Shaping Young Minds: The Role of Juvenile Magazines in Colonial Bengal

Abstract

This paper explores the emergence and evolution of juvenile periodicals in colonial Bengal between 1883 and 1923, a period that saw the publication of at least thirty-six children's magazines. These publications were shaped not merely by the preferences of young readers, but largely by the socio economic, educational, and cultural circumstances of their guardians. The growth of a Western educated Bengali middle class during the late nineteenth century created a structured notion of childhood and emphasized the need for holistic education, or sarbangin shiksha. Juvenile periodicals became key tools for moral and intellectual development, offering content that ranged from biographies, stories, and moral tales to articles on science, history, geography, and current affairs. Scientific writings, in particular, aimed to foster imagination and rational thinking rather than simply dispel outdated beliefs. These magazines reflect a broader cultural effort by the emerging Bengali intelligentsia to prepare children for participation in a modern, rational, and morally grounded society.