The epic novel Anandamath was influenced by the background of the Sanyasi Rebellion (1770-1820). He inspired the people of Bengal intellectually through his literary campaign.

India got its national song Vande Mataram from Anandamath. He also started a monthly literary magazine, Bangadarshan,

in the year 1872, through which Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is credited with influencing the emergence of a Bengali identity and nationalism.

Bankim Chandra wanted this magazine to act as a medium of communication between the educated and uneducated classes.

The publication of the magazine was discontinued in the late 1880s but it was resumed in the year 1901 after Rabindranath Tagore became the editor.

During the Bengal Partition (year 1905), the magazine played an important role in giving a base to the voice of protest and dissent.

Tagore’s ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ (National Anthem of Bangladesh) was then published for the first time in Bangadarshan. He had studied Sanskrit and was very interested in the subject,

but later took the responsibility of making Bengali language the language of the masses.

His famous novels include Kapalkundala, Devi Chaudhurani, Vish Briksha (The Poison Tree), Chandrashekhar, Rajmohan’s Wife and Krishnakant’s Will.