'Chandimangal' (Chandimangala), the famous 16th-century poem composed by Mukundaram Chakrabarti, was written in which language?

"Chandimangal" (Chandimangala or Abhayamangal), the famous 16th-century narrative poem composed by Mukundaram Chakrabarti, was written in Bengali.

About Mukundaram Chakrabarti:

• He lived in the second half of the 16th century, in the Burdwan region of Bengal.
• He was given the title "Kavikankan" ("jewel among poets").
• According to his own account, he left his village because of the oppression of a local revenue officer, and found shelter at the court of a zamindar, Raghunath Ray of Medinipur, who patronised him.

About the Chandimangal:

• It belongs to the "mangal kavya" genre of Bengali literature, which praises a local deity.
• It celebrates the goddess Chandi (a form of Durga), and tells how her worship spread among people.

It has two main stories:

• The story of Kalaketu, a hunter, and his wife Phullara, who receive the goddess's blessings and found a kingdom.
• The story of Dhanapati, a merchant, and his son Srimanta, who travel by sea for trade.

It gives a vivid and realistic picture of 16th-century Bengal: the life of hunters, peasants, merchants and artisans, the clearing of forests for agriculture, the founding of villages, trade, and the oppression by officials.

It is an important source for the social and economic history of Bengal.

NCERT on Chandimangal:

NCERT discusses the "Chandimangal" as a source on the process of clearing forests and the settlement of new areas in Bengal, and the relationship between forest people and settled cultivators.

Mangal kavya literature:

Manasamangal (snake goddess Manasa), Chandimangal (Chandi), Dharmamangal (Dharma Thakur), Annadamangal (Annapurna), and Shivayan (Shiva).

About Bengali literature:

• The earliest specimens of Bengali are found in the "Charyapada" (8th-12th centuries).
• Medieval Bengali literature includes the works of Chandidas, Krittibas (Ramayana), Kashiram Das (Mahabharata) and the Vaishnava padavali.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Odia, Assamese and Maithili have their own literary traditions, but Chandimangal is in Bengali.