Assamese Epistle Literature and Its Relation to Indian Epistle Literary Traditions

* Abstract

Epistle literature is a significant genre and style in Indian literary tradition, particularly in Assam and Assamese Literature. Historically, letters were Assam’s primary communication, serving as powerful mediums for conveying information and as valuable historical documents. Over time, letter writing evolved into a refined literary art, influencing the form and style of creative literature.

The roots of Assamese epistle literature trace back to Sanskrit literature, with references found in the Jataka tales, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Kalidasa's works. Bararuchi's 'Patra-Kaumudi' is a notable Sanskrit text on letter-writing principles. Assamese literature by Shankar Deva also includes letter-writing references such as Rukmini Haran. In the medieval period, royal correspondences like those in Tripura Buranji and Jayantia Buranji were prominent. During the British colonial period, letters gained prominence among Assamese intellectuals and reformists, who used them to discuss social reform, education, and nationalism. The correspondence among key figures of the Assamese Renaissance, such as Lakhminath Bezbaruah, Hemchandra Goswami, Padmanath Gohain Barua, Bishnu Prasad Rabha, and Jyotiprasad Agarwala, etc, reflects the literary and intellectual Vigor of the era. This period also saw the emergence of epistolary novels, stories, poems, and essays.

Assamese epistle literature shares similarities with other Indian epistolary traditions, including the use of regional languages and cultural expressions. However, it also possesses unique aspects rooted in cultural and historical contexts of Assam, such as the influence of Vaishnavism and linguistic diversity.

This study explores the significance of Assamese epistle literature within the rich literary tradition of India, emphasizing its historical relevance and its distinct and shared characteristics with other Indian epistolary forms. The research highlights how Assamese letters have not only been vital communication tools but have also enriched the literary heritage, India.

Keywords: Indian literature, Epistle literature, Assamese, Epistolary novel

 

Introduction

The ancient Indian epistle literature has played a significant role in shaping the background of Assamese epistle literature. The exchange of letters is documented in the Jataka, Arthashastra, Ramayana, and Mahabharata, in other Sanskrit poems as well as in messenger poems. Similarly, if we explore the background of Indian epistle literature, we can go back to the time before the Indus Valley Civilization.¹ The Buddhist religious text Jataka, written in the Pali language based on the life story of Gautam Buddha, contains information in its various chapters about sending letters and messages. these stories centered around King Brahmadatta and Bodhisattva.² Messengers or letters have played an important role in various contexts. Similarly, letter writing or epistolary exchanges occupied spaces in Kautilya's Arthashastra of the 4th century BCE, Emperor Ashoka's rock inscriptions, Bharata Muni’s Natya Shastra, and Vatsyayana's Kama Sutra.³

 

The Rajpravidi chapter of Arthashastra mentions the exchange of letters regarding state affairs between the king and his ministers.⁴ The ancient Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, composed between the 4th and 5th centuries BCE, contain information about sending messages through messengers and letters. In the Nala-Damayanti story of the Mahabharata, Damayanti sends a letter to King Nala through a swan.⁵ In the Ramayana, King Rama sends a message to Sita, a captive in the Ashoka Forest, through Hanuman.⁶  In the 10th chapter of the Srimad Bhagavata, Rukmini sends a letter to Krishna in Dawarka through a Brahmin.⁷ Similarly, in Shankardev's Kirtan Ghosha, Krishna sends Uddhava as a messenger to the Gopis in Brojodham.⁸ In Kalidasa's play Abhijnanasakuntalam, Shakuntala writes a letter to King Dushyanta on a lotus leaf. In the same play, Shakuntala sends a message to King Dushyanta through a messenger while she is pregnant.⁹ 

 

The poetic piece Meghdootam of Kalidasa also belongs to this category, where the protagonist Yaksha sends a message to his wife through a cloud. The Sanskrit scholar Vararuchi's book Patra-Kaumudi bears written examples of letter writing.¹⁰ In Shankardev's 16th-century play Rukmini Haran, Rukmini writes a letter to Krishna, which is carried by a Brahmin.¹¹ In the 18th-century book Kalika Purana or Haragouri Vivah, Shiva sends messages to Brahma and other deities through messengers.¹² Similarly, ancient myths, Puranas, and other messenger poems also mention the exchange of letters.

