Colonisers : Colonial administration found the vernacular novels a valuable source of information on native life and customs. This information was useful for them in governing Indian society which had various communities and castes. The British knew little about the life inside Indian households. The new novels in Indian languages described how people lived,dressed, worshipped, and their beliefs and practices. Some of these novels were translated into English. Indian Nationalists used the novel as a powerful medium to criticise the defects in society,to suggest remedies. Novels also helped in creating a pride in the nation’s past. Through glorified accounts of India’s past these novels helped in creating a national pride among the readers. The novels also created a sense of collective belonging on the basis of one’s language – the novels made the readers share a common language. The novels brought people together by making the readers familiar with the ways in which people in other parts of land spoke,wrote and lived. Many historical novels like Bankim Chandra’s Anandamath, Bhudeb Mukherjee’s Anguriyo Binimoy described people’s fight against oppressive rulers and encouraged nationalism. Novels brought together people from varied backgrounds and produced a sense of shared community – the most notable form of this community is the nation. This helped the progress of nationalism.