1903

1903 is a turning point in Saratchandra Chattopadhyay’s early biography and a date associated with the beginnings of his literary career: after his father’s death, he left for Burma at twenty-seven, and Charitraheen had been written by this year at the latest.

Departure for Burma

After his father died, Saratchandra left for Burma in 1903, aged twenty-seven. The move marked a change in his circumstances, taking him away from the places where he had spent his childhood and youth. The account does not specify the circumstances of his departure beyond its timing after his father’s death.

A beginning in print

From Burma, Saratchandra began sending stories and novels to journals in Calcutta. The year therefore precedes the literary recognition described in the account: his writing reached readers through journals, where the quality of the work would soon prompt speculation about its author.

The date and Charitraheen

1903 also appears as the earliest stated date for the writing of Charitraheen. This is distinct from the novel’s later serialization: Yamuna began serializing it after it had already been written. The two references make 1903 both a biographical marker, associated with Saratchandra’s departure for Burma, and a point of origin in the chronology of one of his novels.