Bishad Shindhu

Bishad Shindhu (Bengali: বিষাদ-সিন্ধু, English: Ocean of Sorrow) is a Bengali epic novel by Mir Mosarraf Hussain, the first modern Bengali Muslim writer and novelist. Regarded as a central work of Bengali literature, and Hussain's finest literary achievement, the novel chronicles the lives of Muhammad's grandsons, Hasan and Husayn, and the Battle of Karbala.[1]

Bishad Shindhu was originally published in three parts in 1885, 1887 and 1891 respectively.[2][3] The novel was first published in its entirety in 1891.[1] However, it is not considered an authentic source for the history of Karbala, the location of Husayn's war front, or the place of his death.

It contains much poetic language, and many dramatic scenes. At the time of its composition, there were few published novels in the Bengali language, and Mosharraf Hussain was part of a community of writers working to pioneer a new tradition of novels in Bengali. The novel was written in Shadhubhasha, a highly Sanskritised form of Bengali.[4]