The Textual Representation of Kingship and Authority in the Chandimangal of Mukunda Chakroborty

Abstract

One of the most popular Mangalkavyas of Bengal was the Chandimangal of Mukunda Chakraborty. This article examines the ideas of kingship that were articulated in this text. Mukunda’s fictitious protagonist Kalketu came to represent an ideal king within his narrative. Mukunda’s conception of this ideal king was largely influenced by his personal experiences and aspirations, some of which have been outlined in the first part of this article. The remaining part of this article goes onto claim that the ideal kingship constructed around the figure of Kalketu involved a re-orientation of some of the more conventional norms of kingship; the product being what has been termed by the current author as a ‘pacified kingship’. This pacified kingship ensured that the heroic qualities of valour and martial prowess, so desired as essential in every conception of an ideal king came to be tempered with some of the more ordinary and ‘un-heroic’ qualities within the person of the fictitious Kalketu. This alternative notion of kingship, espoused by Mukunda is also instrumental in exploring some of the varied interactions that went on to constitute the Bengal frontier.