Peary Chand Mitra
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2013) |
Peary Chand Mitra | |
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British Indian | |
Other names | Tek Chand Thakur |
Occupation(s) | Writer, journalist, cultural activist, entrepreneur |
Notable work | Alaler Gharer Dulal (1857) |
Founder |
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Derozians |
Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee • Hara Chandra Ghosh • Krishna Mohan Banerjee • Peary Chand Mitra • Radhanath Sikdar • Ramgopal Ghosh • Ramtanu Lahiri • Rasik Krishna Mallick • Sib Chandra Deb |
Peary Chand Mitra (22 July 1814 – 23 November 1883) was an Indian writer, journalist, cultural activist and entrepreneur.
Early life
Mitra was born at
Career
Mitra joined Calcutta Public Library as deputy librarian in 1836.[1] The library was established the same year in the residence of an Englishman named Strong in the Esplanade. It was later shifted to 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. Mitra rapidly rose up the ladder as librarian, secretary and finally curator, a position he held till his retirement.
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 also a Justice of the Peace.
He had 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
Journalism and literary work
Mitra was a contributor to the Englishman, Indian Field, Hindu Patriot, Friend of India, Calcutta Review, Bengal Harkara and Bengal Spectator.[1] Along with his Derozian friend Rasik Krishna Mallick, he edited the Jnananeswan. Another Derozian, Ram Gopal Ghosh, was associated with it.
His major literary works include:
- Alaler Gharer Dulal (1857)
- Mad Khaoya Bada Day Jat Thakar ki Upay (1859)
- Ramaranjika (1860)
- Krsipath (1861)
- Bamatoshini (1881)
- Abhedi (1871)
- Jatkinchit (1865)
- Adhyantika (1881)
In English he wrote A Biographical Sketch of David Hare (1877), The Spiritual Stray Leaves (1879), Stray Thought of Spiritualism (1879), and Life of Dewan Ramkamal Sen (1880) and an essay named The Zamindar and Royats.
In 1857, Mitra and
Dickens of Bengal
Rev. James Long was a keen observer of the literary scene in Bengal and referred to Mitra as 'the Dickens of Bengal'. He was imprisoned and fined for writing a preface to the English translation of Dinabandhu Mitra's controversial play Nil Darpan. The translation was done by Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
Entrepreneurship
In later life, Mitra became a successful businessman.[1] Along with his Derozian friend Tarachand Chakraborti, he was involved in export-import business Pearychand & Tarachand Limited.
Family
Mitra had a brother Kishori Chand Mitra, a civil servant. He had four sons – Amrita Lal Mitra, Chuuni Lal Mitra, Heera Lal Mitra and Nagendra Lal Mitra and a daughter Uma Shashi Mitra.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Islam, Sirajul (2012). "Mitra, Peary Chand". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ Ghosh, Manmathnath, Karmabeer Kishorichand Mitra, 1926, p 11
- ^ Banians are local brokers and agents to the European merchants in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
- ^ Hana Catherine Mullens wrote Phoolmani O Karunar Bibaran in 1852. This is regarded as the first novel in Bengali; Alaler Gharer Dulal was published in 1858, as per Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan page 423. Harinath Mazumdar wrote a novel Bijay Basanta at the same time as per Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj, page 88.
Further reading
- Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj in Bengali by Sivanath Sastri, page 87.
- Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical dictionary) in Bengali edited by Subodh Chandra Sengupta and Anjali Bose, page 292.