 

The method of sending written messages began in the Stone Age (3000-1000 BCE).¹³ Some wall paintings and papyri from ancient Egypt, dating back to the 12th century BCE, have been found. During that time, the citizens of Rome started sending messages on small wooden boards. Some ancient papyri have also been found in China, where around 1000 years before the birth of Christ, Chinese rulers used to send messages to their officials in the form of these papyri. The influence of the Persian postal system, which started in ancient Greece, can also be mentioned. The Greek historian Herodotus has written some interesting accounts about this. According to him, horses and oxen were used to send messages during that time, and 'chases' were placed every 200 miles. Alexander also adopted this method during his reign. He introduced the practice of hiring paid messengers or harkara for communication in Babylon around 3500 BCE.¹⁴ It is said that Atossa, the daughter of Queen Cyrus of Persia, wrote the first handwritten letter around 500 BCE.¹⁵ Historically, ancient India, Egypt, Sumer, China, Greece, and Rome had widespread use of letters. In the ancient world, stone, wood, pieces of clay pots, and animal skins were used to write letters. In Rome, homing pigeons were used to send messages for a long period.¹⁶ In China, a 1000-mile-long postal route was established around 4000 BCE, and in India, an organized communication system was started around 3500 BCE. During the reign of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya (322 BCE), a well-organized postal system existed. At that time, homing pigeons were also used in India to send messages. Secret messages were sent by tying a talisman around their necks. This system continued during the time of Emperor Ashoka (268-277 BCE). During the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556-1605), trained messengers were appointed to quickly deliver mail. Akbar used horses and camels for transportation. The reign of Alauddin Khilji also saw significant development in the postal system. The period of Sher Shah Suri (1472-1545) can be called the 'Golden Age' of India's postal system. During his reign, the 2,000-mile-long 'Grand Trunk Road' was built.¹⁷ These ancient facts present some historical facts about the exchange of letters worldwide.¹⁸ 

 

Regarding the study of letters as literature, it can be said that Greek literature has recognized letters as a genre of literature. The Greek poet Homer's epic 'Iliad' (8th century BCE) mentions letters. The sixth volume of the Iliad contains an example of a letter.¹⁹ The 'verse Epistle' book written by Roman poet Horace in 20 BCE is evidence of this. Horace's book 'Epistularum liber primus' is already recognized as an ancient written book related to letters.²⁰ On the other hand, Attossa, the daughter of Queen Cyrus of Persia, wrote the first handwritten letter around 500 BCE. According to ancient historian Hellanicus, Attossa wrote this letter at the age of fifty. Trinity College's Professor of History and Humanities, Breed MacGrath, has mentioned this letter as the most important letter of all time.²¹

During the medieval period (1228-1826), kings and emperors used letters extensively in various fields like literature, politics, sociology, and religion while ruling the country. Letters were exchanged between kings, information about wars and battles was shared, and treaties, agreements, and important decisions were communicated through letters, which were the primary medium of communication at that time. To facilitate letter exchange, positions like 'Kotoki' and 'Doot' were created. During the Ahom era (from the thirteenth century to the eighteenth century), positions like 'Kataki' and 'Majindar Barua' were created for writing and delivering royal letters. Thus, letters have been an integral part of world civilization, including Indian culture, and have been recognized as literature. It is in this literary context that modern Assamese epistle literature has evolved.

 

Western literature has had some influence on the development of Assamese epistle literature. Specifically, the trend of writing epistolary novels came to the Assamese language from the West. The 18th century is recognized as the 'Golden Age of Letter Writing' in Western literature. During this period, the epistolary novel genre developed. Aphra Behn's 'Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister' is considered the first epistolary novel in English literature.²² However, Samuel Richardson's 'Pamela' is recognized as the first complete epistolary novel. Richardson's epistolary novel inspired the writing of epistolary novels in Indian literature.²³ 

 

The classical form of letter literature can be seen in Horace's 'Epistulae' in English poetry, written in the 15th century BCE. This poem contains various observations about Italian rural life and the state of Roman literature. Horace's 'Epistulae' was a favorite literary form of many poets from the Renaissance period to the 18th century.²⁴

 

In Hindi literature of India, letter writing has been considered an ancient literary tradition. In Hindi literature, the creative use of letter-writing can be seen in poetry composition. According to critic Prem Shankar Gupta, in ancient times, poetry was dominant and prose was secondary. Even practical and scientific subjects like politics, medicine, astrology, and mathematics were written in poetry. Even letters were written in poetry during that time. However, due to the unavailability of these poetic letters, academic study of them has not been possible.²⁵

 

Examples of letter writing can be seen in Abdul Rahman's 'Sandeha Rasak' (1100-1200), 'Prithviraj Raso's' 'Padmavati', and Malik Mohammad Jayasi's 'Padmavat' (around 1540).²⁶ In Tulsidas's 'Vinaya Patrika' (1554), there is an example of a letter sent by a servant to his master. According to legend, Meerabai wrote a letter to Tulsidas seeking spiritual guidance due to the king's atrocities. Tulsidas replied with a poem, sending the message of Hari Bhajan to Meerabai.²⁷

 

The English book 'Annals & Antiquities of Rajasthan' (1829) written by Colonel Tod mentions the letter written by Prithviraj Raso to Maharana Pratap. Many historians have discussed the response to the letter sent by Maharaja Pratap in Hindi literature. In the modern era, the person who contributed the most to the field of Hindi epistle literature was Bharatendu Harishchandra (1850-1885). He published a book on letter literature called 'Prashasti Sangrah' or 'Patra Bodh'.²⁸ The book discusses the ancient art of letter writing, its characteristics, and other topics.

 

The period between 1900-1920 is considered the golden age of Hindi letter literature. Dr. Nagendra's book Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihas also considers this period as the main era of Hindi epistle literature. The first book on Hindi letter literature is 'Rishi Dayanand Ka Patra Vyavhar' (1904) edited by Mahatma Munshi Ram. This book provides insight into Swami Dayanand Saraswati's personality, life philosophy, intellectual identity, and thought process. Additionally, four collections of his letters have been published.

 

Examples of letter writing can be seen in medieval Bengali poetry and biographical literature. In the 16th century, poet Mukundaram Chakraborty used two letters in his poem 'Abhayamangal'. Poet and philosopher Krishnadas Kaviraj's hagiography 'Chaitanya Charitamrita' includes a letter. In medieval times, Bengali prose literature did not exist, so letters were also written in poetry. The beginning of Bengali prose literature also has a role for letters. The letter written by Koch Bihar king Naranarayan to Ahom king Sukampha in 1555 is considered the first example of Bengali prose literature.²⁹

 

In the early modern period, Ramram Basu wrote 'Lipimala' (1802), which includes about forty letters. However, the book was not written entirely in the style of letter writing.³⁰ Later, 'Bijnananjana' (1840) by Rajnarayan Bhattacharya, 'Patra-Kaumudi' (1847) edited by Rajendra Lal Mitra, and 'Adarsha Lipimala' (early 20th century) by Anandalal Sengupta are notable examples. Michael Madhusudan Dutt's 'Birangana Kavya' (1862) is written in the style of letter poetry, with themes taken from Greek mythology and epic poetry. The book features Indian mythological female characters writing imaginary letters to their lovers or husbands.

 

In the third decade of the 19th century, letters of Raja Ram Mohan Roy played a significant role in establishing and promoting Brahmoism, emphasizing humanity and individual freedom. Similarly, Debendranath Tagore's letters reflected spirituality. The book 'Janika Hindu Mahilar Patravalie' (1892) by poet Girindramohini Dasi contains five letters written in poetry, showcasing her poetic talent. 'Prabaser Patra' (1892) by poet Nabinchandra Sen also reflects his poetic skills. Around the same time, in 1882, Natendranath Tagore wrote the first Bengali epistolary novel 'Basantakumarer Patra'. Rabindranath Tagore's letters hold immense significance in Bengali letter literature. During his 80-year lifespan, he wrote numerous personal and social letters, most of which are considered important literary works. His notable works on epistle literature include 'Europe-Prabasir Patra' (1911), 'Rassiar Chithi' (1882), 'Chinnapatra' (1885), 'Bhanusingher Patrabali' (1888), 'Japan-Yatrir Patra' (1889), 'Chinnapatravalie', 'Pithe O Pather Prante', etc.³¹

 

In 1228 AD, the Ahoms established their kingdom in Assam, which lasted for almost 600 years. They established the Ahom kingdom between the Chutia kingdom in the north and the Kachari kingdom in the south. The Ahoms initiated the tradition of writing chronicles in Assam. Since the 13th century, some chronicles of the Ahom and contemporary other kingdoms have preserved letters and documents written by kings, maharajas, and da-dangariyas. These letters and documents are a significant feature of some chronicles, which are also known as 'Kotoki Buranji'. The language of the letters and documents exchanged during the Ahom rule has preserved the linguistic features of that time. The language of the chronicles of that time represents the contemporary spoken language. Similarly, the language of these letters and documents is rich in literary qualities. These letters contain various contextual information about contemporary politics, state governance, society and culture, folkways, national life, achievements, pride, the identity of dynasties, wars, communication with neighbouring states, connection with the East India Company, political understanding, treaties, etc. The written examples of these letters and documents in the form of letters also record the early period of Assamese prose literature.

