Afghanistan, a focal point of British military ambition in the 19th and 20th centuries, had also ironically turned out to be the most spectacular failures of the British expansionist policy. In the milieu of imperial narratives circulating across the globe, we find a distinct voice of a young Bengali traveller in the northwestern terrain, weaving through his travelogue a counter argument and glimpse of the land beyond the colonial viewpoint. Filled with geographical descriptions, anecdotes and personal experiences along the way, Syed Mujtaba Ali's 'Deshe Bideshe' not only remains a classic example of Bengali travel literature, it provides us a view of Afghanistan at a pivotal juncture, a transition point between imperial experiments and decolonization.
Voyages into the Past cordially invites you to a lecture by Dr. Mou Banerjee, Asst. Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, titled "At Home in Foreign Lands: Syed Mujataba Ali's Depiction of Afghanistan, 1927-1929" on 1st August, Thursday, 4 pm onwards, at the A.K. Basak Auditorium, Presidency University (College Street Campus, Kolkata). Entry is free and open to all. Please carry an ID card along with you if attending.
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