The Bezbaroa Household of Colonial Calcutta: Microcosm of Changing Family Dynamics

Abstract

Against the backdrop of colonial India, this study examines the Bezbaroa family, specifically focusing on the marriage of Lakshminath Bezbaroa, a prominent Assamese writer, to Prajnasundari Devi of the renowned Tagore family of Bengal. Their seemingly disparate backgrounds offer a unique vantage point to explore the complex interplay between tradition and modernity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Delving into aspects like gender roles, domesticity, education, personal choice, and individual expression, the paper aims to illuminate a broader understanding of how the public–private divide might have been reshaped within the context of a colonially influenced Indian society.