Hana Catherine Mullens

Infobox Person
name =Hana Catherine Mullens


image_size =
caption =
birth_date =1826
birth_place =Chinsurah, India ?
death_date =1861
death_place =
occupation =Author
spouse =

Hana Catherine Mullens is credited by some with having written the first novel in the Bengali language, "Phulmani O Karunar Bibaran" (Description of Phulmani and Karuna), in 1852.Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976/1998), "Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan" (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, Bn icon, p 423, ISBN 8185626650. ] There are other claimants to being earlier novels. "Nababababubilas" published by Bhabani Charan Bandopadhyay in 1825 is claimed as one by somecite web
url = http://www.boi-mela.com/Banglapedia/ViewArticle.asp?TopicRef=3911
title = Article on: Novel
accessdate = 2007-05-04
last = Aziz
first = Mahibul
work = Banglapedia/ Boi Mela
publisher =Asiatic Society of Bangladesh] but others think of it as being merely a story. [Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali, pp. 374-375.] Similar reservation has also been expressed about "Phulmani O Karunar Bibaran". [ Bandopadhyay, Brajendranath, "Sahitye Banga Mahila", in "Bethune College and School Centenary Volume", edited by Dr. Kalidas Nag, 1949, p. 196]

Early life

Her father, Rev Francois Locroya was a Swiss citizen who went to Chinsurah in India in 1821 to preach Christianity on behalf of the London Missionary Society. Hana learnt Bengali from the servants at home and at the age of 12 started teaching Bengali in a newly established school in Kolkata. In 1845, she was married to J.Mullens, who was also engaged in preaching Christianity in India. It was a period when Sanskrit was used for literary expressions and Bengali was only a language of conversation.

Achievements

Her first Bengali book "Phulmani O Karunar Bibaran" was written for native Christian women in 1852. The objective was to preach Christianity. This book was published six years before Peary Chand Mitra published his "Alaler Gharer Dulal".The first Bengali woman to write a novel was Swarnakumari Devi, with her "Deepnirban" in 1876. [ Banerjee, Hiranmay, "Thakurbarir Katha", Bn icon, p. 119, Sishu Sahitya Sansad.]

Mullens wrote another book "The Missionary on the Ganges or What is Christianity" in both English and Bengali. She translated "Daybreak in Britain" into Bengali.

References

Persondata
NAME= Hana Catherine Mullens
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Author
DATE OF BIRTH= 1826
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH= 1861
PLACE OF DEATH=