The 19th-century Kobigaan Performances with Special Reference to Anthony Fhiringhee

Abstract

The 19th century Bengal was promenading under the influences of various factors like the Bengal Renaissance of various literates and the Babu culture of the nouveau rich. It was also the time when the countryfolks came to Calcutta seeking jobs, imbibing elements of folk art with popular culture. Soon with the transition of time, there arrived a stage when the artisans were more engrossed with the cash economy of urban life. Thus, Calcutta became a hub for different art forms and musical cultures, amongst them was Kobigaan. A musical duel among the poets, it became an enlightening form of entertainment amongst the Bengali literates and they would frequently hold Kobilorai sessions in temples. Kobigaan rose in prominence around the period of colonial Bengal of 18th and early 19th centuries. Kobigaan was seen as a concoction of Vaishnavite poetry with religious and ritualistic themes combined with satire. It was also the time when Bengal Province was witnessing the influx of many cultural, political and sociological episodes. This research is a descriptive study of Kobilorai and Kobiyal Anthony Fhiringee from the nationalist lenses. Using qualitative and descriptive methodologies, the research performs a holistic study on the rise of the popularity of the Kobigaan performances during the nationalist hour, and analyses through the lenses of Cultural Nationalism the treatment of the 19th century kaviyals towards the Portuguese poet Hensman Anthony.