Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Bengal’s Lost Commercial Heritage Revisited Through Historical Fiction
Indranil Halder wrote a historical novel about Bengal’s past.
The book says Bengal was once an important center for business and international trade.
Traders from many parts of the world came there to buy goods such as silk, cotton, jute, and indigo.
Bengal also had busy ports and many skilled sailors and merchants.
The author argues that Bengal’s wealth and resources helped the British build and maintain their empire.
The book describes famous businesses, buildings, ports, and people connected with this history.
It also tells about Bengal’s early links with Australia.
However, the story does not only celebrate wealth and trade.
It also shows cruel treatment of local people during colonial rule, including boys forced to attract insects away from European golfers.
Indranil Halder’s historical novel The Empty Jar and the Jam Boy was launched in Australia and published by Virasat Art Publication, India.
The book portrays Bengal as a major global commercial hub whose wealth, labor, resources, and trade networks helped sustain the British Empire.
It describes Bengal’s connections with Africa, China, Rome, Malacca, Indonesia, and neighboring regions through more than 17,000 merchants, traders, and seafarers.
The narrative highlights commodities, ports, institutions, and entrepreneurs linked to Bengal’s historic prosperity, including jute, silk, cotton, saltpetre, Kolkata, and Clive Street.
The novel also depicts colonial exploitation, including the forced use of young Bengali men as “Jam Boys” at exclusive golf clubs.
- Who
- Indranil Halder, a Bengali author living in Australia, wrote the novel; Saheli Mitra edited it.
- What
- The Empty Jar and the Jam Boy examines Bengal’s historic global trade, wealth, colonial exploitation, and commercial heritage.
- When
- The book was recently launched; it also discusses historical events from the colonial era and earlier periods.
- Where
- The launch took place in Australia, while the book focuses mainly on Bengal, including Kolkata and the former Bengal Presidency.
- Why
- Halder seeks to revive recognition of Bengal’s historic business and trading role while exposing the exploitation associated with colonial rule.
- Author
- Indranil Halder, who has lived in Australia for more than 30 years.
- Book
- The Empty Jar and the Jam Boy.
- Publisher
- Virasat Art Publication, India.
- Historical region
- The Bengal Presidency included Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha under colonial rule.
- Trade network
- The book describes a network involving more than 17,000 merchants, traders, and seafarers.
- Key commodities
- Bengal produced or traded indigo, jute, silk, cotton, and saltpetre.
- Early Australia link
- The book says Bengalis had reached Australia as early as 1797.