'Shivasankirtan' (Shivayan), an 18th-century Bengali poem about Shiva as a farmer, was written by:

"Shivasankirtan" (also called "Shivayan") is an 18th-century Bengali narrative poem about the god Shiva, written by Rameshwar Bhattacharya (Rameshwar Chakravarti).

About the Shivasankirtan:

• It was composed in the early 18th century, around 1710-1712.
• It is a "mangal kavya" type of poem, a genre of Bengali literature that praises a deity.
• It presents Shiva in a very human and rural setting: as a poor farmer who cultivates the land, quarrels with his wife Parvati (Gauri), and lives a simple village life.
• It gives a vivid picture of rural life in Bengal: agriculture, ploughing, sowing, the life of peasants, and family relationships.
• It also contains humorous and realistic descriptions.
• It is an important source for the social and agrarian history of 18th-century Bengal.

About Rameshwar Bhattacharya:

• He lived in the Midnapore region of Bengal.
• He was patronised by Raja Yashovanta Singh of Karnagarh (Midnapore).

Mangal Kavya literature:

It is a genre of Bengali narrative poems from the 13th to the 18th centuries, praising local deities.

Important works include:

• "Manasamangal": in praise of Manasa, the snake goddess.
• "Dharmamangal": in praise of Dharma Thakur.
• "Annadamangal": by Bharatchandra Ray (18th century), the court poet of Raja Krishnachandra of Nadia.
• "Shivayan" or "Shivasankirtan": in praise of Shiva.

Other Bengali literary works:

• Krittibas Ojha: translated the Ramayana into Bengali (15th century).
• Kashiram Das: translated the Mahabharata into Bengali (17th century).
• Chandidas and Vidyapati: poets of Radha-Krishna love.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Mukundaram Chakrabarti was a 16th-century poet.
• ✗Bharatchandra Ray wrote Annadamangal.
• ✗Krittibas Ojha translated the Ramayana.