Valmiki was a revered sage who wrote the epic poem The Ramayana depicting the story of Lord Rama. He was acclaimed as the first poet of India.

Romesh C Dutt was born in 1848. He completed his university studies in Kolkata, then, unbeknownst to his family, he travelled to England to study at University College London where he passed his Indian Civil Service exams. He enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the Civil Service. Dutt wrote extensively in both Bengali and in English. He is remembered for two non fiction books, The Economic History of India and India in the Victorian Age. He also translated into verse and crafted abridged editions of the two great Indian epics, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata.