A Portrait of Nishikanta Chattopadhyaya: The Quintessential Indian Comparatist before Tagore
Jey Sushil
Descriere autor:
Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
E-mail:
E-mail personal autor:
jeysushil@wustl.edu
6-7
Rubrica:
Studii literare
Abstract: Over the past two decades, the origin stories of world literature have been increasingly challenged. Rabindranath Tagore’s 1907 lecture on world literature became an important text. The history of comparative literature in India can, however, be traced back to the 1890s by examining the figure of Nishikanta Chattopadhyaya, who was a member of the editorial board of Acta Comparationis Litterarum Universarum. One of the earliest Indians to pursue a PhD abroad, Chattopadhyaya wrote on religion through a comparative lens. This essay highlights his contribution to comparative literature and extends the origin story of comparative literature back to the late nineteenth century.
Keywords: comparative literature, comparative religion, drama, Hinduism, Buddhism.
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