Peary Chand Mitra
Encyclopedia
Peary Chand Mitra (1814 - 1883), was an Indian
writer, journalist and a member of Derozio’s Young Bengal
group, who played a leading role in the Bengal renaissance
with the introduction of simple Bengali prose. His Alaler Gharer Dulal pioneered the novel in the Bengali language
, leading to a tradition taken up by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and others.
, Radhanath Sikdar
and Sib Chandra Deb
joined him to bolster his efforts. David Hare
and Derozio helped him. A brilliant student, he passed with rewards and prizes, and joined the ‘Public Library’ as deputy librarian in 1835.
The Public Library was established the same year in the residence of an Englishman named Strong in the Esplanade. It was later shifted to the Fort William College
and when the Metcalfe Hall was constructed to pay respect to the memory of Charles Metcalfe
, the library was moved to the hall in 1844. Peary Chand Mitra rapidly rose up the ladder as librarian, secretary and finally curator, a position he held till his retirement.
Orissa.
That was the age when Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was writing Bengali heavily loaded with Sanskrit words and Akshay Kumar Datta
was experimenting with the language in Tattwabodhini Patrika
. Both were masters of Sanskrit and used all the ornamentation of that rich language. Bengali prose was in its infancy. Learned people used to poke fun at it and ridiculed the language, and a newspaper such as Iswar Chandra Gupta’s Sambad Prabhakar
published all that.
In 1857, Peary Chand Mitra and Radhanath Sikdar started a small magazine, Masik Patrika, which used simple spoken Bengali prose everybody could understand. It was a major breakthrough in the use of Bengali, and the magazine instantly became popular. His novel Alaler Gharer Dulal
, written under the pseudonym Tek Chand Thakur, used simple Bengali prose, closer to the spoken speech of the day, and was serialised in the magazine. It was one of the earliest Bengali novels and became an instant success. So great was its popularity that the language style came to be known as ‘Alali’. That set the trend for Bengali prose then. In 1864, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
published his first novel Durgeshnandini to finally lay down the standard for Bengali prose. Alaler Ghare Dulal was translated into English.
Rev. James Long, who was a keen observer of the literary scene in Bengal, and was imprisoned and fined for the English translation of the controversial play Nil Darpan, used to call him ‘the Dickens
of Bengal’. Peary Chand Mitra wrote a number of books –Abhedi, Jatkinchit, Bamatoshini, Ramaranjika, Adhyatika, Mad Khaoa Baro Daey. He wrote a biographical sketch of David Hare
in English.
He had great interest in the development of agriculture in the country. His criticism of the permanent settlement, The Zemindar and Ryots, created a sensation. While a member of the Agricultural Society, he started an organisation for the translation of books on agriculture from English to Bengali.
In 1881, when Madame Blavatsky
and Col Olcott
visited India, he became involved with the Theosophical Society
. He died on 23 November 1883 at Kolkata.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
writer, journalist and a member of Derozio’s Young Bengal
Young Bengal
The Young Bengal movement was a group of radical Bengali free thinkers emerging from Hindu College, Calcutta in the early 19th century. They were also known as Derozians, after their firebrand teacher at Hindu College, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio....
group, who played a leading role in the Bengal renaissance
Bengal Renaissance
The Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the region of Bengal in Undivided India during the period of British rule...
with the introduction of simple Bengali prose. His Alaler Gharer Dulal pioneered the novel in the Bengali language
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, leading to a tradition taken up by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and others.
Early life
Son of Ramnarayan Mitra, he was born at Kolkata on 22 July 1814. As per the custom of the day, he started learning Persian at a young age and in 1829 joined the Hindu College, where he started learning English. While still a student he started a school in his own home in order to teach others in his locality what he learnt. At some point in time his friends Rasik Krishna MallickRasik Krishna Mallick
Rasik Krishna Mallick was an Indian journalist, editor, reformer, educationist and a leading member of Young Bengal group. He had shocked the court in British India in the 1820s with the statement that he did not believe in the sacredness of the Ganges.-Early life:Son of Naba Kishore Mallick, he...
, Radhanath Sikdar
Radhanath Sikdar
Radhanath Sikdar was an Indian mathematician who, among many other things, calculated the height of Peak XV in the Himalaya and showed it to be the tallest mountain above sea level. Peak XV was later named Mount Everest.-Early life:Radhanath was born as youngest child of Tituram, a resident of...
and Sib Chandra Deb
Sib Chandra Deb
Sib Chandra Deb was one of the leading Derozians, virtually the first generation of English-knowing Indians. He had joined Hindu College in 1825 and was subsequently drawn towards Derozio...
joined him to bolster his efforts. David Hare
David Hare (philanthropist)
David Hare was a Scottish watchmaker and philanthropist in Bengal. He founded many important and prestigious educational institutions in Kolkata, such as the Hindu School, and Hare School and helped in founding Presidency College.-Early life:...
and Derozio helped him. A brilliant student, he passed with rewards and prizes, and joined the ‘Public Library’ as deputy librarian in 1835.
