Delineating History in Literature

Literature has played an important role in History. On many occasions, it became a medium of propaganda. However, it has always been ofpivotal importance in History. The American Revolution was highly influenced by pamphleteers like Tom Paineand John Dickinson. As they were widely read, they are believed to have triggered the Declaration of Independence by America. India too has followed the same example. Literature in the form of a poem was brought out by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee who composed ‘Bande Mataram' in the 1870's. Gandhi brought out his newspaper ‘Harijan' in 1932, seeking to spread socio-political awareness amongst Indians and to foster unity for a common cause. The protagonists of pre-independence literature were ordinary men and women who rose to a heroic stature after joining the freedom struggle. Far from being educated or intellectuals, they hailed from different castes and classes. Though they came from all over India, speaking different languages, they were united by one ideology – the quest for a better quality of life and freedom. The first step in this direction was freedom from the British. Hence, literature then served to unite people for a common cause.