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 The Anglo-Norman period in English literature, roughly spanning from the Norman Conquest of 1066 to the mid-14th century, represents a pivotal era of transformation in the literary landscape of England. This period, initiated by William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings, brought profound cultural and linguistic changes that reshaped the production and development of literature in England. Below, we explore this dynamic period by examining its historical context, the dominance of French and Latin literature, the persistence and evolution of English literary traditions, and the lasting influence on the trajectory of English literature. Historical and Linguistic Context The Norman Conquest of 1066 marked a significant turning point for England, introducing a new ruling class of Norman French speakers. This event established a linguistic hierarchy : French became the language of the court, administration, and the elite; Latin remained the language of the church and sch...

 The Anglo-Saxon period is a time in history when groups of people from northern Europe, mainly the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, moved to Britain. This happened around the 5th to 11th centuries AD, after the Romans left Britain. These tribes settled in what is now England and parts of Scotland, bringing their language, culture, and way of life. During this time, they formed small kingdoms, farmed the land, and fought battles with each other and against invaders like the Vikings later on. Their language became what we now call Old English, which is an early form of the English we speak today. The period ended in 1066 when the Normans, led by William the Conqueror, invaded and took over England. Historical Context Timeframe: Roughly 410 AD to 1066 AD . Start: Roman withdrawal from Britain around 410 AD left a power vacuum, enabling Germanic tribes to settle. End: The Norman Conquest in 1066 marked a shift to Norman rule and the transition to Middle English. Migration: The Angles, Saxon...

 It's 22 March Today. It's Bihar Diwas (Bihar Day), a very special day for Bihar and Biharis. It is a day of political and cultural awakening among Biharis. However, instead of just pushing jingoism, let's do a reality check on the present state of Bihar.  Bihar, historically a cradle of civilization with intellectual hubs like Nalanda and Vikramshila, faced economic decline over centuries due to colonial exploitation, natural disasters, and post-independence neglect. By the mid-20th century, the state struggled with poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment, lagging behind India’s more industrialized or urbanized regions. This economic hardship pushed waves of Bihari laborers to migrate to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, etc. in search of work, often taking up low-paying manual jobs—rickshaw pullers, construction workers, or street vendors. In these urban centers, they became visible symbols of rural poverty, and their sheer numbers made them an easy targe...

An American theologian and author James Freeman Clarke once tried to differentiate between a politician and a statesman. In his article “ Wanted, a statesman ”, he writes “A politician thinks of the next election, while the statesman thinks of the next generation.” By this definition, Prime Minister Modi is not more than a politician. Though by other definition, he is not even a politician but merely an RSS pracharak . A politician thinks of the next election, while the statesman thinks of the next generation. The National Sample Survey Office(NSSO) latest survey on unemployment figures for 2017-18 rings a buzzing alarm to the situation of joblessness. The unemployment rate stands four decades high i.e., of 6.1 per cent during 2017-18. But instead of working to fix this problem, the government tried to cover up the data. NITI Aayog, which has a close affinity with the PMO, claimed that the report “was not finalized but at a draft stage” and also said that the past surveys...

As the Modi-led BJP government has failed to rescue India from Job crisis in its five-year term, the question is whether the government has done enough to maintain the equilibrium in the job market of the country? And whether or not the government should be held liable for creating this crisis in the first place? Screenshot from movie 3 idiots Article 41 {Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases} under DPSP says: “The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want.” The DPSP cannot be enforced by any court, but the principles laid down in this part are nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country, and it should be the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws. We also need to look back to Mo...

In 2014, BJP in their campaign claimed that: there is no Modi-wave but it is the Tsunami of Narendra Modi (TsuNaMo). It now appears that the TsuNaMo was actually Tsunami of joblessness and has silently brought a massive disaster in India. The major victims are the young people who after finishing their education were hoping for a great career ahead. It is the TsuNaMo that has crushed their hope. Now that  chowkidar  Modi is going for his re-election, it's time to make him accountable. Image for representational purpose only If the 2014 election was fought on the issue of corruption, 2019 could have been fought on the issue of unemployment. But it doesn't seem to be progressing that way. As the election approaches, Indian weather is becoming hot with topics associated with nationalism such as Kashmir. The separatists and the  deshdrohis  speaking about  azadi  and removal of the army from disturbed areas of Kashmir only help ...

The media advisor to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, with his boring job, has been able to commercialize a story of his boss right to the screen. No one would have imagined this possibility when the book was launched in the midst of the 2014 election; when it also made a buzz with the allegations giving birth to controversies. But with the change of government after the election, things cooled down and people forgot their highly qualified yet good-for-nothing economist PM. Only till next election though. ⭐⭐ (2/5) Directed by - Vijay Ratnakar Gutte Starring - Anupam Kher, Akshaye Khanna, Suzanne Bernert Storyline: Non-fiction, dramatized biography of former PM Manmohan Singh Prime characters  Sanjay Baru: Media advisor to the PM and the narrator Manmohan Singh: The Accidental Prime Minister (2003-2014) Sonia Gandhi: The villain-in-chief, is an evil Italian woman using proxies to get hold of power and control things remotely through Manmohan Singh Rahul Gandhi: ...

After the government's timely reprimand to the ridiculously popular messaging app famous for reducing the barrier of distance between people, making business communication and note sharing easier — all with high privacy; and equally infamous for propagating provocative messages, fake news and rumours which, on several occasions, have resulted in the creation of a violent and murderous mob even costing lives of many, and then showing middle finger to the law enforcement bodies along with the judiciary, the app now appears to be taking things a little more seriously. The government, on last year, had slapped the Facebook-owned WhatsApp with legal notices with a clear warning that it would consider the messaging platform as an abettor in the spread of toxic rumours resulting in disharmony among citizens with law and order problems for the state, and will have to face the legal consequences in failing to put adequate checks for the same. As the world's largest democracy w...

