Syllabus for Assamese Literature Optional

Assamese is one of the 28 language literature subjects offered as optional by UPSC. Assamese has a rich literature and illustrious history of translations, original works, and philosophy. This is a highly specialized subject and candidates who have studied Assamese as a part of their curriculum or have learned it as their mother tongue should take up this optional subject. The paper has to be written in the Assamese script.

Section-A Language

• History of the origin and development of the Assamese language-its position among the Indo-Aryan Languages-periods in its history.
• Developments of Assamese prose.
• Vowels and consonants of the Assamese languages-rules of phonetic changes with stress on Assamese coming down from Old Indo-Aryan.
• Assamese vocabulary-and its sources.
• Morphology of the language-conjugation-enclitic definitives and pleonastic suffixes.
• Dialectical divergences-the standard colloquial and the Kamrupi dialect in particulars.
• Assamese scripts-its evolution through the ages till 19th century A.D.

Section-B  Literary Criticism and Literary History

• Principles of Literary criticism up to New criticism.
• Different literary genres.
• Development of literary forms in Assamese.
• Development of literary criticism in Assamese.
• Periods of the literary history of Assam from the earliest beginnings, i.e. from the period of the charyyageets with their socio-cultural background: the proto Assamese-Pre-SankaradevaSankaradeva-post SankaradevaModern period (from the coming of the Britishers)-Post-Independence period. Special emphasis is to be given to the Vaisnavite period, the Gonski, and the post-Independence period.

This paper will require first-hand reading of the texts prescribed and will be designed to test the candidates' critical ability. Answers must be written in Assamese.

Section-A

• Ramayana (Ayodhya Kanda only)-by Madhava Kandali.
• Parijat-Harana-by Sankaradeva.
• Rasakrida-by Sankaradeva (From Kirtana Ghosa).
• Bargeet-by Madhavadeva
• Rajasuya-by Madhavadeva.
• Katha-Bhagavata (Books I and II)-by Baikunthanath Bhattacharyya.
• Gurucarit-Katha (Sankaradeva's Part only)-ed. by Maheswar Neog.

Section-B

• Mor Jeevan Sonwaran-by Lakshminath Bezbaroa.
• Kripabar Barbaruar Kakatar Topola-by Lakshminath Bezbaroa.
• Pratima-by Chandra Kumar Agarwalla.
• Gaonburha-by Padmanath Gohain Barua.
• Monamati-by Rajanikanta Bordoloi.
• Purani Asamiya Sahitya-by Banikanta Kakati.
• Karengar Ligiri-by Jyotiprasad Agarwalla
• Jeevanar Batat-by Bina Barwa (Birinchi Kumar Barua)
• Mrityunjoy-by Birendrakumar
• Bhattacharyya
• Samrat-by Navakanta Barua.