Krupa Satthianadhan

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: கிருபா சத்தியநாதன்

Krupa Satthianadhan (Krupabai Satthianadhan) (February 14, 1862–1894) was an Indian English writer who portrayed the lives of Tamil women. Her novels were translated into Tamil. Krupabai, thus, gets included in the list of Tamil writers some times. Krupabai authored two novels: Kamala - A Hindu Life and Saguna - A Christian Life. She is regarded today as the writer who portrayed lives of 19th-century women from feminist perspective.

Birth, Studies

Krupabai Satthianadhan was born on February 14, 1862 in Ahmednagar, (then in) Maharashtra, to Haripant Khisti and Radhabai. Both her parents were born in the Brahmin community but converted themselves to Christianity.

Bhaskar,  Krupabai’s brother introduced her to literature and books. However, Bhaskar passed away at an young age. This created a major void in Krupabai's life. Krupabai casted Bhaskar as a great character in her novel Saguna - A Christian Life. As Krupabai was in grief due to Bhaskar's death, Two white Christian women comforted her and took responsibility for her education. Krupabai travelled to Mumbai for her studies, met an American female doctor and developed involvement in medicine. Krupabai, a bright student, moved to Chennai alone at the age of 16 to study medicine at Madras Medical College with scholarships from those two white women. Krupabai joined Madras Medical College in 1878 but, she did not complete her medical course due to tuberculosis issue.

Private Life

At the age of 16, Krupabai moved to Chennai alone to study medicine at Madras Medical College with scholarships from two white women. In Chennai, she stayed with the family of renowned missionary Reverend W. D. Satthianadhan. Krupabai joined Madras Medical College in 1878. She contracted tuberculosis on her medical duty. Krupabai went to her sister’s place in Pune for medical treatment in 1879. Krupabai returned to Chennai and married Satthianadhan’s son Samuel Satthianadhan in 1881. Cambridge educated Samuel relocated to Ooty to serve as the headmaster of Breeks Memorial School. Krupabai shifted to Ooty without completing her medical course and engaged in academic work there. She started a school for Muslim girls with the help of Church Missionary Society in Ooty.

Krupabai's tuberculosis was under control in Ooty. She wrote her early set of articles and stories there. Samuel and Krupabai shifted to Rajamantri after 3 years. Krupabai fell ill again there due to the hot environment. They shifted to Kumbakonam from Rajamantri. Kripabai continued to write despite her deteriorating health. They returned to Madras in 1886. Krupabai wrote her first novel in Chennai. Saguna - A Christian Life was published in the prestigious Madras Christian College Magazine issued between 1887 and 1888. During this period, Krupabai's only child died before attaining one year. This plunged Krupabai into a deep depression. Her tuberculosis also peaked and it was then that she wrote Kamala - A Hindu Life. On her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Krupabai penned two biographical notes. She died at the age of 31 in 1894. After her death, Kamala - A Hindu Life was published. In the name of Krupabai, Madras Medical College instituted a scholarship and University of Madras awards a gold medal to the topper in English.

Literary Life

Krupabai Satthianadhan wrote the novel Kamala - A Hindu Life in 1892 and the novel Saguna - A Christian Life in 1893 in Madras Christian College Magazine, which published in English under editorship of William Miller, Christian College. These novels were translated into Tamil by missionary Samuel Paul, who published them in 1896 entitled Kamala – Oru Indupennin Vazhkai and Saguna - Oru Krusthuvapennin Vazhkai.

Saguna - A Christian Life was Krupabai Satthianadhan’s first novel. Kamala - A Hindu Life was the second novel from Krupabai Satthianadhan and she passed away after finishing it. Second novel was published posthumously. Krupabai's novels were widely appreciated at the time of their publications but were forgotten afterwards. After post-colonial scholars Susie Tharu and K. Lalitha cited Krupabai Satthianadhan in their landmark Women Writing in India (1991), her novels were subsequently reprinted.