Krupabai Satthianadhan: The First Indian Autobiographer

Most people might not be aware of Krupabai Satthianadhan, the woman who initiated feminist writing in India. She wrote about matters that were considered scandalous at the time and lived a life unheard of for women, and brought in the concept of ‘the new Indian woman’. Her writing brought about a shift in readers in India as well as all over the world — reaching even the Queen of England, although it gained popularity posthumously.

Krupabai Satthianadhan, Source: The Hindu

Krupabai Satthianadhan was the first Indian woman to write an autobiography in English. Even though she only had two titles to her name, both were critically acclaimed, at the time of publishing, and more so today. Her first novel, titled ‘Saguna: A Story of Native Christian Life’, is a combination of fictional and autobiographical elements. Her second novel, titled ‘Kamala: A Story of Hindu Life’, was published posthumously, after her untimely death at 31.

Krupabai belonged to a family that initially practised Brahmanism and eventually converted to Christianity; they were one of the first families in India to convert to Christianity. Her being exposed to both religions gave her a unique perspective on life, which can be seen in her two contradictory novel titles.

After the death of her father and her older brother, she spent some time being cared for by two European women. Krupabai attended a boarding school in Bombay and consequently received a scholarship to study medicine at Madras Medical College, the first medical college in India to admit women. She had to, unfortunately, leave because of her ill health and depression. She went on to become a teacher and writer.

Her writing was not visible to the public for decades after publishing but came back into the limelight with the rising popularity of postcolonial and feminist theories. Krupabai ushered in the concept of ‘the new Indian woman’, which essentially began with the simple act of her writing, and the themes she explored, like discrimination, domestic life, and female education.

She wrote about white racism as well as Brahminical casteism, criticising both concepts. She hinted at the patriarchal, socio-religious, and gender-discriminatory ideologies that were rampant at the time, making her a veritable voice for women.

In Saguna, Satthianadhan wrote about the life that young women had to lead after getting married and moving into their husband’s houses. The work they were forced to do, slaving over a hot stove, sweeping, and keeping the house tidy —led to the main theme that she explored in the book, the treatment of women.

Saguna, the protagonist, is treated harshly by her mother-in-law and her husband’s family, making her attempt suicide. She then sees her husband immersed in Christian prayer, and the words strike a chord with her. He, who came from a devout Brahmin family, turned to Christianity after experiencing an existential crisis about the morals of the Hindu religion. One can draw parallels between this part of the novel to Krupabai’s own life, with her parents’ conversion that resulted in a scandal, much like in the novel. The novel heavily deals with the Christian faith as an overarching theme.

Both of Satthianadhan’s novels dealt with equal rights for women, the colonial impact on India, and religious/ traditional knowledge. In Kamala, the titular narrator was taught religious scriptures by her father, making her more well-read than most of the men around her. These men and their families found her wisdom offensive — how could a mere woman be more educated than a man? They believed that men had to be more learned than women and that they were superior to women.

Both the characters of Saguna and Kamala feel trapped by marriage and domestic life, both of them wanting more from their lives, and having an inherent desire to be educated. Both of them had the common thread of being knowledgeable but having to hide their intelligence connecting them. In both novels, Satthianadhan wrote about these characters having a deep yearning for learning but having to forgo it because of their married life.

Interestingly, Satthianadhan, in real life, despite her rebellious nature and writing about women being independent, lived a conventional life. After giving up her career in medicine, she followed her husband wherever he had to go for work. Her craving for wanting to be ‘as good as a man’ ultimately gave way to her yielding to become ‘just a woman’.

Krupabai Satthianadhan’s novels are masterpieces, dealing with themes and characters that were in a morally grey area, enshrined in beautiful language and a realistic nod to the time it was set in. She truly paved the way for women writers and became the voice for the new Indian woman — one who stands up for herself, gets the education that she desires and does not bow down to societal ideals.