Anandamath is an extraordinary political novel by Bankim Chandra Chatterji first published in 1882. The plot of the story, which has epical dimensions, is based on the sanyasi rebellion that erupted in Bengal in the late eighteenth century. The sanyasis fought the British against all odds, whom theyregarded as an arch enemy of the country and responsible for the terrible famine of 1772.
In this novel, Bankim also wrote Bande Mataram – Hail Motherland – and gave India its first national song, which later became a rallying call of the national freedom movement.
This novel is a legend of the struggle for freedom and the passion behind it seems to reflect Bankim’s vision of free India.
