The three plays collected in the volume are ‘The Persecuted’ by Krishna Mohan Banerjee, ‘Rizia’ by Michael Madhusudan Dutt, and ‘Kaminee’ (anon.) From the beginning, Indian dramatists who chose to write in English made sociopolitical statements that resonate even today. The unavailability of their plays has resulted in little or no analysis other than secondary references, often inaccurate. For the first time, three of these texts have been unearthed and reprinted in this volume, enhanced by a general introduction, separate introductions to each play, and explanatory notes. Krishna Mohana Banerjea based ‘The Persecuted, or Dramatic Scenes Illustrative of the Present State of Hindoo Society in Calcutta’ (1831), the first Indian drama in English, on his own experience of ostracism after his “Young Bengal” friends flouted the conservative codes at his home. Michael Madhusudan Dutt composed in Madras his first play, ‘Rizia: Empress of Inde’ (1855), a tragedy about the 13th-century Sultana of Delhi who loved her Abyssinian slave. It has been reconstructed with the aid of a recently-discovered manuscript in Dutt’s hand. The anonymously-published ‘Kaminee: The Virgin Widow’ (1874) relates the fate of an accomplished teenage widow in Calcutta when the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act has become law yet most people pay no heed to it.

Spectrum History Of Indian Literature In English Accomplishes The Task Of Historical Continuity By Linking With The Past The Most Recent Present Of The Writing In English By Indians. The Book Is A Highly Useful Supplement To The Earlier Two Volumes By K.R. Srinivas Iyengar And M.K. Naik. Articles By Jasbir Jain And Sunanda Mongia Are A Spectrum Presen¬Tation Of The Latest Developments In The Field Of Indian Fiction In English In All Its Technical & Thematological Innovations. Satish Aikant'S Article Provides A Serious Backdrop To The Volume By Deliberating Upon The Historicity Of English Studies In India, Their Need, Relevance And Epistemological Repercussions. R.K. Singh'S Article Does Well To Deconstruct The Myth That Good Poetry Is Published Only By The Established Publishers. His Account Of Little Or Less Known Indian Poets In English Is Both Critical And Historically Illuminating. Charu Sheel Singh, Shyam Asnani And Attiya Singh Discuss Indian English Poetry, Criticism, Drama And Fiction Respectively. Meena Sodhi'S Article Is A Good Compilation Of Indian Autobiographies, Mostly In English, Which She Discusses With Good Critical Sense And Perceptive Imagination. A.N. Dwivedi'S Article On Indian English Short Stories Is A Comprehensive And Balanced Piece Which Is Also Rich In Illustrations. The Two Appendices Add To The Value Of The Book By Cherishing Critical Attention On What May Be Called Tradition And Experiment In Indian English Poetry And Fiction. Whereas Satish K. Gupta'S Brief Piece Highlights Homogeneity In The Sensibility Of Aurobindo And Charu Sheel, It Takes Pains And Care To Chalk Out Differences In Mode, Manner And The Whole Presentation Idiom In The Latter'S Poetry From That Of Aurobindo. Krishan Mohan Pandey'S Account Of The Post-Modemist Reaction Against Gandhi In Indian Fiction In English Is Timely. It Reaffirms Faith In An Indian Critic'S Belief In What Tagore Once Said : I Cannot Love A God Who Does Not Give Me Freedom To Deny Him.

Indian English Literature refers to the body of work by writers in India who write in the English language and whose native or co-native language could be one of the numerous languages of India. Its early history began with the works of various Indian writers who consolidated Indian literature. It is also associated with the works of members of the Indian Diaspora such as V. S. Naipaul, Kiran Desai, Jhumpa Lahiri, Agha Shahid Ali, Rohinton Mistry and Salman Rushdie, who are of Indian descent. It is frequently referred to as Indo-Anglian literature. As a category, this production comes in the broader realm of post-colonial literature- the production from previously colonized countries like India. Indian Literature refers to the literature produced on Indian sub-continent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. At the same time we must recognize the individual talents of the present age who, for reasons other than literary merits, are relegated to the periphery. It is full of revelations as we discovered poets and novelists of the 19th century from this region of India that is generally considered barren in Indian literature in English.

A History of the Indian Novel in English traces the development of the Indian novel from its beginnings in the late nineteenth century up until the present day. Beginning with an extensive introduction that charts important theoretical contributions to the field, this History includes extensive essays that shed light on the legacy of English in Indian writing. Organized thematically, these essays examine how English was "made Indian" by writers who used the language to address specifically Indian concerns. Such concerns revolved around the question of what it means to be modern as well as how the novel could be used for anti-colonial activism. By the 1980s, the Indian novel in English was a global phenomenon, and India is now the third largest publisher of English-language books. Written by a host of leading scholars, this History invites readers to question conventional accounts of India's literary history.

Annotation This volume surveys 200 years of Indian literature in English. Written by Indian scholars and critics, many of the 24 contributions examine the work of individual authors, such as Rabindranath Tagore, R.K. Narayan, and Salman Rushdie. Others consider a particular genre, such as post-independence poetry or drama. The volume is illustrated with b&w photographs of writers along with drawings and popular prints. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

Krishna Kumari: The Tragedy of India introduces readers to the first English language play in modern India. Written in 1826 by English Subba Rao, one of the first Indians to be schooled in English, Krishna Kumari depicts the true story of a princess of Udaipur who is forced to commit suicide in order to end a war started by her suitors, the rulers of the neighboring kingdoms of Jaipur and Jodhpur. Tragically, her death proves to be in vain because the mercenaries recruited by the contending rulers nevertheless proceed to plunder the region. All three kingdoms are then compelled to seek the protection of the East India Company, bringing their independence to an end. Sharp and witty, Krishna Kumari was intended to warn Indian principalities against the follies that led to the downfall of the Rajputs. Unfortunately, the play scarcely saw the light of day. Angered by Subba Rao's opposition to their power, the British forced him to withdraw from public life. This is why audiences have never heard of Krishna Kumari-until now. Building on extensive archival research, this volume brings Subba Rao's pioneering drama back to life. The introductory essay by Rahul Sagar, a leading scholar of nineteenth century India, familiarizes readers with the remarkable characters in the play and the violent era in which they lived. By shedding light on Subba Rao's extraordinary life and career, it also reveals how important principalities like Tanjore and Travancore were in battling colonialism and shaping modern India.

English literature in India is linked with the works of writers of the Indian diaspora born in India but residing elsewhere. A pioneer was Raja Rammohan Roy; poets were Henry Vivian Derozio, Madhusudan Dutt, Aru and Toru Dutt, and Manmohan Ghose. Indian literature in English actually dates back to the 1830s to Kashiprasad Ghosh, who is considered the first Indian poet write in English.