Historical novel is an oxymoron, a curious mix of fact and fiction. Aristotle resolves this conundrum once for all in his Poetics. He states that the poet’s (read the author’s) function is to describe not the thing that has happened (that is the work of the historian), but to describe the kind of thing which might happen, that is, being probable or necessary. History deals with the actual. But poetry (read novel or historical novel) deals with the universal. The difference between history and historical novel is the difference between Plutarch and Shakespeare or between a documentary film and a feature film based on the same subject. As F.A.Backer rightly points out in his now classic History of the English Novel that “to present and interpret facts is the historian’s business, to summon up a past epoch to show men and women alive in it and behaving as they must have behaved in the circumstances, is the labour and joy of the life of the genuine historical novelist”.

  Historical fiction, then, is the artistic form that springs from the impulse to give a shape to the past. But it’s not just to give a shape to the past. It is to bring part of the past alive into the present.  Stephen Crane, the author of the American Civil War classic The Red Badge of Courage, was once asked why he had chosen to write his book as fiction rather than history. The reason, he said, was because he wanted to feel the situations of the War as a protagonist, not from the outside. And it was only by writing a novel that he could do this. 

And this is what all historical fiction does. It makes us feel, as a protagonist, what otherwise would be dead and lost to us. It transports us into the past. And the very best historical fiction presents to us a truth of the past that is not the truth of the history books, but a bigger truth, a more important truth – a truth of the heart.

The most distinguished Assamese historical novelist of our times, Troilokya Bhattacharjya’s career as a writer spans over half a century.Bhattacharjya’s output is weighty: more than ten novels, over  250 short stories, innumerable non-fictional prose works mostly uncollected and scattered in magazines and newspapers, few plays for stage, and some plays for radio. His range is rare: historical novel, biographical novel, autobiographical novel, mythological novel, social novel, novellas, short stories, columns, causeries, skits, and features for radio, editorials, and an autobiography; even edited a weekly newspaper called Sadinia Sambad for long seven years.

 Bhattacharjya’s novels can be classified into three basic traditions/groups: social, historical and the mythological. The second category of novels which stemmed from the author's deep sense of respect for heritage and fierce patriotism provides a real insight into his dedication, creativity and possibly into deep crevices of his pride and prejudices. He was, after all, a human.

Though Troilokya Bhattacharjya has contributed to so many genres, his forte, as critics like Dr.S.N.Sarma, Dr.Sailen Bharali, Jnanananda Sarma Pathak and Dr.Prafulla Kotoky etc.have pointed out, in their scholarly write-ups from time to time, is historical fiction. He has a reverence for the past and believes like George Santayana that those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Inspired by stalwarts in the field like Sir Walter Scott,Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay,Pramothnath Bisi and our very own Rajanikanta Bordoloi to take up the cudgel to capture the tempestuous past/phases of  his land, and the work that he produced endures for its fidelity to life, verisimilitude ,creative imagination, authentic character portrayal  and charm of style. Deep insights, subtle delineation of incidents are the marked features of his literary creations.

The Sanchipatar Puthi, Bhattacharjya’s first full-length novel published novel in 1973, is a candid narration of the days and people of Assam from 1836 to 1857-indeed a very crucial period for the people of Assam. The former is the year of the introduction of Bengali as a medium of instruction in administration and education in Assam, and the latter being the year of the first War of Independence of India. The novel is divided into three parts-He Bideshi Bandhu, Arunoday and Agniyugar Firingoti.

The Ahoms ruled in Assam from 1224 to 1926.The British were strangers to the land and had no knowledge of the local language. So educated clerks, mostly from Bengal came and settled down in Assam as interpreters and clerks of the government to enable it to carry on the newly established administration. Under the influence of these clerks, the administrators made Bengali the language of administration and medium of instruction in schools of Assam in the year 1936.The same year also saw the arrival of the remarkable members of the American Baptist Mission, the Rev.Nathan Browne and O.P.Cotter, arrived in Assam with their families. The duo was responsible for the establishment of the first printing press at Sibsagar in 1936.

