mese Language, a copy of which we beg to submit with this note, The list will show that Assamese literature is as old, if not older, than that of Bengali, and down to the commence- ment of the present century was as copious” 84 observed by Dr. Grierson, the greatest living authority on the langua- ges of India, 3. Tar Cara ParoDS OF ASSAMESE ITERATBg. Assamese literature may be divided into three chief periods :- (i) From the earliest time to the birth of Sankar •Deva. () From the birth of Sankar Deva to the British occupation of the country. (3) From the British occupation to the present time. ফat peod,—The first period which extends from the earliest beginning to the birth of Sankar Deva may be called the dark age of Assamese literature. In the first part of this period the language existed only as a form of speech, 'The marriage songs of Assam and a few pastoral ballads are the only literary productions that have come down to the present age, Some of the marriage songs are supposed to be as old as the rape of Rukmini, the daughter of Bhismaka who ruled over Sadiya as a contemporary of Narak and Bana, and they have kept green the memory of that pre-historic event of Assam, The aphorisms of Dak, some Buranjis and the writings of Madhava Kandali and a few other poets belong to the latter part of this period. The Buranjis have pre served the prose style of that age, whereas the writings of Madhava Kandali and others represent the poetry of the 1 The this cincteriods mentioned here have been expanded to ajx in the sp এ slotio, The first period of the not has been further Bub-divided into three period, the lyrical period the mantra period, and the prVaisnava period; the road into te parioda, the value and the panion periot, while the last period hu unnad this sms. a 2.