 

After the Yandabu Treaty, when the British took over the governance of India, the use of letters and documents continued to prevail. Many letters and documents from this period reveal the story of the British East India Company's expansion, diplomatic tactics, relationships with Indian kings and maharajas, and treaties. From the time Mahatma Gandhi created an environment for India's independence until 1947 when the country got independence, a significant number of letters and documents were exchanged between Indians and the British. However, these letters and documents were not written in Assamese but primarily in English and Hindi. Some of these letters have been translated into Bengali, Assamese, and other languages in later times. Letters written by Swami Vivekananda, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Subhas Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Indira Gandhi, Abul Kalam Azad, Baldev Singh, and others, as well as letters written by the British during that time, are invaluable assets for India's social life. A famous English book, edited by H.D. Sharma, that preserves letters and documents from that time is '100 Best Letters 1847-1947'.

 

Missionaries who came to Assam to spread Christianity also used letters and documents in their literature. A.K. Garnie's book 'Kamini Kantar Charitra' (1877) contains some letters and documents within the story.³² Although the book is novelistic, it does not fully retain the characteristics of novelistic literature. A.K. Garnie wrote this book to spread Christianity and impose religious subjects on the consciousness of the Assamese people through literature. 

 

When Mahatma Gandhi visited Assam in 1921, a tea planter from Assam wrote a letter to him about the problems of the tea laborers and related issues. Additionally, various groups and organizations such as the Local Board of Guwahati, Navin Chandra Bardoloi, Nagana Raij, Golaghat Mahila Samiti, etc. wrote letters to Gandhi congratulating him on his role and responsibility in the independence movement, praising his leadership, and expressing trust in him.³³

 

Parallel to the importance of letters and documents in the middle and last decades of 20th-century literature, the importance and relevance of letters and documents at the personal level were also at their peak. The personal letters and documents of the individuals who influenced Assamese social life and enriched letter literature before independence include- Jyanadabhiram Barua, Kamalakanta Bhattacharya, Satyanath Bora, Lakshminath Bezbarua, Lakshiram Barua, Rajanikanta Bardoloi, Chandrakumar Agarwala, Mafizuddin Ahmed Hazarika, Padmanath Gohain Barua, Hemchandra Goswami, etc. The litterateurs who were actively involved in writing letters and documents for twenty-thirty years before and after independence include - Chandradhar Barua, Hiteshwar Barbaruah, Kaliram Medhi, Raghunath Choudhury, Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, Jatindranath Duara, Lakshminath Phukan, Mitra Dev Mahanta, Suryya Kumar Bhuyan, Benudhar Sharma, Banikanta Kakati, Nalinibala Devi, Krishna Kanta Sandikai, Prasannalal Choudhury, Lakshmidhar Sharma, Dineshwar Neog, etc. The various letters and documents written by these eminent persons during their lifetime and the letters and documents written to them by various individuals have enriched Assamese epistle literature during British rule. The letters and documents of these eminent persons have been published in their collected works, memoirs, felicitation volumes, etc.

 

Jyanadabhiram Barua wrote a series of articles in the style of letters and documents about his experiences traveling to Europe in the 'Bahi' (1909) magazine. These letters and documents were published in the first year, the second issue of the 'Bahi' magazine. This series of letters was published in book form as 'Bilatar Chithi' in 1939. Similarly, the first epistolary novel in Assamese literature, 'Chinta' (1938) by Bishnu Prasad Rabha, is another example of pre-independence epistle literature. 'Chinta' is the first epistolary novel in Assamese literature. The novel was certainly influenced by Richardson's 'Pamela'. 

 

The first critical collection of Assamese letters and documents, 'Patrarekha' (1943) by Dimbeswar Neog, is a notable book of the British rule era. Simultaneously, Lalit Barua's - 'Ila Bhanitiloi mukoli sithi' (three volumes), Ila Barua's (Lalit Barua's pseudonym) 'Kakaidewloi mukoli sithi' (1946) titled essayistic books are some notable collections of letters and documents of this period. The first magazine of Assam, 'Arunodoi', (1946) also contributed to the establishment of Assamese letters and documents as literature by publishing letters written in Assamese from various places in India, especially from Kolkata, during that time. Among them was Purnananda Sharma.

