A New Ramayan for a New Age

Abstract Chapter 3 takes a literary turn and moves into the structure and contents of the Radheshyam Ramayan itself. It unravels the complex writing and publishing history of the text, and illustrates how two other poets besides Kathavachak, his younger brother Madanmohanlal Sharmma and his press manager Ramnarayan Pathak, contributed to the work in important ways. Pathak especially helped shape the Radheshyam Ramayan behind the scenes; he worked closely with Kathavachak for years, advising him on matters technical, grammatical, creative, and legal. The chapter also discusses how modern technologies, particularly the printing press, and the context of British colonialism profoundly shaped the way Kathavachak wrote and published his Ramayan. Further, it discusses some of the ways the Radheshyam Ramayan departs from the Rāmcaritmānas, in terms of its organization, content, tone, and poetics.