. Around the mid-1830s, some of
them made an attempt to voice their resentments through newspapers and
vehemently opposed the institutionalised gender hierarchy in hopes of
consideration for the deep-rooted problems such as polygamy, child marriage,
dowry customs and disempowerment.
The oral rhymes, being the lyrical and innocuous
treasures, carry silent notes of everything the social beings have been
individually and collectively a part of. The rhyme, ‘Brishti pore tapurtupur’
carries faint echoes of social acceptance of polygamy.
|
Brishti
pore tapur tupur, nod e elo baan, Shibthakur
er biye holo, tin konya daan. Ek
konye radhen barren ek konye khan, Ek
konye gosha kore baper bari jaan. Bapeder
tel shidur, malider phul, Amon khopa bedhe debo,
hajar taka mul. |
বৃষ্টি পড়ে টাপুর টুপুর, নদে এলো বান, শিব ঠাকুর এর বিয়ে হলো, তিন কন্যা দান। এক কন্যা রাধেন বারেন, এক কন্যা খান, এক কন্যা গোশা করে বাপের বাড়ি যান। বাপেদের তেল সিঁদুর, মালীদের ফুল, এমন খোপা বেঁধে দেবো, হাজার টাকা মূল। |
It is important to mention that neither does this rhyme
anyway advocate for polygamy and domestic confinement of women as a legitimate
responsibility, nor does it take any clear stance showing any sort of sarcasm
for the existing moral values and assigned duties. However, in the light of the
historical context where there are mentions of a predominant polygamy in the
pre-colonial as well as colonial Bengali society, this rhyme seems to bear the
imprints of the practiced culture and norms as well. The pleasant onomatopoeia
signifying the sounds of the rain drops (“tapurtupur”) evokes a vision followed
by an imagery of a flash flood in the river. As the three daughters get married
to the same household and one of them is immediately entrusted with the kitchen
responsibilities, the rhyme becomes layered. Although not consciously meant for
an exposure of a social ideology, this rhyme also reflects the unequal power
distribution within the same household as seen between the three daughters. So,
in a spontaneous conversational tone and rhythmic elegance that can enthral a
child and is solely meant to just provide entertainment and merriment to an
infant, the rhyme also carries reflections of a traditional Bengali household
through images of vermilion and hair-bun and at the same time, fragments of the
issues of the 19th-20th century Bengal.
Similarly, the rhyme, ‘Dol DolDuluni’ can also be
reimagined as a socio-cultural archive.
|
Dol
dol duluni Ranga
mathay chiruni Bor
ashbe ekhuni Niye
jabe tokhuni |
দোল দোল দুলুনি রাঙ্গা মাথায় চিরুনি বর আসবে এখুনি নিয়ে যাবে তখুনি |
With a harmonious blend of endearing imagery such as that
of a swing and comb, the rhyme apparently speaks to a young woman.
Thematically, it evokes an image of a traditional Bengali marriage that is
possibly about to happen to the young woman, who is being asked to wait for his
groom. The central images of the young woman getting dressed up for her
marriage is playfully interwoven in a child-like, innocent rhythm. The
traditional practice of the bride leaving her parental home and shifting to the
house of her in-laws after marriage is reflected through this rhythmic fantasy
where it says that the groom will come and take the bride away.
The rhyme, ‘Hasti Rajar Deshe’ also serves as an archive
of the prevalent dowry system in Bengal. The burdensome monetization of a
precious relationship was greatly normalised at the cost of a woman's dignity
and her family’s financial capability.
|
Khoka
jabe biye korte hosti rajar deshe, Tara
rupar khate pa rekhe, shonar khate boshe! Ghono
aota dudher upor puru shor bhashe! Khoka
monike shohag kore joutuk dibe ki? Shal dibe, doshala dibe,
rupoboti jhi! |
খোকা যাবে বিয়ে ক’র্তে হস্তী রাজার দেশে, তারা রূপার খাটে পা রেখে, সোনার খাটে বসে! ঘন আওটা দুধের উপর পুরু সর ভাসে! খোকামণিকে সোহাগ ক’রে যৌতুক দিবে কি? শাল দিবে, দোশালা দিবে, রূপবতী ঝি! |
As a social record of the normalised dowry system, this
rhyme displays a marriage in an exaggerated, royal world of “Hasti Raja”
(Elephant King). As “Khoka” (son) reaches the place, he receives an extravagant
welcome; however, through this innocent world of Khoka’s marriage, the greater
social issue of a possible dowry is anticipated. It is interesting to notice
that the woman “Khoka” is getting married to, never gets a platform of
dominance except for the fact that she is a beautiful girl and that she is
about to get married along with a monetary transaction. The word “Jhi”
establishes the girl as an equivalent to a maid, which is indicative of the
marginalization and confinement of women into the domestic realm.
In her book Marriage and Modernity: Family Values in
Colonial Bengal, eminent historian Rochona Majumdar argues about how the
social construction of dowry disrupted the harmony of the society, economised
relationships and strained a family’s financial strength when a greater part of
the money spent on such a transactional situation and organising a grand
ceremony to celebrate the event, could have gone for a lot of other greater
causes. Furthermore, the evils of such an internalised structure that gets
glorified casually and imagined innocently, comes up with lots of unpleasant
outcomes and tragic headlines that perhaps none of us would ever want to
happen.
Seemingly, cultural practices and rituals often intervene
in children's songs and rhymes as imaginary elements. The juxtaposition of
innocence with experience, childhood with adulthood and home-like coziness with
social obligations is what makes children's rhymes some profound, multifaceted
piece of art.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that Chhora are the
irreplaceable, priceless creations of the Bengali rural folk. What sounds like
a gentle, soothing lullaby of a mother can also hide notes of agony from a
lived trauma, within itself. The theoretical application of New Historicism
enabled a meticulous study of the common household rhymes and the accompanied
historical account. With a detailed analysis of the existing social conditions
in 18th-19th century Bengal and a simultaneous study of the popular rhymes, an
attempt has been made to re-examine and re-explore the era that still lingers
as an unforgettable memory.
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