Mahashmashan

Mahashmashan (1904) epic by kaikobad (Mohammad Kazem Al-Qureshi), based on the third battle of Panipat (1761). This battle was a test of strength of Muslims against the Marathas, the rising Hindu power in India. Although this battle ended in a victory for the Muslims, from the perspective of the author it meant a great deal of destruction and loss on the part of both Hindus and Muslims. This is the reason why the epic has been called 'mahashmashan'; by the author. The epic includes a number of love stories.

Though inspired by the epics of Micheal Madhusudhan Dutt and nabinchandra sen, the epic has not been very popular. It is more of an elegy than an epic of heroic deeds. However, the poem has some historical significance as the author made an attempt in it to express the heroism of both the Hindus and the Muslims in the light of the rising nationalism of the early period of the twentieth century. [Nurul Amin] [Amin, Nurul Professor of Bangla, Chittagong University]