Book Review: 'Fool Bahadur’, A Satire On Society And Bureaucracy In Colonial Bihar

This book is a tongue-in-cheek account of the escapades of mukhtar Samlal, a lawyer in British times, as he hustles his way through the bureaucratic corridors to win the coveted British title of Rai Bahadur in erstwhile Bihar. Originally published on April 1, 1928, popularly known as April Fool’s Day—a day of practical jokes and hoaxes—Fool Bahadur, written in Magahi by Jayanath Pati, is a fascinating testimony to the rich tapestry of the region’s societal history and literary heritage in the times of the British Raj.

A nawab, a courtesan, and a circle officer come together in a delightful tryst as each one tries to exploit the other. All the characters and the incidents are manipulated by an unscrupulous mukhtar whose singular focus is to somehow acquire the title of Rai Bahadur, an honour bestowed during British rule in India to individuals for faithful service or acts of public welfare to the Empire.

Set against the backdrop of Bihar Sharif, the book captures the inner dynamics between the various ranks, like the new Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), the advocates, the mukhtars, and the police. A typical period novel, it unveils the prevalent corruption in the public service in British India. Through flattery, backbiting, and scheming, Mukhtar Samlal, SDO Maulavi Mojjafer Nawab, courtesan Naseeban, and Circle Officer Haldhar Singh get entangled in a hilarious game of power and lust.

The story unfolds with Samlal travelling to Keul railway station in the Lakhisarai district to receive Maulavi Mojjafer Nawab, the new SDO, who is on his way to take up his new assignment. The plot thickens around the modus operandi of the two lascivious men, Nawab Saheb and Haldhar Singh, trying to gain control over young Naseeban, highlighting the rampant sexual exploitation of women in the colonial set-up. Not so naïve, the courtesan too plays along to extract maximum advantage from her benefactors. The treatment is hilarious, and Samlal remains a constant fixture throughout the course, from hiding in Naseeban’s toilet to being threatened with a revolver to framing a false bribery case to getting an officer dismissed from service to fulfilling his ambitious plan to become Rai Bahadur. Eventually, Samlal receives a telegram stating that the much-coveted title has been bestowed upon him. He invites Nawab Saheb, mukhtars, and lawyers to watch a play titled Fool Bahadur at the town hall that evening. The story climaxes with an unexpected twist. A fantastic read that treats the readers with a slice of colonial life in the state of Bihar a century ago.

Translating the first Magahi novel Fool Bahadur in English, published by Penguin India as a modern classic, is a rewarding experience for Abhay K.  His poetry collections include Celestial, and his book-length poem Monsoon was published by Sahitya Akademi. He is the editor of The Book of Bihari Literature, among other books. Being a civil servant and from Nalanda, author Abhay K was fascinated by the original book of Jayanath Pati that humorously captured the bureaucracy of the 1920s and also the Magahi language, which has over the centuries gotten lost in time. His writing is, therefore, an endeavour to showcase the rich literary and intellectual tradition of Bihar. He hopes that the translation of Fool Bahadur will inspire more translations of rich literary works in Magahi in the years to come, making Bihari literature a part of world literature.

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