st ition , ▁the ▁uns ym path etic ▁colonial ▁system , ▁and ▁the ▁j ung le ▁itself . ▁The ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁is ▁a ▁far mer ▁named ▁Sil indu , ▁who ▁has ▁two ▁daughters ▁named ▁P unch i ▁Men ika ▁and ▁Hin ni ham i . ▁After ▁being ▁manip ulated ▁by ▁the ▁village ▁authorities ▁and ▁a ▁deb t ▁collect or , ▁Sil indu ▁is ▁put ▁on ▁trial ▁for ▁murder . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁and ▁influence ▁ ▁Writ ten ▁two ▁dec ades ▁before ▁George ▁Or well ' s ▁much ▁better ▁known ▁anti - imper ial ist ▁novel ▁Bur m ese ▁Days , ▁The ▁Village ▁in ▁the ▁Jung le ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁by ▁Nick ▁Rank in ▁as ▁" the ▁first ▁novel ▁in ▁English ▁literature ▁to ▁be ▁written ▁from ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁point ▁of ▁view ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁colon iser ' s ." ▁Victoria ▁Gl end in ning ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" a ▁found ational ▁novel ▁in ▁the ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁literary ▁canon ", ▁but ▁the ▁novel ▁remains ▁little ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁wider ▁world . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁a ▁Sin hal ese ▁language ▁film ▁entitled ▁Bed deg ama ▁was ▁released ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁novel . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁ ▁Full ▁text ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁at ▁Internet ▁Archive ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 1 3 ▁British ▁nov els ▁Category : Book s ▁about ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁Category : Nov els ▁set ▁in ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁Category : Book s ▁about ▁politics ▁of ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁Category : E land