- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The mythic figure Satya Pīr has a wide following among Hindus and Muslims alike in the Bangla-speaking regions of South Asia. Believed to be an avatara of krsna, or a Sufi saint, or somehow both, he ...
More
The mythic figure Satya Pīr has a wide following among Hindus and Muslims alike in the Bangla-speaking regions of South Asia. Believed to be an avatara of krsna, or a Sufi saint, or somehow both, he is worshipped for his ability to bring wealth and comfort to a family. At the heart of this worship is the simple proposition that human dignity and morality are dependent upon a proper livelihood-without wealth, people cannot be expected to live moral lives. Men have a special responsibility to create that stability, but sometimes fail miserably, making ill-advised decisions that compromise the women who are dependent upon them. At these threatening junctures, women must take matters into their own hands, and they call on Satya Pīr to help them right the wrongs done by their husbands or fathers. This book presents lively translations of eight closely related 18th- and 19th-century Bengali folk tales centered on Satya Pīr and the people he helps. While the worship of Satya Pīr is the ostensible motivation for the tales, they are really demonstrations of the Pīr's miraculous powers, which authenticate him as a legitimate object of worship. The tales are also very amusing, parodying Brahmins and yogis and kings and sepoys. These stories fly in the face of conventional wisdom about the separation of Muslims and Hindus. Moreover, the stories happily stand alone, speaking with an easily recognized if not universal voice of exasperation and amazement at what life throws at us.Less
The mythic figure Satya Pīr has a wide following among Hindus and Muslims alike in the Bangla-speaking regions of South Asia. Believed to be an avatara of krsna, or a Sufi saint, or somehow both, he is worshipped for his ability to bring wealth and comfort to a family. At the heart of this worship is the simple proposition that human dignity and morality are dependent upon a proper livelihood-without wealth, people cannot be expected to live moral lives. Men have a special responsibility to create that stability, but sometimes fail miserably, making ill-advised decisions that compromise the women who are dependent upon them. At these threatening junctures, women must take matters into their own hands, and they call on Satya Pīr to help them right the wrongs done by their husbands or fathers. This book presents lively translations of eight closely related 18th- and 19th-century Bengali folk tales centered on Satya Pīr and the people he helps. While the worship of Satya Pīr is the ostensible motivation for the tales, they are really demonstrations of the Pīr's miraculous powers, which authenticate him as a legitimate object of worship. The tales are also very amusing, parodying Brahmins and yogis and kings and sepoys. These stories fly in the face of conventional wisdom about the separation of Muslims and Hindus. Moreover, the stories happily stand alone, speaking with an easily recognized if not universal voice of exasperation and amazement at what life throws at us.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Princess Who Nursed Her Own Husband, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
The Princess Who Nursed Her Own Husband, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This introductory chapter begins with a brief description of the eight tales in this volume. The stories celebrate Satya Pīr, a figure of religious power who is nominally both Muslim and Hindu; they ...
More
This introductory chapter begins with a brief description of the eight tales in this volume. The stories celebrate Satya Pīr, a figure of religious power who is nominally both Muslim and Hindu; they vault women or their offspring into heroic roles as the men flounder in uncertainty and helplessness; they play with gender distinctions, all in an effort to comment, critique, and even stretch the traditional values reaffirmed in the conclusions of each tale. The perpetuation of cultural narratives in South Asia and the sectarian literatures of Satya Pīr are also discussed.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a brief description of the eight tales in this volume. The stories celebrate Satya Pīr, a figure of religious power who is nominally both Muslim and Hindu; they vault women or their offspring into heroic roles as the men flounder in uncertainty and helplessness; they play with gender distinctions, all in an effort to comment, critique, and even stretch the traditional values reaffirmed in the conclusions of each tale. The perpetuation of cultural narratives in South Asia and the sectarian literatures of Satya Pīr are also discussed.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This chapter talks about the translations of the eight tales in this volume. The author has taken a slightly different tack: the translations are not retellings, but faithful renderings of the ...
More
This chapter talks about the translations of the eight tales in this volume. The author has taken a slightly different tack: the translations are not retellings, but faithful renderings of the handwritten and printed originals, with many of the qualities of Bangla retained, including some that might qualify as quirks and oddities in English. Consequently, the stories will inevitably be somewhat uneven, because some of the authors are better than others in telling a tale.Less
This chapter talks about the translations of the eight tales in this volume. The author has taken a slightly different tack: the translations are not retellings, but faithful renderings of the handwritten and printed originals, with many of the qualities of Bangla retained, including some that might qualify as quirks and oddities in English. Consequently, the stories will inevitably be somewhat uneven, because some of the authors are better than others in telling a tale.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Wazir's Daughter Who Married a Sacrificial Goat, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
The Wazir's Daughter Who Married a Sacrificial Goat, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Unwilting Garland of Faithfulness, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
The Unwilting Garland of Faithfulness, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Fabled Bengamā Bird and the Stupid Prince, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
The Fabled Bengamā Bird and the Stupid Prince, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Disconsolate Yogī Who Turned the Merchant's Wife into a Dog, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
The Disconsolate Yogī Who Turned the Merchant's Wife into a Dog, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Mother's Son Who Spat up Pearls, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
The Mother's Son Who Spat up Pearls, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Erstwhile Bride and Her Winged Horse, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
The Erstwhile Bride and Her Winged Horse, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
Tony K. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195165296
- eISBN:
- 9780199835461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165292.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The Bloodthirsty Ogress Who Would Be Queen, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
The Bloodthirsty Ogress Who Would Be Queen, a Bengali folk tale translated into English, is presented.
Sunil Khilnani, Vikram Raghavan, and Arun K. Thiruvengadam
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780198081760
- eISBN:
- 9780199082360
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198081760.003.0011
- Subject:
- Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law
This chapter discusses the role of the judiciary in Bangladesh in promoting and enforcing the principles of constitutionalism. It introduces the historical background of Bangladeshi constitutionalism ...
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This chapter discusses the role of the judiciary in Bangladesh in promoting and enforcing the principles of constitutionalism. It introduces the historical background of Bangladeshi constitutionalism and also outlines briefly the constitutional position of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. The author discusses how the Bangladeshi judiciary has renounced its constitutional responsibility of protecting the rule of law during the martial law regimes, and become a partner of the usurpers of the Constitution. During the democratic periods, the judges have, however, largely attempted to create a ground for actions in furtherance of constitutionalism. Also, the globalization process generally and the development of global human rights jurisprudence in particular have had a positive impact on the Court's changed role. The author also discusses how Public Interest Litigations (PILs) are helping willing and perceptive judges obtain the goals of justice and constitutionalism. The post-Emergency (2007-2008) judiciary in Bangladesh has engaged itself in regaining public confidence and rebuilding its image. The author concludes that his analyses of the judicial role in achieving and protecting constitutionalism show that while structural and political factors may retard the realization of this judicial role, a willing and able judiciary (steeped in the values of rule of law, justice, and human welfare) may effectively respond to the call for judicial vigilance for the protection of justice and good governance by overcoming any systemic inhibitions, and prohibitive legal and doctrinal boundaries.Less
This chapter discusses the role of the judiciary in Bangladesh in promoting and enforcing the principles of constitutionalism. It introduces the historical background of Bangladeshi constitutionalism and also outlines briefly the constitutional position of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. The author discusses how the Bangladeshi judiciary has renounced its constitutional responsibility of protecting the rule of law during the martial law regimes, and become a partner of the usurpers of the Constitution. During the democratic periods, the judges have, however, largely attempted to create a ground for actions in furtherance of constitutionalism. Also, the globalization process generally and the development of global human rights jurisprudence in particular have had a positive impact on the Court's changed role. The author also discusses how Public Interest Litigations (PILs) are helping willing and perceptive judges obtain the goals of justice and constitutionalism. The post-Emergency (2007-2008) judiciary in Bangladesh has engaged itself in regaining public confidence and rebuilding its image. The author concludes that his analyses of the judicial role in achieving and protecting constitutionalism show that while structural and political factors may retard the realization of this judicial role, a willing and able judiciary (steeped in the values of rule of law, justice, and human welfare) may effectively respond to the call for judicial vigilance for the protection of justice and good governance by overcoming any systemic inhibitions, and prohibitive legal and doctrinal boundaries.
Tanmoy Bhattacharya and Andrew Simpson
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199645763
- eISBN:
- 9780191741135
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199645763.003.0009
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Theoretical Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
This chapter establishes a profile of sluicing constructions in two widely-spoken Indo-Aryan languages of South Asia: Bangla and Hindi. Although traditionally described as being wh-in-situ languages, ...
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This chapter establishes a profile of sluicing constructions in two widely-spoken Indo-Aryan languages of South Asia: Bangla and Hindi. Although traditionally described as being wh-in-situ languages, both Bangla and Hindi have a distribution of wh-elements that suggests that they are actually languages with overt wh-movement (Simpson and Bhattacharya 2003) and so might be expected to permit sluicing formed by wh-movement and PF clausal deletion, as hypothesized for languages such as English. The chapter attempts to determine the degree to which sluicing in Bangla/Hindi may parallel or differ from the production of sluicing in English-type languages, and also how it may relate to sluicing patterns in typologically closer Japanese, where sluicing is often assumed to have a rather different syntactic derivation from that in English. The chapter also investigates the potential effect of movement-associated constraints on sluicing in Bangla/Hindi, in particular Superiority, Subjacency, and the CED.Less
This chapter establishes a profile of sluicing constructions in two widely-spoken Indo-Aryan languages of South Asia: Bangla and Hindi. Although traditionally described as being wh-in-situ languages, both Bangla and Hindi have a distribution of wh-elements that suggests that they are actually languages with overt wh-movement (Simpson and Bhattacharya 2003) and so might be expected to permit sluicing formed by wh-movement and PF clausal deletion, as hypothesized for languages such as English. The chapter attempts to determine the degree to which sluicing in Bangla/Hindi may parallel or differ from the production of sluicing in English-type languages, and also how it may relate to sluicing patterns in typologically closer Japanese, where sluicing is often assumed to have a rather different syntactic derivation from that in English. The chapter also investigates the potential effect of movement-associated constraints on sluicing in Bangla/Hindi, in particular Superiority, Subjacency, and the CED.
Jesse Ross Knutson
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780520282056
- eISBN:
- 9780520957794
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520282056.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter offers a reading of Baḍu Caṇḍīdās's poem in both implicit and explicit comparison to the Sena archive. How do we characterize the śriīkṛṣṣṇṇakiīrttana's relationship to the literary ...
More
This chapter offers a reading of Baḍu Caṇḍīdās's poem in both implicit and explicit comparison to the Sena archive. How do we characterize the śriīkṛṣṣṇṇakiīrttana's relationship to the literary salon that was its acknowledged predecessor (in the sense that the form and content of the poem themselves implicitly acknowledge the Giītagovinda and other works of the Sena salon)? What did the vernacular do or enable that courtly Sanskrit did not? This latter question leads to a search for differences as well as similarities. On the one hand, we find themes that began to emerge in the Aryaāsaptasśatiī: the sociocultural valence of work/physical labor and the relationship between country and city. Yet the śriīkṛṣṣṇṇakiīrttana has a perspective on these topics distinct from anything we find in Sanskrit.Less
This chapter offers a reading of Baḍu Caṇḍīdās's poem in both implicit and explicit comparison to the Sena archive. How do we characterize the śriīkṛṣṣṇṇakiīrttana's relationship to the literary salon that was its acknowledged predecessor (in the sense that the form and content of the poem themselves implicitly acknowledge the Giītagovinda and other works of the Sena salon)? What did the vernacular do or enable that courtly Sanskrit did not? This latter question leads to a search for differences as well as similarities. On the one hand, we find themes that began to emerge in the Aryaāsaptasśatiī: the sociocultural valence of work/physical labor and the relationship between country and city. Yet the śriīkṛṣṣṇṇakiīrttana has a perspective on these topics distinct from anything we find in Sanskrit.
