Revisiting Bat- talā: An Attempt of Understanding its Curious Case

Abstract

Bat-talā, now referring to a massive collection of books published from the presses situated in and around North Calcutta, flourished during the nineteenth century. However, the history of Bengali literature and culture does not amply recognize the massive popularity that these books enjoyed. This paper, hence, is an examination of the various factors that might have contributed to the extinction of this massively popular sub-culture. While doing so, the paper will, I hope, throw a glimpse into the cultural ethos of Nineteenth century Calcutta, as well.