author
Peary Chand Mitra
1814–1883
A lively voice from the Bengal Renaissance, he helped bring everyday Bengali into literature and opened the door for a new kind of novel. Best known by the pen name Tek Chand Thakur, he wrote with humor and sharp social observation.
1 Audiobook
The Spoilt Child: A Tale of Hindu Domestic Life
by Peary Chand Mitra
About the author
Born in Calcutta on July 22, 1814, Peary Chand Mitra was an Indian writer, journalist, cultural activist, and entrepreneur. He was associated with Henry Derozio's Young Bengal circle, a reform-minded group that challenged old ideas and encouraged new ways of thinking.
He is best remembered for Alaler Gharer Dulal (1857), published under the pseudonym Tek Chand Thakur. The book is widely noted for its use of simple, conversational Bengali prose and for its vivid picture of 19th-century Calcutta society, which helped shape the future of Bengali fiction.
Mitra was also active beyond literature. Sources describe him as involved in journalism and public cultural life, and as one of the figures connected with the early development of the Calcutta Public Library. He died on November 23, 1883, leaving behind a reputation as an important early modern voice in Bengali writing.