Krishna Kanta’s Will (1878) is a novel by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Recognized as a pioneering work of Bengali literature with universal romantic themes, Krishna Kanta’s Will is a story that engages with the subjects of widow remarriage, land ownership, and heredity in Hindu culture. “If Krishna Kanta had ever desired to cheat his brother's son, and appropriate the entire property, there was now no obstacle in his way. But he had no such evil intention. He placed Gobind Lâl with his own family, and treated him in all respects like his own sons; he determined to draw up a will bequeathing to Gobind Lâl the half-share justly belonging to Râm Kânta Râi.” Raised in a loving home, orphan Gobind Lâl hopes to carry on his father’s legacy while honoring his uncle, who could have cut him out of the will entirely. Married to the beautiful Bhramar, he seems to have a life of fortune ahead of him. Meanwhile, Krishna Kanta’s sons, outraged at their father’s generosity, hatch a plan to switch the will with one they have written, employing the seductive widow Rohini to do their dirty work. Tragic and timeless, Krishna Kanta’s Will is a brilliant romance from a legendary figure in Bengali literature. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Krishna Kanta’s Will is a classic of Bengali literature and utopian science fiction reimagined for modern readers.
