Published Paper Details:

The memories of major historical events that took place from 1885 to 1947 in the Indian sub-continent are deeply etched in the conscience of most Indians. These events included the decisive Third-Anglo-Burmese War of 1885 leading to the annexation of Mandalay and exile of King Thebaw and Queen Supayalat to India. It further marked the emergence of INA which fought against the British in 1944-45 and kindled the morale of many Indian soldiers serving the British army. However, hardly ever does one get to know and understand the unaccounted stories of the ordinary people who survived and witnessed those times or the engagement and reaction of the masses at such historically important junctures. In The Glass Palace, Amitav Ghosh reconstructs the lives of all those ordinary humans who endured such conditions by narrating their journeys in the backdrop of the period from 1885 to the late 19th century. Ghosh pulls them out of oblivion by firmly establishing the presence of characters like the migrant orphan boy, Raj Kumar of Chittagong who builds wealth and influence in Burma while reaping benefits from the historically crucial point of rapid deforestation and urbanisation of British-ruled Burma, while also becoming a catalyst for increasing Indian immigrant population by transporting Tamil labourers from India for years. It acknowledges the dilemma third-generation Indian soldiers like Arjun of Kolkata serving the British army, could have faced in fathoming his right position in the colonial period and his decision to defend India by quitting the British army and joining INA. The research paper aims to analyse the reconfiguration of this perishable past through the stories of mundane characters in the novel, which not just demystify the past's elusiveness but also help reckon with the hitherto unheard and unknown voices of the times.