and early 20th century, it became necessary to imagine a hero of ‘our’ own whose valor could be established at par with those who had been included in the ‘martial races’. Sarala Devi found that ‘hero’ in Pratapaditya. Pratapaditya was a 17th century zamindar of Jessore. His life and character had been the subject of several Bengali literary works. Bharatchandra writing in the late 18th century mentioned about him in his magnum opus Annadamangal. Ram Ram Basu in his ‘the History of Raja Pratapadityu’ (Boshoo [1802] 1348 B.S. 1941 C.E.) tried to write the history Pratapaditya from ‘beginning to end’. This book by Basu was hailed once as ‘an authentic history of the government of Bengal from the beginning of the reign of Achber to the end of …show more content…
The hero worship continued with a new play ‘Vanger Pratapaditya’ written by Khirodeprasad Vidyavinod. In this drama, all incidents are depicted to have taken place during the reign of Akbar- evidently it lacked chronological sense. Bengalis are described as a nation weak in physical prowess. But once they were united under Pratapaditya they became the most powerful. Pratapaditya was described as a chivalrous, dutiful family man. A picture of social solidarity was also constructed- Hindus and Muslims (and even Christians!), Brahmans and Pathans; all the sons of Bengal- together fighting for the independence of Bengal. Mughals were considered as the invaders and resisting them became a sort of ‘jihad’ (Vidyavinod 1936: 132). Pratapaditya became ‘the king of Bengal’; his primary identity being a Bengali, and not a Hindu or a Muslim. At the end of the drama, the recovery of Jessore- primarily of whose king was Pratapaditya- was attributed to the arrival of ‘Britannia- the civilized, the generous, and the mighty’(!) (ibid.: …show more content…
After some time, he obtained leave to return to his Raja with his covenant that the Raja should present himself before Islam Khan at Alaipur with sufficient equipments to show his loyalty to the sublime court' (Borah ed. 1936 vol. I: 14). According to the arrangements, Pratapaditya personally came to the camp of Islam Khan situated on the bank of river Atrayee opposite the thana of Shahpur to submit to the ‘sublime court’. Then ‘Islam Khan, for the sake of drawing the attention of other zamindars and also in consideration of the high position held by the aforesaid Raja among the zamindars of Bengal, bestowed honors upon him beyond measure, and consoled and encouraged him’ (ibid.: 27). The long list of gifts presented to the Raja included ‘a horse, a khilat and a bejeweled sword belt’. By these measures ‘he was converted into a loyal officer’
In conclusion, in Herman Hesse’s novel Siddhartha, a young Brahmin man leaves home on a quest for spiritual enlightenment. Throughout his journey, Siddhartha proves he is a heroic figure. He accurately follows the steps in Joseph Campbell’s “Heroic Quest Model” from his call to adventure, to his freedom to live. Siddhartha also collaborates with numerous dictionary definitions of a hero. Siddhartha’s admired qualities such as courage, bravery, and nobility within Campell’s “Heroic Quest Model” define him as a hero.
This exchange of European control sparked a two year long “Great Rebellion,” an attempt made by Indians to end the Raj — or British Imperialism. With the help of Indian princes and many other local leaders, the British controlled over 300 million Indians (Insert Internal Citation Here). The Raj was solely used a...
Many cultures in the ancient and medieval worlds found courage as a value and virtue associated with warriors. To a great extent, western cultures also find courage as an attribute of warriors. This courageous cultural tendency gets its imaginative manifestation in literature of heroic societies such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, homer’s Iliad and Beowulf. These Epic heroes which show human conditions are Gilgamesh, Achilles from Homer's Iliad and Beowulf. Although, the actions and lives of these warriors occurred at different times in history, their stories are passed on from generations to generations and they share a lot of commonalities but with some discrepancies based on their lives, their choices, ideals and beliefs. These warriors present human conditions in terms of their heroism, weaknesses and mortality. All demonstrate the nature of humans and their constant struggles with understanding and curiosity which drives their internal hunger. The struggle of understanding and the curiosity drive is faced with difficulties and the greatest one is that of facing their fears head on.
A hero can be anyone. The modern day hero does not need physical strength or have super human powers, nor do they need to be of royal decent or obtain a high-flying place in the government. Bernard Malamud explains, “Without heroes, we are all plain people, and don't know how far we can go,” suggesting that heroes are simply role-models we use to learn from. The first introduction to the concept of the Heroes Journey was through Joseph Campbell. In his book ‘A Hero with a Thousand Faces,’ he brings to light the idea of studying the human impulse to create stories that draw on universal themes which is highlighted in his theory of the Heroes Journey. He explains, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself,” which demonstrates the idea of portraying a hero as someone who gives without the need for repayment. Similarly the founder of analytical psychology, Carl Jung, talks about heroes in his essay ‘A Study in the Process of Individuation,’ through his concept of introversion and extraversion. According to him, archetypes are distinctive universal psychic temperaments, which form the substrate from which the basic themes of human life a...
In his book “The Hero With a Thousand Faces”, American mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote “Perhaps some of us have to go through dark and devious ways before we can find the river of peace or the high road to the soul 's destination” (19). This notion thoroughly applies to the training of the warrior in the references that we have studied which include Matthew Winkler’s video referencing Joseph Campbell’s theory on What Makes a Hero, Jonathan Haidt’s idea of divinity in The Happiness Hypothesis, the Bible’s story of The Sermon on the Mount, and the writings in The Bhagavad Gita. All of these works tell us about the path of the warrior that resides in each individual and what it means to be a hero. Connections are made between the development
The idea of heroism is constantly evolving with time. The traditional idea of heroism, is derived from ancient Greek influences such as the two major epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. The mythological figure of heroism is endowed with great strength and ability, and of divine descent. He brings honour and acclaim, and is admired for his courage. This is the Homeric ideal that The Red Badge of Courage and Journey's End approaches. There is the predominant emphasis on the physical, courage and masculinity, in the ideal of a heroic person in these two texts. However heroism redefined in the modern context has extended its definition beyond the distinctly physical terms with the obvious absence of the intellect and morals, and is exemplified by Sassoon in Regeneration.
Every day, society misconceives identities. Through the eyes of Christopher Reeve, '' a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles''. Society tends to connect heroes with stereotypical words such as adventurous, daring, courageous and show upmost bravery to the ones they care and show love for.
James, Lawrence. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. New York: St. Martin's, 1998. Print.
The concept of heroism has been explored by every author in every generation of writing. The earliest heroes were “self” described heroes that existed within Greek mythology and gained the actual title “Hero” by completing feats that, while they were humanly possible, were only accomplishable by those at peak human form, both physically and mentally. For as long as heroism has been used in literature, and spoken word, they have all had the common theme of humanity. The most prominent heroes were all human, some were “underdog” heroes starting at a disadvantage, some were a manifestation, or reflection, of the average person of the time, and yet others were supposed to represent the peak of humanity. The hero embodies the ideals of the society but is often helpless at the hands of fate.
There are many different types of heroism that exist among the heroes of past and present. Heroism usually is thought of as battling and triumphing over an obstacle, or conquest of a fair-maiden’s love. But notice what this passage from the Mahabharata says about “The True Hero.”
In the mind of a hero there are many conflicting emotions. Every soldier who takes an act of courage during a battle becomes a hero in their own right. However every soldier has there own inner battles to fight because of these emotions.
There is another type of hero that almost no one is aware of. In the poorest areas of the country, live mostly minorities and other ethic background. All their lives they’ve been expected to work harder and expected not succeed in life. Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Escaping the crime, drugs, and prostitution is enough to escape hell, even if they don’t go to college. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday.
The history of tribal oppression in India is an old one. “The Sanyasi Revolt”, “The Wahabi Movement”, and “The Naxalbari Rebellion”, are evidence of the tribal outcry that appropriately foregrounds their requirement for fundamental rights as citizens of the country. Even after sixty six years of independence, India’s rural poor and tribals are lamenting under the curbing effects of destitution, unemployment, undernourishment, illiteracy and human trafficking. For these people, the notions of liberty, equality and democracy have no meaning at all. Though the country is free from the bondage of foreign rule, their repression and prejudices still continue leaving them dependent on their new masters.
There were masses of ethnic and cultural conflicts under Akbar’s reign. Akbar’s strategy was to introduce ethnic groups into nobility. Akbar decreased the religious element of taxation. In 1563 he abolished the tax on Hindu and in 1562 he also removed the jizya (the tax on property imposed on non-Muslims). Ethnic violence was present all around India for ages. India is divided into smaller states ruled by tribal chiefs and Lords. Akbar needed to build a formal relationship with these tribal leaders and even though he knew they are not a threat to the Mughal Dynasty, he needed to defend his empire from the rebels that could rise from these tribal areas. Ethnic groups like the Marathas from central India became major problems for Akbar’s crown descendants. They were rebellious and even conquered a major piece of Mughal Dynasty during the seventeenth century. Akbar tried to unite his empire by making a fair and just system. He did not like to involve in religious matters like his descendants and ancestors did, but he did like to ‘unify’ his Empire under religious, Ethnic and cultural matters. (10)
There is a distinct difference between popular Indian nationalism, that is the nation believing in a state independent of Britain, and Indian nationalist movements, for example the Muslim League or the Hindu revivalist movement. These movements fought for independence but were far more religiously orientated and were fighting in their own interests. Although Indian nationalism initially found expression in the Mutiny of 1857, its deve...