Theatre
Siraj-ud-Daulah
সিরাজউদ্দৌলা
Sikander Abu Zafar · 1965
Synopsis
Bengal, 1756. The young nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah has just retaken Calcutta from the English and confiscated their property; taking refuge on a ship downriver, they quarrel among themselves, await reinforcements from Madras and intrigue with the merchant Umichand. In Murshidabad, his aunt Ghaseti Begum, the banker Jagat Seth, Rajballabh and the general Mir Jafar plot against him, and the nawab hesitates to strike those who betray him, for fear that the army will not follow him.
Context
The author was then editing the magazine Samakal. The play appeared in 1965, and the following year he produced a second, on the poet Alaol; Banglapedia sees in these two historical dramas a commentary on the life of their time. In 1966 he received the Bangla Academy prize for his drama. Some critics have judged the play more concerned with history than with theatre, which others dispute by pointing to its construction.
Who it is for
A historical tragedy divided into acts and scenes; it is better to know the battle of Plassey, in 1757, and the role of the English East India Company.
Prizes and reception
It is on the Bengali syllabus of the secondary school certificate in Bangladesh, where it is studied as a historical tragedy.