Description
Rajmohan’s Wife by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay is considered the first Indian novel in English. Set in 19th-century Bengal, it follows Mati, a strong-willed woman trapped in a cruel marriage to the violent Rajmohan. As she becomes entangled in a plot involving stolen documents, family secrets, and her love for her gentle brother-in-law Madhav, Mati’s moral strength and courage are tested. The novel blends romance, social criticism, and suspense, portraying the oppression of women and the corruption in rural Bengali society. Through Mati, Bankim critiques patriarchy and colonial-era injustice, while laying the foundation for Indian English fiction.
