BENGALI

PAPER-I

• History of Language and Literature.
• Answers must be written in Bengali.

Section-A

Topics from the History of Bangla language
• 1. The chronological track from Proto Indo-European to Bangla (Family tree with branches and approximate dates).
• 2. Historical stages of Bangla (Old, Middle, New) and their linguistic features.
• 3. Dialects of Bangla and their distinguishing characteristics.
• 4. Elements of Bangla Vocabulary.
• 5. Forms of Bangla Literary Prose-Sadhu and Chalit.
• 6.

  Processes of language change relevant for Bangla :

  Apinihiti (Anaptyxis), Abhishruti (umlaut), Murdhanyibhavan (cerebralization), Nasikyibhavan (Nasalization), Samibhavan (Assimilation), Sadrishya (Analogy), Svaragama (Vowel insertion)-Adi Svaragama, Madhya Svaragama or Svarabhakti, Antya Svaragama, Svarasangati (Vowel hormony), y-shruti and w-shruti.
• 7. Problems of standardization and reform of alphabet and spelling, and those of transliteration and Romanization.
• 8. Phonology, Morphology and Syntax of Modern Bangla.
(Sounds of Modern Bangla, Conjuncts; word formations, compounds; basic sentence patterns.)

Section-B

Topics from the History of Bangla Literature.
• 1. Periodization of Bangla Literature : Old Bangla and Middle Bangla.
• 2. Points of difference between modern and pre-modern Bangla Literature.
• 3. Roots and reasons behind the emergence of modernity in Bangla Literature.
• 4. Evolution of various Middle Bangla forms : Mangal kavyas, Vaishnava lyrics, Adapted narratives
• (Ramayana,Mahabharata, Bhagavata) and religious biographies.
• 5. Secular forms in middle Bangla literature.
• 6. Narrative and lyric trends in the nineteenth century Bangla poetry.
• 7. Development of prose.
• 8. Bangla dramatic literature (nineteenth century, Tagore, Post-1944 Bangla drama).
• 9. Tagore and post-Tagoreans.
• 10. Fiction, major authors :
(Bankimchandra, Tagore, Saratchandra, Bibhutibusan, Tarasankar, Manik).
• 11. Women and Bangla literature : creators and created.

PAPER-II

Prescribed texts for close study. Answers must be written in Bengali.

Section-A

• 1. Vaishnava Padavali (Calcutta University) Poems of Vidyapati, Chandidas, Jnanadas, Govindadas and Balaramdas.
• 2. Chandimangal Kalketu episode by Mukunda (Sahitya Akademi).
• 3. Chaitanya Charitamrita Madya Lila, by Krishnadas Kaviraj (Sahitya Akademi).
• 4. Meghnadbadh Kavya by Madhusudan Dutta.
• 5. Kapalkundala by Bankimchandra Chattarjee.
• 6. Samya and Bangadesher Krishak by Bankimchandra Chatterjee.
• 7. Sonar Tari by Rabindranath Tagore.
• 8. Chhinnapatravali by Rabindranath Tagore.

Section-B

• 9. Raktakarabi by Rabindranath Tagore.
• 10. Nabajatak by Rabindranath Tagore.
• 11. Grihadaha by Saratchandra Chatterjee.
• 12. Prabandha Samgraha Vol. 1, by Pramatha Choudhuri.
• 13. Aranyak by Bibhutibhusan Banerjee
• 14. Short stories by Manik Bandyopadhyay : Atashi Mami, Pragaitihasik, Holud-Pora, Sarisrip, Haraner Natjamai, Chhoto-Bokulpurer Jatri, Kustharogir Bou, Jakey Ghush Ditey Hoy.
• 15. Shrestha Kavita by Jibanananda Das.
• 16. Jagori by Satinath Bhaduri.
• 17. Ebam Indrajit by Badal Sircar.