Paper short abstract:

Siva and Dharma cults in 18th century Bengal reflect how agricultural mass constructed their divine. Mangal-kabya texts, and painful Gajan rituals and ceremony showed how change in land settlement was manifested in the imagination, characterization and worship of the divine.

Paper long abstract:

This paper will discuss origin and genesis of Siva and Dharma cults in 18th century Bengal. I will discuss the nature of worshipping , social composition of worshippers, their religious ideology , difference with Brahmanical order .I intend to explore the link between change in land settlement, (Mal-zamini system ) and religious imagination of agricultural mass and "degraded" communities . Discussion will be based on Mangal-kabya religious texts, and Gajan ritual.

This study will be contextualized in early18th century Bengal which was systematizing and regularizing land revenue extraction and brought a new land settlement, highly hierarchical in character. This period experienced expansion of agricultural frontier, in forest and waste lands. The tillers were subjected to torture and exploitation by landed hierarchies for more revenue. Tribals, marginal of village society were used as labourers in expanded agricultural tracts. A simultaneous attempt by Hinduism of shaping and changing the religious philosophy of marginal people was reflected in Mangal-kabyas, written by Brahmins.

Construction of divine by toiling mass was reflected in Gajan, which emphasized on pain, imitating landlord's coercion. Main theme of Songs and enactments of Gajan were - Siva's cultivation, and his household. Siva was conceptualized as beggar turned lazy peasant and Dharma, a benevolent king, healer of wounds. Gajan reflected the philosophy of the marginal, which Brahmanism couldn't change.