Rupram Chakrabarty

Rupram Chakrabarty (Bengali: রূপরাম চক্রবর্তী) (c. 17th century) was a Bengali poet of the Middle Ages and one of the most significant contributor to Dharmamangalkavya tradition of mediaeval Bengali literature.^[1] His work, Anadi Mangal (Bengali: অনাদিমঙ্গল), was probably composed in 1650.^[2]

Chakrabarty was born at Kaiti-Srirampur village in modern-day Bardhaman district of Indian state of West Bengal.^[1] His father Sriram Chakrabarty was an eminent Sanskrit scholar.^[1] In his youth Chakrabarty left home and travelled many places until he settles at Eralbahadurpur village in modern-day Nadia district, West Bengal.^[1] Legend has it that in Nadia, he met Dharmathakur who commanded him to compose a narrative poem in his honour.^[1] The poem, only one-third part of which is now survived, was penned at Eralbahadurpur.^[1] The manuscripts of Chakrabarty’s poem are preserved in the University of Calcutta and Vangiya Sahitya Parishad.^[3]

Chakrabarty’s poem, marked by its simplicity and yet scholastic descriptions, contains a vivid picture of 17th century Bengali society and the educational centres of medieval Nadia is found in his poem.^[1]

References

1. Chatterjee, Dr Partha (2008). Bangla Sahitya Parichay [History of Bengali Literature] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Tulsi Prakashani. pp. 140–41. ISBN 81-89118-04-8.
2. Bandyopadhyay, Asit Kumar (1993) [1966]. Bangla Shityer Itibritta [History of Bengali Literature] (in Bengali). III-A (3rd ed.). Kolkata: Modern Book Agency Private Ltd. p. 329.
3. Bandyopadhyay, Asit Kumar (1993), p. 336.