Volume-XII, Issue-II, March 2026 |
বাংলা মঙ্গলকাব্যে লিঙ্গ ভাবনার সামাজিক প্রভাব, নারীর কণ্ঠস্বর ও নারীর দাবি ড. সবিতা বিশ্বাস, গবেষক, বাংলা বিভাগ, আসাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, শিলচর, অসম, ভারত |
Received: 21.03.2026 | Accepted: 24.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.02W. | |||||||
The Social Impact of Gender Discourse in Bengali Mangal-Kavya: Women’s Voice and Women’s Demands Dr. Sabita Biswas, Research Scholar, Department of Bengali, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
This article explores the social implications of gender discourse, women’s voices, and their claims as reflected in Bengali Mangal Kavyas, a significant genre of medieval Bengali literature. While primarily composed to glorify deities and promote religious ideals, these texts simultaneously portray the socio-cultural realities of their time, especially the condition of women within a patriarchal framework. The study highlights the paradoxical representation of women—on one hand, divine female figures such as Manasa, Chandi, and Kali are depicted as powerful and authoritative; on the other hand, human women are shown as subordinate, marginalized, and confined within restrictive social norms. Through the analysis of key narratives from Manasamangal, Chandimangal, and Dharmamangal, the article demonstrates how female characters articulate resistance, resilience, and agency, often negotiating their positions within oppressive structures. Figures like Behula, Khullana, and Vidya embody both traditional ideals of devotion and emerging assertions of selfhood and rights. The paper also emphasizes how women’s demands—whether for recognition, justice, or autonomy—are expressed both symbolically and explicitly. Furthermore, the study situates these literary representations within their broader social impact, arguing that Mangal Kavyas functioned as cultural mediums through which women could indirectly express collective experiences and aspirations. Despite being rooted in patriarchal ideology, these texts subtly contributed to the evolution of gender consciousness and laid an early foundation for later feminist thought in Bengali literature. | ||
Keywords: Gender discourse; Mangal Kavya; Women’s voice; Patriarchy; Medieval Bengali literature |