ON THE VERY FIRST DAY OF 2019, with an exclusive interview to the ANI, Narendra Bahubali made his intentions crystal clear. That the Bahubali is not gratified with just one term and is ready to battle for the another. For the critics, it would be interesting to find out if there is going to be any Katappa or it’ll be a Katappa-less battle. Ok, let's be serious. Politics is a serious subject, no? Let’s talk about Smita Prakash who seems to be Mr Modi's preferred choice of journalists in order to move and shake the political discourse of the nation. Speaking of her, I must tell you, the lady is a very great listener. To interview someone like Modi, you need to be a good listener rather than a good speaker. Because, you know, he goes on and on… and on. Eventually, he ends up wooing you. Though not if you have some predefined political goals or loyalty to a particular party. The interview was much-needed from him to upgrade his party’s morale for the bigger battle ah...

Dearest you , First of all, many thanks for being my support all these years… I don't know who I am to you, an honest blogger who expresses his view about the world, or a clown who provide free entertainment for his own fun. So far I’ve only tried to bring forth stories that I believed was worth your time and I'll continue this endeavour. I want you to bear some more of my musings in the form of blog/social media posts but with absolute freedom of your choice. I'm no comedian, but keeping the humour alive is one of the prime objectives of my writings. I can’t sacrifice humour to sound serious and intellectual. But unlike professional comedians, I won't guarantee if I’ll always make you laugh. Sometimes my jokes are really bad. I have no political affiliation, but sometimes I do take sides, not extreme though. The 2019 political battle will be exciting, especially after BJP’s recent defeat in the four major state assembly election. I’ve been quite inconsistent...

Improvement is the constant endeavour humanity has been undertaking for eternity. The basic virtue of humans is to improve their well-being with the help of technology; from developing simple tools for hunting and gathering to directing Google Assistant or Siri order nice and warm food from our favourite restaurant, we’re on a relentless quest for easing out our life. That's why we are witnessing an undergoing transition from conventional technology into smart technology. What Is Smart? The popular definition of ‘smart’ is anything that is able to connect to other devices, or to the internet, and can be controlled remotely. But, with the latest technology coming every day, this definition might become obsolete sooner or later, what is going to be consistent is the reason why smart devices are being invented. And why you should be using it. A smart device, according to me, can be defined as something that saves your time for more productive or “humanly” activities. A machi...

The dream to be fit and have in possession of tip-top body shape is a dream of people across the globe. Some people will admit it, some won’t. Sometimes, to make this dream come true, we take action (as a reaction of some subversive motivational videos or text) and get ourselves enrolled in a gym or yoga class, eat healthy (and tasteless) food, forcefully digest bitter juice of bitter gourd, and whatnot. But it barely lasts for long-term. Within months, we tend to drop out. The “we” here is most of you and me. So, why does this happen to most people? Why do we fail to achieve our grand fitness dream? At the end of the day, even after a high dose of motivation, why do we choose to ignore the fitness goal we set in just some days ago? Probably because of the urge for laziness or the cravings for fatty and sugary food items. Or, because it is boring and feels like pain with no gain. But the fitness dream ain't big, rather it is just the default mode we are supposed to be in. What...

American civil rights activist and founder of neo-feminist movement #MeToo, Tarana Burke asked women to open up about sexual harassment they've experienced in the past, or facing it right now. She said, “ You don’t have to tell your story, you just have to say Me Too. ”  Since then, there have been shocking accounts of women describing their unfortunate experiences, and thereby holding a mirror to the civilised society. They range from stories of assault to stalking to intimidation. With each further account making clear that there was a systemic pattern of abuse and silence. Now as a hashtag, #MeToo symbolises solidarity and support of thousands and is today one of the most momentous contemporary movements globally. The reason for the success of this movement, obviously, is the popularity of social media and the involvement of many well-known people mainly from the entertainment industry of Hollywood. MeToo Arrives India Now, it seems that MeToo has arrived India. ...

This year in 2018, a first-ever centralized test was conducted by the Nalanda Open University (NOU), on behalf of the Bihar government for admission into 322 B.Ed colleges across the state. Prescribed by the previous governor of Bihar, Satyapal Malik, as it was publicized in the media, the combined entrance test (CET) was done in order to tame the B.Ed colleges which have been reduced to mere money-making business; some of them being run by powerful people in politics too. They charge more than the prescribed money for admission and yet, they churn out incompetent teachers. The Crisis After conducting the test and announcing result of the same, NOU held counselling of the CET candidates to allot appropriate colleges to them according to their marks. In the result, around 62000 candidates were declared as qualified, and 36440 among them were invited for the counselling held in Gyan Bhawan, Patna. The counselling was merely for document verification and submission. The c...

The Sanjay Dutt biopic “Sanju” was released on 29th of June made by one of the best filmmakers of the B-town, Rajkumar Hirani. It was marketed as an “unbelievably true story”. Indeed Dutt’s journey is unbelievable. However, there have been many unbelievable personalities too such as Dawood or Osama. Sorry for comparing Dutt with Don and Terrorist. The drugs, booze, women, and AK 56 make Sanju a largely negative character in the real world. Not his fault, according to the film. Some people say Sanjay Dutt doesn’t deserve a biopic as there are many “good” people, with their “good” work, that go unnoticed. The argument over whether Dutt deserves a biopic or not is inane. It’s like saying Dhoni’s biopic should have been made after his retirement. The truth is, biopics are made on interesting people, not the good ones, especially if it is of commercial in nature. If that interesting people is a negative character, it gets more publicity. Also, a “fictional” biopic cannot be real. Be i...