Question

Who is the most popular Bengali novelist?
a. Prem Chand
b. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
c. Rokeya Harsin
d. Hannah Mullins

Answer 1

Hint: Bengali literature is the most prominent among novels since the very first book came into publication because of the prose in which these books are written. This new way of writing novels formed the basis of many which got published later. Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay is considered the ‘father of the modern Bangla novel’.

Complete step by step answer:
The Bengali language has evolved for a course of about 1,300 years. The Bengali literature is known to have existed back in the 10th and 11th centuries as a collection of Buddhist mystic songs named Charyapada. The course of Bengali literature is divided into three eras - ancient (650-1200), medieval (1200-1800), and modern (after 1800). Novels came into the picture in the mid-19th century and since then, many famous novelists have written spectacular pieces in their books which in itself is history. Great novelists like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Manik Bandopadhyay, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, etc. contributed towards this new form of writing and eventually turned it into matured with their works.
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, aka Sarat Chandra Chatterjee (15 September 1876 – 16 January 1938), was born in the Hooghly district of West Bengal but most of his life is spent in Bhagalpur, Bihar. He was a Bengali novelist and short story writer in the early 20th century. His first short story was published in 1903 under his uncle's name Surendranath Ganguli. Later in 1907, he published his rather long story under his own name, in Bharati. His works mostly deal with day to day lives of the village people, their tragedy and struggle and he showcased this beautifully in his writings. Along with this, he also wrote about the contemporary social practices in Bengal which helped him in acquiring the title of most adapted author of all time. His famous works include Parinita (1916), Devdas (1917), Biraj Bou (1914), Palli-Samaj (1916), Srikanta (in four parts: 1917, 1918, 1927, 1933), Charitraheen (1917), Grihadaha (1919), Pather Dabi (1926).

 So, the correct answer is Option :

Note: After selling about 5,000 copies of the book Pather Dabi (1926) within a week, the British Government imposed a strict ban on the book’s publication and circulation under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code on the grounds of it being ‘seditious.’ This ban was lifted in 1939 a year after his demise.