Nilanjana Gupta
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780198092056
- eISBN:
- 9780199082889
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198092056.003.0011
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
With special reference to the current scenario in West Bengal, this chapter argues that the rise and popularity of Bangla news channels like Star Ananda, 24 Ghanta, Kolkata TV, and Tara News have ...
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With special reference to the current scenario in West Bengal, this chapter argues that the rise and popularity of Bangla news channels like Star Ananda, 24 Ghanta, Kolkata TV, and Tara News have resulted in the emergence of a vernacular style of news broadcasting which is quite distinct from that of global or national news media. One major point in this chapter is how the vernacular news channels encourage particular forms of address — the emotional, the intimate and the melodramatic — and how close-ups and sound bites create particular kinds of telegenic political leaders who can use these formal characteristics to their advantage. This chapter explores the ways in which a distinctive kind of vernacular is reconfiguring the nature of political participation itself and hence the notion of citizenship and perhaps even the nature and functioning of the nation-state in India.Less
With special reference to the current scenario in West Bengal, this chapter argues that the rise and popularity of Bangla news channels like Star Ananda, 24 Ghanta, Kolkata TV, and Tara News have resulted in the emergence of a vernacular style of news broadcasting which is quite distinct from that of global or national news media. One major point in this chapter is how the vernacular news channels encourage particular forms of address — the emotional, the intimate and the melodramatic — and how close-ups and sound bites create particular kinds of telegenic political leaders who can use these formal characteristics to their advantage. This chapter explores the ways in which a distinctive kind of vernacular is reconfiguring the nature of political participation itself and hence the notion of citizenship and perhaps even the nature and functioning of the nation-state in India.
Satarupa Das
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199336852
- eISBN:
- 9780199364855
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199336852.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
Pronominal agreement with imposter DPs and secondary sources is subject to cross-linguistic variation, which is illustrated here with a comparative study of the relevant facts from English and ...
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Pronominal agreement with imposter DPs and secondary sources is subject to cross-linguistic variation, which is illustrated here with a comparative study of the relevant facts from English and Bangla. The chapter shows that Bangla systematically disallows pronominal agreement with a secondary source, and suggests that the verbal agreement system of a language is a crucial factor that constrains pronoun-antecedent relations. To derive the Bangla generalization, it is assumed that the inflection on the finite verb is itself pronominal, and the chapter shows that all cases of illicit pronoun-antecedent relations boil down to a violation of the homogeneity principle.Less
Pronominal agreement with imposter DPs and secondary sources is subject to cross-linguistic variation, which is illustrated here with a comparative study of the relevant facts from English and Bangla. The chapter shows that Bangla systematically disallows pronominal agreement with a secondary source, and suggests that the verbal agreement system of a language is a crucial factor that constrains pronoun-antecedent relations. To derive the Bangla generalization, it is assumed that the inflection on the finite verb is itself pronominal, and the chapter shows that all cases of illicit pronoun-antecedent relations boil down to a violation of the homogeneity principle.
Sameer ud Dowla Khan
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199567300
- eISBN:
- 9780191787980
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199567300.003.0004
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Phonetics / Phonology, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics
The current model of Bangladeshi Standard Bengali prosody proposes three basic pitch accents and three hierarchically-structured prosodic units—the Accentual Phrase, the Intermediate Phrase, and the ...
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The current model of Bangladeshi Standard Bengali prosody proposes three basic pitch accents and three hierarchically-structured prosodic units—the Accentual Phrase, the Intermediate Phrase, and the Intonation Phrase—each of which bears a boundary tone. Focused words are marked by a special tone whose realization depends on focus type and surrounding tones.Less
The current model of Bangladeshi Standard Bengali prosody proposes three basic pitch accents and three hierarchically-structured prosodic units—the Accentual Phrase, the Intermediate Phrase, and the Intonation Phrase—each of which bears a boundary tone. Focused words are marked by a special tone whose realization depends on focus type and surrounding tones.