 

From the post-independence period (1947) to the second decade of the 21st century, the trend of Assamese epistle literature can be discussed in two main directions. During this period, some basic letters with social value were published through print media. These letters were published in personal letter-centric collections, essay collections, letter collections, magazines, newspapers, felicitation volumes, memorial volumes, etc. 

 

Analytical articles or related books on these letters were also published during this period. Using the style of letters, many creative pieces of literature such as essays, novels, short stories, poems, etc. were published in various genres of Assamese literature in the post-independence period. Many letter-centric collections were published in the post-independence period. These collections can be divided into two main categories - collections of basic letters and collections of essayistic letters. The collections of basic letters include the original letters written by eminent persons to each other, to newspapers, magazines, etc., which have been compiled together. Some of these collections were edited and published by the recipients of the letters themselves, while others were edited and published by others. The essayistic collections mainly include travelogues, scientific articles, essays for children, autobiographies, letters from lovers to each other, letters from fathers to daughters, letters from uncles to nieces, letters from nieces to uncles, letters from mothers to daughters, letters from friends to friends, etc., compiled in various subjects.

 

Therefore, at the end of the discussion, it can be said that Indian epistle literature has had a profound influence on the creation of Assamese epistle literature. Through the imitation and practice of Indian epistle literature, and due to social and political influences, the background of modern epistle literature has been formed in Assam. In this aspect, the western epistle literature has also played a role to some extent.

 

References:
¹ G. Buhler: Indian palaeography, p.19-20

² Cowell, E.B.: The Jataka or Stories of Buddha’s Former Briths, Vol.II, p.112

³ G. Buhler: Indian palaeography, p.19-20 

⁴ Chama Shastri (trans. and ed.): Kautilya's Arthashastra, Chapter 16, p

⁵ Purnakanta Deva Sharma: Nala Damayanti Charitra, p.94

⁶ Prasannalal Chowdhury (ed.): Assamese Satakanda Ramayana, Sundarakanda, Chapter 17, Verses 64, 67, 74

⁷ Harinarayan Dutta Barua (ed.): Srimad Bhagavatam, p.1024

⁸ Kesvananda Devgoswami: Ankamala, p.18

⁹ Neerajna Mahanta Bezbara (ed.): Abhijnanam-Shakuntalam, p.38

¹⁰ Suprasanna Bandyopadhyay: Bengali Patra Sahitya, p.1

¹¹ Kesvananda Devgoswami: Ankamala, p.12

¹² Naveen Chandra Sharma (ed.): Kalika Purana aru Hargauri Vivah, p.25

¹³ Main author- Arvind Kumar Singh. Ed. By Gun Barua (ed.): Indian Post, p.3

¹⁴ Main author- Arvind Kumar Singh. Ed. By Gun Barua: Indian Post, p.4 

¹⁵ Prahas Kumar Bhattacharya: Letters..., Letter Group, page-Introduction, p.1

¹⁶ Levi, Wendell (1977). The Pigeon. Sumter, South Carolina: Levi Publishing Co, Inc. ISBN 0-85390-013-2.

¹⁷ David Arnold (historian); Science, technology, and medicine in colonial India (New Cambr hist India v.III.5) Cambridge University Press, 2000, 234 pages p. 106

¹⁸ Main author- Arvind Kumar Singh. Ed. By Gun Barua : Indian Post, p.4

¹⁹ Alexander P. Kazhdan: The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, p.718

²⁰ Walter Allen, Jr., Susan A. Carlson and others:  Horace's First Book of "Epistles" as Letters, Vol. 68, No. 2, Dec., 1972

²¹ The Most Important Letter in History, https://www.selectabase.co.ukh 

²² Orr, Leah: Attribution Problems in the Fiction of Aphra Behn. The Modern Language Review, p.40-51 

²³ Doody, Margaret Anne, Sabor, Peter (2010). Samuel Richardson: tercentenary essays. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-16919-6. 

