The British were ruthless, they drained away the wealth of Bengal to fill their own coffers. In Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's 19th-century tale, holy men take up arms, loving husbands abandon their families and demure housewives become wily spies to fight the reign of terror. Ananda Math, particularly its theme song, 'Vande Mataram', inspired an entire generation of idealistic young men and women to revolt against the British rule in India.