[8] THE GENEALOGY OF DETECTION IN BENGALI LITERATURE: FROM VEDIC THOUGHT TO THE SATYANWESHI
How to Cite the Article: Kasturi Roy Chatterjee (2026). The Genealogy of Detection in Bengali Literature: From Vedic Thought to the Satyanweshi. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Reviews, 5(5),101-112. https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v5i5.2026.101-112
Abstract
This paper traces the long and layered evolution of detection in Bengali literature, situating the modern detective figure within a broader indigenous intellectual and narrative tradition. It begins by examining early forms of “detective consciousness” in Vedic texts, where inquiry, doubt, and the search for hidden truth emerge as foundational modes of thought. Moving through classical Sanskrit narratives and vernacular traditions such as folktales and mangal-kavya, the study highlights how practices of inference, disguise, and revelation were integral to storytelling long before the emergence of formal detective fiction. The paper then considers the transformative impact of colonial modernity, particularly the introduction of Western models of policing, rationality, and narrative structure, which shaped early Bengali detective writing in the works of authors like Priyanath Mukhopadhyay and Panchkori Dey. It further explores the expansion and popularization of the genre through writers such as Dinendra Kumar Ray and Hemendra Kumar Roy, who adapted and reimagined detective narratives for diverse readerships. The study culminates in an analysis of Byomkesh Bakshi, created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, whose identity as a satyanweshi (seeker of truth) synthesizes philosophical inquiry with modern investigative practice. By mapping this genealogy, the paper argues that Bengali detective fiction is not merely a colonial import but a culturally rooted form that integrates indigenous epistemologies with global narrative conventions. whose identity as a satyanweshi (seeker of truth) synthesizes philosophical inquiry with modern investigative practice. By mapping this genealogy, the paper argues that Bengali detective fiction is not merely a colonial import but a culturally rooted form that integrates indigenous epistemologies with global narrative conventions.
