lxvii words, while the Assamese escaped a similar fate by conduct- ing their language on their own national line. ৪, MoDERN ASSAMESE LTERATURE | Dr. Grierson is of opinion that “ Assamese literature is as old, if not older, than that of Bengali, and down to the commencement of the present century, was as copious." Mr. Gait has stated on page 429 of his History of Assam, first edition, Assamese is believed to have attained its present state of development independently of, and earlier than Bengali, But in the modern time it has not been equally fortunate; it has fallen far behind the Bengali literature, While the Bengali language grew rapidly under favourable circumstances, the Assamese language lagged behind having had to fight hard to assert its very existence. The unfor- tunate controversy, took much of its time and energy, and | 1 about the Banskritization of Bengali Wi, sudmergen wrate. It is necessary , that Asma writar should avoid the ero of their Bengali brethren and make a larger এত at the vigorous material at their own disposal. They should avoid the constant incorporation of Banskrit, which resultsd in modern Bengali literature differing to widely from thut of the eighteenth century. The effect of this in Bengal has been the fatal dissoliation of language from literature, so that it can ever be said that the g mm of colloquial Bengali actually differs from the grammar of its literature, Literature growing thus alienated cannot remain vigorous or national," seventen years tuter, Ft.dol. P. B, T. Burdon pointed to a similar tendency among Assamese Witers in his fiew of Prot, s. K. Bhuyan's Brakar 6t in the . a . ৪. for Octob, 1898 p, 18, by Suniti Kum Chatterji is, however, of opinion that "during the last two or tare decades here has been quite revolution in literary Bengali.•••••••and that there has been a constant attempt to bring the litary language more in find with the collo quial, quoted in Addada Major, in the fingeets S y of India, Vol. I, Part I, Introductory, 1897, p. &# s, x, B, | The handicaps under whica A mes or as to labon re doribed in s, E, Bhy The law, pub, in the daw Region for April, is, p. 14-"The Pres ge. Assamese literature has been seriously hampered by the numerical inferiority of the reading public. For several deadss after the Bidai paupation of th coun n i w the languge the school and the court and the influenc of Bengal iratuthu introduced has not been endicated entirely from the land, he Assamese authouth book at a loss, and he is naturally shy in Mepeating his financially uproble against by publishing another book. Tha Aama re not whiled by thiac can of any wetla movement, and no Asamese literater of the present day
