A Critical Study of Assamese Literary Magazines (1846–1985)

Abstract

The history of Assamese literary magazines begins with the publication of Orunodoi in 1846. From that seminal beginning, a succession of literary periodicals played a decisive role in shaping the course of Assamese literature. These magazines were instrumental not only in laying the foundations of modern Assamese literary expression but also in opening avenues through which the people of Assam could engage with the wider intellectual and cultural world. Through their pages, new literary ideas and aesthetic movements emerging in the West found entry into Assamese literature. Although Orunodoi was originally published with the primary objective of propagating Christianity, its contribution to the revival and establishment of the Assamese language remains unparalleled. In the subsequent phase, Jonaki ushered Romanticism into Assamese literature, inaugurating a new era of literary sensibility. Bahi, edited by Lakshminath Bezbaruah, significantly enriched the tradition of satirical and humorous writing. Likewise, the magazines edited by Padmanath Gohaibaruah made enduring contributions to the growth and refinement of modern Assamese literature. AsamBandhu, under the editorship of Gunabhiram Baruah, played a pivotal role in nurturing the spirit of national consciousness and literary creativity. The evolution and expansion of modern Assamese poetry received remarkable impetus through Ramdhenu, edited by Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya. However, Ramdhenu did not equally foster every branch of Assamese literature; its contribution to the development of the Assamese novel was comparatively limited. This lacuna was effectively addressed by the later magazine Prakash, which offered a more comprehensive literary platform. Prakash made outstanding contributions to the development of the Assamese novel, the short story, and modern poetry, thereby occupying a distinguished place in the history of Assamese literary periodicals. These magazines have played a significant role in the history of the development and expansion of modern Assamese literature.