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• January 10, 2025
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If you are preparing for the UGC-NET English exam, you must have come across Amitav Ghosh’s literary works. Among his works, The Glass Palace holds a special place. Have you ever wondered why? It is a historical fiction, written with a postcolonial emphasis. Another interesting thing about the novel which intrigues me is the warmth and intimacy Ghosh tries to build with his readers through this work. This is a must-read novel by Amitav Ghosh mentioned in the UGC-NET English Literature syllabus. Let us unravel The Glass Palace today! 

Who is Amitav Ghosh?

After Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh is counted amongst the most prominent Indian writers in English. He was born on July 11, 1956 in Calcutta. He did his B.A. in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi in 1976. His understanding of history is evident in his historical novels like The Glass Palace, Sea of Poppies, and Flood of Fire. He pursued his M.A. in Sociology in 1978 from Delhi University. In The Circle of Reason, the intersection of science, superstition, and human behaviour showcases his sociological approach. In The Glass Palace, the caste and class dynamics within colonial and postcolonial societies reflect his sociological grounding. Ghosh also pursued a Diploma in Arabic from the Institut Bourguiba, Tunis, in 1979. The influence of Arab culture is quite evident in In An Antique Island. In this work, he tries to navigate through the Indian and Arab world while weaving their shared histories together. In 1982, he completed his Doctorate in Sociology from Oxford University. His doctoral research and fieldwork in Egypt deeply shaped his anthropological approach to storytelling. Novels like In An Antique Land merge ethnography and fiction, blending historical and anthropological narratives seamlessly. Ghosh’s time in Egyptian villages is directly embedded in his debut novel The Circle of Reason, which portrays cross-cultural exchanges, scientific reasoning, and the complexities of human behaviour. In An Antique Land (1992) also juxtaposes his personal experiences in Egypt with the medieval travels of an Indian slave in the Arab world. The novel’s blend of historical documentation and anthropological observation highlights Ghosh’s academic rigour and narrative creativity.

Amitav Ghosh’s literary contributions have been widely recognized both in India and internationally. His novel The Shadow Lines (1988), often regarded as his magnum opus, earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Ananda Puraskar in 1990. In recognition of his significant achievements, he was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2007 and became the first English-language writer to receive the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 2018.

On the global stage, Ghosh’s debut novel The Circle of Reason (1986) won the Prix Médicis Étranger, a major French literary award, and was named a Notable Book of the Year by The New York Times in 1987. His science fiction work The Calcutta Chromosome (1996) received the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 1997. The Glass Palace (2000) gained international acclaim, winning the Grand Prize for Fiction at the Frankfurt International e-Book Awards and the Eurasian region’s Best Book Award at the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 2001. Ghosh declined the Commonwealth Prize, however, citing his objection to the term “Commonwealth Literature.” He argued that this categorization ties contemporary literature to a colonial past rather than acknowledging present realities or future possibilities. As Ghosh stated, accepting the award would contradict the spirit of The Glass Palace, which critically examines the legacy of empire.

Rejecting the broader “post-colonial” label, Ghosh disapproved of framing colonial histories as mutually beneficial interactions. His Sea of Poppies (2008) was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2009, while River of Smoke was shortlisted for the Man Booker Asian Prize in 2012. Other honours include being elected as a Fellow of the Royal Literature Society, receiving the Grizane Cavour Award in Italy, and winning the Dan David Prize alongside Margaret Atwood in 2010. In 2011, he was awarded the Grand Prix of the Blue Metropolis Festival in Montreal. In 2019, Foreign Policy magazine recognized him as one of the decade’s most influential global thinkers.

Ghosh has also been awarded honorary doctorates from prestigious institutions, including Queens College, City University of New York (2010), University of Sorbonne (2011), University of Puget Sound (2014), and Maastricht University.

What’s special about The Glass Palace? 