²⁴ Ujjwal Kumar Majumdar: Literature and Criticism, p.229

.²⁵ Premnath Gupta: Hindi Gadya Ki Vikas, p.32

²⁶ Bharat Bhushan Saroj (ed.): Prithiviraj Racho Ke Du Adhyay, p.33

²⁷ Mata Prasad Gupta: Tulsi Das, p.49

²⁸ Kamal Pujari: Hindi Patra Sahitya, p.71 

²⁹ Nagen Saikia: Birinchi Kumar Rachanavali, Vol. I, p.161

³⁰ Asit Kumar Bandyopadhyay: History of Bengali Literature, Vol. VII, p.804 

³¹ Suprasanna Bandyopadhyay: Bangla Patrupanyas, p.358

³² Praful Datta Goswami (ed.): Kamini kantar Charitra, p.22

³³ Borkotki, Arindam: 'The Political Consciousness of Assamese Poetry: The Eighties', Prakash, Mihir Deuri (ed.), September, 2022 p.38

 

 

Bibliography:

• Buhler, G.: Indian paleography, Published by- Indian Studies Past & Present, Calcutta-20 (Reprint) 1959
• Bezbara, Neerajna Mahanta (ed.): Abhijnanam-Shakuntalam, Banlata publication, Dibrugarh, 1^st edition, 2002
• Barua, Gun (ed.): Indian Post, Main author- Arvind Kumar Singh. NBT, 1^st edition, 2020
• Bandyopadhyay, Asit Kumar: History of Bengali Literature, Vol.5, Modern book agency, 3^rd edition, 2009
• Bandyopadhyay, Suprasanna: Bengali Patra Sahitya, Kolkata book club P.V.T., 1^st edition, 1956
• Bandyopadhyay, Suprasanna: Bangla Patrupanyas, Kolkata book club P.V.T., 1^st edition, 1956
• Bhattacharya, Prahas Kumar: Letters..., Letter Group, Guwahati, 1^st edition, 2011
• Cowell, E.B.: The Jataka or Stories of the Buddha's Former Births, Vol. II, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1895
• Chama Shastri (trans. and ed.): Kautilya's Arthashastra, mysore printing and publishing, 3^rd edition, 1929
• Chowdhury, Prasannalal(ed.): Assamese Satakanda Ramayana, Sundarakanda, Kolkata, 1^st edition,1941
• Deva Sharma, Purnakanta: Nala Damayanti Charitra, 2^nd edition, Dibrugarh, 1906
• Dutta Barua, Harinarayan (ed.): Srimad Bhagavatam, Dutta Baruah publishing, 17^th edition, 1998
• Doody, Margaret Anne, Sabor, Peter (2010). Samuel Richardson: tercentenary essays. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-16919-6. 
• Devgoswami, Kesvananda: Ankamala, Banlata publication, Dibrugarh, 1^st edition, 1999
• Gupta, Premnath: Hindi Gadya Ki Vikas, anusandhan publication, Kanpur,1966
• Gupta, Mata Prasad: Tulsi Das, Hindi sahitya press, 1^st publication, 1942
• Goswami, Praful Datta (ed.): Kamini kantar Charitra, Assam Sahitya Sabha, 1^st publication, 1960
• Leah, Orr : Attribution Problems in the Fiction of Aphra Behn. The Modern Language Review, Vol. 108, No. 1, January, 2013, https://www.jstor.org
• Sharma, Naveen Chandra (ed.): Kalika Purana aru Hargauri Vivah, Chandra prakash, 1^st edition, 1997
• Saikia, Nagen: Birinchi Kumar Rachanavali, Vol. I, Bina Library, 1^st edition, 2015
• Majumdar, Ujjwal Kumar: Literature and Criticism, 5^th edition, Desh publishing, 2016
• Kazhdan, Alexander: The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, New York & Oxford, 1991
• Levi, Wendell (1977). The Pigeon. Sumter, South Carolina: Levi Publishing Co, Inc. ISBN 0-85390-013-2.
• David Arnold (historian); Science, technology, and medicine in colonial India (New Cambr hist India v.III.5) Cambridge University Press, 2000
• Walter Allen, Jr., Susan A. Carlson and others:  Horace's First Book of "Epistles" as Letters, Vol. 68, No. 2, Dec., 1972
• Pujari, Kamal: Hindi Patra Sahitya, Maharaja Sayajiraj University, Baruda, 1980
• Saroj, Bharat Bhushan (ed.): Prithiviraj Racho Ke Du Adhyay, 1^st publication, 1980

 

Magazine

• Prakash: Ed. by Mihir Deuri (ed.), September, 2022

 

@ Bhaskar Bhuyan
Guest Faculty, Tezpur University
Mail: bhasarbhuyan2015@gmail.com