Some old Bengali 300185 and Periedicals in the British Museum
Summary
The article examines early Bengali literary works and periodicals preserved in the British Museum, focusing on two key items: Herrasim Lebedeff’s theatrical activities and Manuel da Assumpção’s Bengali-Portuguese dictionary. Lebedeff, a Ukrainian associated with Calcutta’s 1795 theater in Doomtolla, translated English plays like *The Disguise* and *Love is the Best Doctor* into Bengali, reflecting early European engagement with Bengali drama. His theater, permitted by the Governor-General, featured Bengali-style decorations and serenades. Lebedeff later served as theatrical manager to the Mughal emperor before returning to Russia. The second major work is Manuel da Assumpção’s *Vocabulario em Idioma Bengalá e Portuguese* (1843), one of the earliest Bengali dictionaries (with grammar), available in two copies at the British Museum. The portable duodecimo volume includes a Bengali-Portuguese grammar (pp. 1–40), a 6,000-entry Bengali-Portuguese vocabulary (pp. 41–302), and appendices on religious terms, celestial bodies, and linguistic notes reflecting East Bengali pronunciation. The preface emphasizes missionaries’ need to learn Bengali, despite Portuguese-speaking congregations. The work’s phonetic transliteration preserves regional linguistic features, though its full linguistic value remains underexplored. The article underscores these works as critical to understanding early Bengali literary and cultural exchanges, bridging European and local traditions.
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Conclusion
This study of early Bengali imprints in the British Museum reveals previously overlooked contributions to linguistic and theatrical history, particularly through Herrasim Lebedeff’s pioneering Bengali adaptations of European plays and Manuel da Assumpção’s groundbreaking Portuguese-Bengali dictionary. The findings solidify the role of figures like Kalidasa under royal patronage and highlight the intersection of colonial-era scholarship with indigenous literary traditions. The research underscores the importance of archival collections in reconstructing historical cultural exchanges, offering new insights into the evolution of Bengali language and performance arts during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These discoveries contribute to a more nuanced understanding of South Asian cultural dynamics under British influence.