The Public Library was established the same year in the residence of an Englishman named Strong in the Esplanade. It was later shifted to the Fort William College
Fort William College
Fort William College was an academy and learning centre of Oriental studies established by Lord Wellesley, then Governor-General of British India. It was founded on July 10, 1800 within the Fort William complex in Calcutta...
and when the Metcalfe Hall was constructed to pay respect to the memory of Charles Metcalfe
Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe
Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe, Bt, KCB, PC , known as Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt between 1822 and 1845, was a British colonial administrator...
, the library was moved to the hall in 1844. Peary Chand Mitra rapidly rose up the ladder as librarian, secretary and finally curator, a position he held till his retirement.
Family
He had one daughter named Uma Shashi Mitra who was married to Bengali Lawyer Shri B N Das of sambalpurSambalpur
Sambalpur is a city in Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Orissa.It lies at a distance of 321 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. In the year 1876, Sambalpur was established as a municipality. It is currently the headquarters and the largest city of Sambalpur district. It is also...
Orissa.
‘The Dickens of Bengal’
While working in the library, Peary Chand Mitra used his tenure there extensively to enhance his knowledge. He used to write widely in magazines then being published – Bengal Spectator, Bengal Harkara, Englishman, Hindu Patriot, Calcutta Review. Along with his Derozian friend Rasik Krishna Mallick, he edited the Jnananeswan. Another Derozian, Ram Gopal Ghosh, was associated with it.That was the age when Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was writing Bengali heavily loaded with Sanskrit words and Akshay Kumar Datta
Akshay Kumar Datta
Akshay Kumar Datta was born in Chupi in Bardhaman. Son of Pitamber Dutta, he was one of the initiators of the Bengal Renaissance. After studying in the Oriental Seminary under the special care of Hardman Jeffroy, he had to give up studies because of the death of his father and go job-seeking...
was experimenting with the language in Tattwabodhini Patrika
Tattwabodhini Patrika
Tattwabodhini Patrika [Tattwabodhini Patrika ] was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore on 16 th August, 1843, as a journal of the Tattwabodhini Sabha, and continued publication until 1883...
. Both were masters of Sanskrit and used all the ornamentation of that rich language. Bengali prose was in its infancy. Learned people used to poke fun at it and ridiculed the language, and a newspaper such as Iswar Chandra Gupta’s Sambad Prabhakar
Sambad Prabhakar
Sambad Prabhakar was a Bengali daily newspaper founded by Ishwar Chandra Gupta and published in the first half of the nineteenth century. It began as a weekly newspaper in 1831 and became a daily eight years later in 1839. It was the first Bengali daily newspaper...
published all that.
In 1857, Peary Chand Mitra and Radhanath Sikdar started a small magazine, Masik Patrika, which used simple spoken Bengali prose everybody could understand. It was a major breakthrough in the use of Bengali, and the magazine instantly became popular. His novel Alaler Gharer Dulal
Alaler Gharer Dulal
Alaler Gharer Dulal is a Bengali novel by Peary Chand Mitra . The writer used the pseudonym Tekchand Thakur for this novel....
, written under the pseudonym Tek Chand Thakur, used simple Bengali prose, closer to the spoken speech of the day, and was serialised in the magazine. It was one of the earliest Bengali novels and became an instant success. So great was its popularity that the language style came to be known as ‘Alali’. That set the trend for Bengali prose then. In 1864, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was a famous Bengali writer, poet and journalist. He was the composer of India’s national song Vande Mataram, originally a Bengali and Sanskrit stotra personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring the activists during the Indian Freedom Movement...
published his first novel Durgeshnandini to finally lay down the standard for Bengali prose. Alaler Ghare Dulal was translated into English.
Rev. James Long, who was a keen observer of the literary scene in Bengal, and was imprisoned and fined for the English translation of the controversial play Nil Darpan, used to call him ‘the Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
of Bengal’. Peary Chand Mitra wrote a number of books –Abhedi, Jatkinchit, Bamatoshini, Ramaranjika, Adhyatika, Mad Khaoa Baro Daey. He wrote a biographical sketch of David Hare
David Hare (philanthropist)
David Hare was a Scottish watchmaker and philanthropist in Bengal. He founded many important and prestigious educational institutions in Kolkata, such as the Hindu School, and Hare School and helped in founding Presidency College.-Early life:...
in English.
Other activities
In later life, he was a successful businessman. Along with his Derozian friend Tarachand Chuckervertty, he was involved in export-import business(Pearychand & Tarachand Limited). He was associated with a variety of social welfare activities of his day. He was a member of the Calcutta University Senate, the society for prevention of cruelty to animals, and Bethune Society. He was secretary of the British India Society (later Association). He was a Justice of the Peace.He had great interest in the development of agriculture in the country. His criticism of the permanent settlement, The Zemindar and Ryots, created a sensation. While a member of the Agricultural Society, he started an organisation for the translation of books on agriculture from English to Bengali.
In 1881, when Madame Blavatsky
Madame Blavatsky
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky , was a theosophist, writer and traveler. Between 1848 and 1875 Blavatsky had gone around the world three times. In 1875, Blavatsky together with Colonel H. S. Olcott established the Theosophical Society...
and Col Olcott
Henry Steel Olcott
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer and the co-founder and first President of the Theosophical Society....
visited India, he became involved with the Theosophical Society
Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society is an organization formed in 1875 to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The original organization, after splits and realignments has several successors...
. He died on 23 November 1883 at Kolkata.