In the book, The Glass Palace (2000), Ghosh engages with colonialism and its aftermath in a direct manner. Set against the backdrop of Burma (now Myanmar), India, and Malaysia. It dives deeply into the disturbing history of the region from the late 19th century to the present day. It weaves together the lives of several interconnected characters, offering a multi-generational perspective that spans over 125 years. The novel is partially based on the life and experiences of a timber merchant in colonial Burma named Jagat Chandra Dutta. The story begins in Mandalay, Burma during the British colonization. Rajkumar, a young orphaned boy of Indian descent, discovers a precious ornate glass palace in the royal grounds. This event serves as a metaphor for the beauty and fragility of life and sets the stage for the unfolding drama. As the narrative progresses, the lives of Rajkumar and his descendants become intertwined with prominent historical events such as the fall of the Burmese monarchy, the British occupation, and the subsequent Indian independence movement. While Rajkumar builds a successful timber business, he also falls in love with Dolly, the daughter of a wealthy Burmese merchant, and their love story becomes a central thread throughout the novel. The Glass Palace also explores the impact of the Japanese occupation during World War II and the subsequent partition of India. Characters like Uma, Dolly’s sister, become freedom fighters while others are forced to make heartbreaking choices to survive and protect their loved ones. Through these characters, Ghosh depicts the struggles and sacrifices of ordinary people caught in the maelstrom of historical events. In addition to the historical events and political themes, The Glass Palace delves into personal relationships, showcasing the complexities of love, friendship, and loyalty. The novel poses thought-provoking questions about identity, displacement, and the search for meaning and belonging.

The narrative explores the interplay of collaboration and complicity between local capitalists and colonial powers, charting their rapid rise to prominence. The success of characters like Saya John and Rajkumar stems from their adoption of colonial ideologies and capitalist logic. Simultaneously, the novel highlights how colonial discourses, especially military narratives, have reshaped native identities, resulting in profound self-alienation. This is evident in characters like Collector Beni Prasad Dey and British Indian Army soldiers such as Arjun. For these dehumanized soldiers, the Indian National Army’s liberation struggle becomes a means of cultural resistance against the racial injustices of colonial rule.

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In post-independent Burma, Dinu’s reflections capture the disillusionment with Burmese nationalism following the assassination of Aung San. Ethnic-based uprisings have shattered the dreams of the post-colonial state. Amitav Ghosh, in his essay collection Dancing in Cambodia, At Large in Burma, critiques the exclusivist ideology of nation-states and advocates for the inclusivity and cultural syncretism of pre-independent Burma, where various clans and tribes coexisted harmoniously. He asserts that in a region as diverse as Southeast Asia, boundaries are inherently arbitrary. For Burma, lasting peace lies in preserving the larger, inclusive entity historically inherited, as opposed to fragmenting along ethnic lines.

This idea of syncretism is echoed in The Glass Palace, through both Dinu’s perspective and the democratic vision of Aung San Suu Kyi. Despite the pervasive intrusion of politics into every aspect of life—religion, art, family—Suu Kyi’s voice symbolizes the democratic aspirations of the Burmese people against the oppressive military regime. Her assertion that politics must not consume all facets of existence represents a call for reconciliation and the preservation of humanity in a nation fraught with turmoil. This vision of unity and democracy serves as a liberating force in a crumbling nation-state.

Layered Realities and the Reader’s Response 

How do you make love to literature? By adopting it page by page. I was in Class 9 when I had my first conversation with The Glass Palace. I was too young to understand the nuances of the novel. However, I liked the vivid imagery used by Ghosh to define the intimacy in relationships. Somehow, we lack the understanding of love because we have never felt that in words or in the language that we use. Hence, this literary work has an aesthetic charm attached to the intricacies of lives faced by the characters in their day-to-day lives. It is a conspiracy written with the beauty and poignant aroma of sensuousness amidst historical chaos. We are not literary…that is also a choice that readers choose rather they commit blunder by choice by not being fascinated with the touch of pages and historical events. What we seemingly seek is peace but what we see is the reckless turmoil. The Glass Palace offers both, and as usual, I chose peace and beauty over historical intricacies. History is just a backdrop but literature is what picks up the right note to create a music. Amitav Ghosh is known for placing history amidst conflicts and weaving it with sensuous belongingness. 

What do you feel about this work? Let us know in the comments. Till then, register yourself for the next UGC-NET offline batch 2025, starting on January 15. In our offline classes, you will meet your mentor-cum-friend in Prof. Vineet Pandey and have lively, fun-filled and interactive discussions with him. Hey! Wait! Do you know who he is? He has qualified for NET 10 times and JRF twice. As long as he guides you, you are certainly walking the right path. What else? You will receive the best coaching for ugc net in delhi. Here, you will not just get coaching for UGC-NET but you will also receive guidance for your PhD. In the offline batch, you will get comprehensive UGC-NET English Literature notes, comprising 15 booklets, covering every aspect of the UGC-NET 2025 English syllabus. Not just that! You will also get to participate in various extra-curricular activities and advanced exposure to literary conferences. Sahitya Classes makes you a holistic litterateur. If you are unable to join the offline batch, you can join the UGC NET Online Batch Course 2025. In the online UGC-NET course, you will receive high-quality video lectures and comprehensive study material for UGC-NET 2025 exam. So, what are you waiting for? Join now!

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