Footnotes have been collected at the end of each Act, and arelinked for ease of reference.
Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Pleasesee the transcriber’s note at the end of this textfor details regarding the handling of any textual issues encounteredduring its preparation.
The title page serves as the cover image.
NIL DARPAN,
OR
THE INDIGO PLANTING MIRROR,
INTRODUCTION.
The original Bengali of this Drama—the Nil Darpan, orIndigo Planting Mirror—having excited considerable interest,a wish was expressed by various Europeans to see atranslation of it. This has been made by a Native; both theoriginal and translation are bonâ fide Native productions anddepict the Indigo Planting System as viewed by Natives at large.
The Drama is the favourite mode with the Hindus fordescribing certain states of society, manners, customs. Sincethe days of Sir W. Jones, by scholars at Paris, St. Petersburgh,and London, the Sanskrit Drama has, in this point ofview, been highly appreciated. The Bengali Drama imitatesin this respect its Sanskrit parent. The evils of KulinBrahminism, widow marriage prohibition, quackery, fanaticism,have been depicted by it with great effect.
Nor has the system of Indigo planting escapednotice: hence the origin of this work, the Nil Darpan,which, though exhibiting no marvellous or very tragicscenes, yet, in simple homely language, gives the “annalsof the poor;” pleads the cause of those who are thefeeble; it describes a respectable ryot, a peasant proprietor,happy with his family in the enjoyment of his land till theIndigo System compelled him to take advances, to neglect hisown land, to cultivate crops which beggared him, reducing himto the condition of a serf and a vagabond; the effect of thison his home, children, and relatives are pointed out in language,plain but true; it shows how arbitrary power debases the lordas well as the peasant; reference is also made to the partialityof various Magistrates in favor of Planters and to the Act oflast year penally enforcing Indi