Realising the need to spread the message of Christ in the Native tongue, they soon found out that Bengali was not, in fact, the language of the locals. Therefore, they started publishing books in Assamese in their Mission press at Sibsagar.Some of the notable books published during that period are: A Grammar of the Assamese Language by Mr.W.Robinson, Grammatical Notice of the Assamese Language by Nathan Browne,Mrs.Cutter’s Vocabulary,Mr.G.F.Nicholl’s Assamese Grammar,Mr.Miles Bronson’s Dictionary in Assamese and English and Nathan Brown’s Assamese version of the New Testament etc. Their zeal culminated in the publication of the first Assamese newspaper in 1946 named Arunodoy.

It was, however, with Anandaram Dhekial Phukan that a new epoch dawned in Assam. He was the Assamese Deputy Commissioner who was very much concerned about the future of Assamese language and literature and wrote a booklet called A few Remarks on the Assamese Language protesting against the replacement of the Assamese as the state language. He also contributed regularly to the Arunodoy magazine and together with these Baptist missionaries, finally convinced the British administrators to replace the local language in courts and educational institutes.

The next intellectual who tried to advance Assamese language and literature was a blood relation of Anandaram named Gunabhiram Baruah who contributed gems like Biography of Anandaram Dhekial Phukan and the Asam Buranji, two powerful prose works by any standard.

 Anachronism is an occupational hazard for the historical fiction writers.  

Sanchipatar Puthi: 3rd part-Agni jugar firingati moi:

Neither the English historians nor their Indian counterpart have touched the role of Assam in 1857’s first War of Independence of India. The war that was waged all over India for the attainment of Independence in 1857A.D.had been chronicled as the Sepoy Mutiny in the annals of the European historians. Even today, when we are celebrating the 150^{th year} of the great event, all the histories and other records of that struggle in Assam remain unpublished. As such Mr.Bhattacharjya had done trailblazing job by imaginatively using whatever material he could lay his hands on.  

          Assam’s goal of independence was not same as that of Northern India. Northern India wanted to re-instate the abdicated emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mugal King. But Assam, keeping the unbroken relation of the past intact, wanted to re-install Kandarpeswar Singh as king. Whoever would have become king, the endeavour to oust the British was the same all over India. Setting themselves firmly here the British increased the land revenue and brought destruction to the industry of the country.Jiuram Dulia Baruah, Gomadhar Konwar and Piyali Phukan tried to protect the current of independence of the Swargadeos.

In the rest of India, the Sepoys were the mainstay of the rebellion. But in Assam, there was no Sepoy of the soil. The composition of Assam Light Infantry was heterogeneous. Yet there was not a small commotion among them. The loyalists of King Kandarpeswar Singh joined hands to revolt against the British. The sipoys began to behave like rebels.Mr.B.C.Allen writes,” The sepoys at Dibrugargh seem to have been much affected by the Mutiny of Koer Sing, from whose territory many of them came, and for a time at any rate, succeeded in influencing the Assamese soldiers in the corps”. At that time “Dibrugargh was heading towards becoming a second Cawnpore”.The King was imprisoned on the threat that if he would not surrender, the palace would be burnt. The atmosphere remained far from normal. At Kardaiguri in Goalpara, the Sepoy of Second Assam Light Infantry burnt the police station. Strikes in the tea-garden were intensified. But sadly, the British amphibious force arrived in Assam. They combed the entire country, and all the rebels as well as many innocent people were brought to book. Others connected with the rebellion were Piyali Phukan,the right-hand man of Kandarpeswar Singha,and Madhu Mallik,a Muktear of Calcutta, sent by Moniram to help the Ahom King in his preparations, were also arrested and brought to trial. The king was sent to Alipore goal.Maniram was tried, convicted of treason, though on inadequate ground, and hanged at Jorhat publicly together with Piyali Phukan.

       This is the background on which Bhattacharjya worked and gave life and colour to his characters. He was a Pioneer-the master of his craft. A reformer.A true builder.