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Fool Bahadur
A delightful caper through colonial Bihar, Fool Bahadur by Jayanath Pati is a humorous reflection on the state’s erstwhile society and bureaucracy—told through the story of a young law officer, who hustles his way through the bureaucratic corridors to win the coveted British title of Rai Bahadur. The first-ever translation of this forgotten Magahi novel into English by Abhay K. is a tour de force that will leave you chuckling at the characters dotting its intriguing plot.
112 pages, Paperback
Published April 25, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 27, 2024
Fool Bahadur is a short foray into the murky world of early 20th century bureaucracy/judiciary in South Bihar, formerly Magadha in their language of Magahi, and happens to be the first in the language to be translated to English. The story is all of a couple of hours worth of reading, and the characters and their devious plots would've benefitted from being fleshed out.
Parts of the foreword, especially the translated bits from the original author such as him "Deciding that lying low and hiding would not work and life would soon end without achieving much if I remained tangled in mundane matters" or making a Swadeshi-stab at the British while saying that "we will keep making efforts to give Magahi its due place before the unruly sun sets over the British empire" are what I liked most.
Parts of the foreword, especially the translated bits from the original author such as him "Deciding that lying low and hiding would not work and life would soon end without achieving much if I remained tangled in mundane matters" or making a Swadeshi-stab at the British while saying that "we will keep making efforts to give Magahi its due place before the unruly sun sets over the British empire" are what I liked most.
May 12, 2024
Very rarely do we come across works that will make us feel immensely proud of the rich diversity of our nation and also sadden us about how much of it might be lost to a degree we cannot recover. Abhay K attempted through this translation of the first Magahi novel into English to reclaim the space for his mother tongue. A 'little language' now no one remembers or frequently clubs it with Hindi or ignorantly calls it 'Bihari'. This will remain a classic to be seriously read. Another interesting part of this book is the translator's note where Abhay provides us with an extensive history of Magahi language and literature. I now really wish Abhay could discover the other two novels of Jayanath Pati and translate them for us.
June 30, 2024
Funny little story, too short to be called a novella.
The fact that it was written in Magahi, and is translated (full with a translator's note detailing the background of Mahagi language and the history of Magadha) is the important part. The story, though, if you look at it on its own merits, is a little underwhelming. And of course you see the events unfolding long before they unfold.
The engaging part is the setting of the scene in Colonial Bihar. The colonial sarkari satire has been thoroughly explored by the likes of Orwell and Forster, but it is interesting to read an Indian writing of that story - that too in a language like Magahi. Babu Samlal is a character right out of 'A Passage to India'.
And though underwhelming, it is such a short story, you may as well read it.
The fact that it was written in Magahi, and is translated (full with a translator's note detailing the background of Mahagi language and the history of Magadha) is the important part. The story, though, if you look at it on its own merits, is a little underwhelming. And of course you see the events unfolding long before they unfold.
The engaging part is the setting of the scene in Colonial Bihar. The colonial sarkari satire has been thoroughly explored by the likes of Orwell and Forster, but it is interesting to read an Indian writing of that story - that too in a language like Magahi. Babu Samlal is a character right out of 'A Passage to India'.
And though underwhelming, it is such a short story, you may as well read it.
February 1, 2025
Nice short story.
Display picture shows that it is a thick book. Actually, effectively it's just 62 pages thin.
Display picture shows that it is a thick book. Actually, effectively it's just 62 pages thin.
August 10, 2025
too short, I do not think the story is captivating enuf and the translation does not put you in the language mindset. Skip
January 1, 2025
Rating 3.5 stars
Review - Fool Bahadur, a classic, a novella by Jayanath Pati, translated from Magahi by Abhay K, is the first book to be translated from the Magahi language.
Spoken in about 9 districts of Bihar that lie to the south of Ganges and east of river Son, in Jharkhand and West Bengal too, Magahi revered as the sacred language of Buddhism, the official language of Maurya and Gupta empires, quietly slipped into an oblivion over time despite its 20 million speakers.
Fool Bahadur is a satirical take on the rampant corruption in every tier of bureaucracy/judiciary, on people in positions of power demanding favours of all kinds, people mollycoddling their superiors so that they can climb up the hierarchy or receive awards. Set during the British Raj in India, the book begins in 1911 at a railway station where Babu Samlal, a mukhtar (a legal practitioner in a lower court in India during the British Raj), is waiting to receive Maulavi Mojjafer Nawab, the new SDO of Bihar Sharif, the capital of Bihar then. Samlal yearns to get the title of ‘Rai Bahadur’. He knows he doesn't merit it, thus has a plan to coax the SDO into bestowing the honour upon him. The local courtesan Naseeban is a major instrument in his plans. But the circle officer, Haldar Singh who treats Naseeban as his mistress is an impediment. Does Samlal manage to get the coveted title of Rai Bahadur or does his plan go kaput?
In an unscrupulous world, one where corruption and exploitation is rife in corridors of power, Fool Bahadur stands as a timeless classic. But, in detailing the bureaucratic structure, sections of law, the officers and their roles during the British Raj, it feels restricted, like a period-piece.
The very insightful introductory note (about 40 pages long) on Magahi language and its literature, on Magadha region in Bihar and its rich history and cultural heritage, penned by the translator Abhay K amply reveals his zeal for his mother tongue. He reminded me of ‘The Man who Talked to Walls’ to preserve his mother tongue from dying in a story by Appadurai Muttulingam.
Read this not for the story of Samlal, the Fool Bahadur, but for the earnest efforts of the translator, his passion for taking literature in his mother tongue to a wider readership across the world.
Review - Fool Bahadur, a classic, a novella by Jayanath Pati, translated from Magahi by Abhay K, is the first book to be translated from the Magahi language.
Spoken in about 9 districts of Bihar that lie to the south of Ganges and east of river Son, in Jharkhand and West Bengal too, Magahi revered as the sacred language of Buddhism, the official language of Maurya and Gupta empires, quietly slipped into an oblivion over time despite its 20 million speakers.
Fool Bahadur is a satirical take on the rampant corruption in every tier of bureaucracy/judiciary, on people in positions of power demanding favours of all kinds, people mollycoddling their superiors so that they can climb up the hierarchy or receive awards. Set during the British Raj in India, the book begins in 1911 at a railway station where Babu Samlal, a mukhtar (a legal practitioner in a lower court in India during the British Raj), is waiting to receive Maulavi Mojjafer Nawab, the new SDO of Bihar Sharif, the capital of Bihar then. Samlal yearns to get the title of ‘Rai Bahadur’. He knows he doesn't merit it, thus has a plan to coax the SDO into bestowing the honour upon him. The local courtesan Naseeban is a major instrument in his plans. But the circle officer, Haldar Singh who treats Naseeban as his mistress is an impediment. Does Samlal manage to get the coveted title of Rai Bahadur or does his plan go kaput?
In an unscrupulous world, one where corruption and exploitation is rife in corridors of power, Fool Bahadur stands as a timeless classic. But, in detailing the bureaucratic structure, sections of law, the officers and their roles during the British Raj, it feels restricted, like a period-piece.
The very insightful introductory note (about 40 pages long) on Magahi language and its literature, on Magadha region in Bihar and its rich history and cultural heritage, penned by the translator Abhay K amply reveals his zeal for his mother tongue. He reminded me of ‘The Man who Talked to Walls’ to preserve his mother tongue from dying in a story by Appadurai Muttulingam.
Read this not for the story of Samlal, the Fool Bahadur, but for the earnest efforts of the translator, his passion for taking literature in his mother tongue to a wider readership across the world.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews