The Spoilt Child

Peary Chand Mitra (1814-1883) was an Indian writer. Born in Calcutta to a wealthy Bengali family, Mitra studied Persian as a boy and began learning English at the Hindu College, where he enrolled in 1827. In 1836, he found employment with the Calcutta Public Library as a deputy librarian, eventually reaching the position of curator. A frequent contributor to the Englishman, Indian Field, Calcutta Review, and Bengal Spectator, Mitra was a major force in the development of Bengali literature and journalism. Although several of his novels and essays were written in English, Mitra was known for his use of accessible Bengali prose in order to expand readership beyond the fortunate few who had received an education in Sanskrit. His novel Alaler Gharer Dulal (1857), or The Spoilt Child, is considered a classic of Bengali literature that set the standard for writing in the language that would be adapted and virtually finalized in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's monumental first novel, published in 1864. Towards the end of his life, Mitra became a successful businessman as director of several hospitality, investment, and import-export ventures.