How Madras saw the genesis of India’s first ladies’ magazine published by a woman

AT the turn of the 20th century, literate women in India were in search of reading material written exclusively for women. Though insignificant in number, these ladies became an essential demographic within readers and consumers of print. Even Mahakavi Bharathi edited a magazine for women - Chakravarthini from Triplicane, from 1904 to 1906. The Indian Ladies Magazine, India’s first women’s’ magazine edited and published by a woman - was launched in Madras in 1901.

The Indian Ladies Magazine that ran in print from 1901 to 1918 and then restarted from 1927-31, is a rich repository of information on how Madras’ aristocracy lived. It describes the aspirations of Indian women in the milieu of the prevailing colonial mindset. And it includes the accounts of many who got themselves educated, hobnobbed with the Governor’s wife and even played tennis wearing sarees.

The name of the editor of this magazine was Kamala, a pseudonym for a Telugu Christian woman named Hannah. The name Kamala had a significant tale behind it. Kamala was a fictional character created by India’s first female author in English - Krupabai Satthianadhan. Long after her untimely death, her husband, Samuel Satthianadhan chose to marry again - and his second wife Hannah chose to take on the name Kamala, when she launched her own literary career.

Hannah’s father had converted to Christianity but luckily stayed in touch with his roots. She grew up hearing stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, learnt Sanskrit and Carnatic music. Hannah’s father believed that a good education was necessary to help a girl live a well-rounded life and understand her own personality and sent her to Noble college in Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam, AP) where she became South India's first female graduate.

It was then that her marriage was arranged. Samuel Satthianadhan was a widower from a pastor’s family attached to the Zion church of Chintadripet.

It was only after her engagement that Hannah graduated with a BA degree from the Presidency College, Madras and she almost sank in embarrassment on stage as the audience cheered and whistled for the first female graduate in south India. Her life in Madras was filled with happy memories. Living in an opulent Royapettah house - The Myrtle, Hannah twirled through the high society of Madras and offered excellent descriptions of its social life - especially regarding the evenings at the newly formed Marina beach and the chronicles of the Prince of Wales visit during 1906. During one of the royal receptions, Hannah was chosen to translate for princess Mary who gifted her a signed portrait.

Satthianadhan recognised Hannah’s literary bent of mind in their first year of marriage, and they co-authored a book titled Stories of Indian Christian Life. In prose that was sprinkled with good humour, the work attempted to differentiate between religion and culture. It spoke of converts trying to adopt western culture just because they had turned to Christianity. Hannah had by then assumed the pen name of Kamala and soon everyone was calling her by that name including Satthianadhan.

In 1901, Satthianadhan convinced Kamala to start a magazine stressing on the need for a forum where Indian women could express themselves. The Indian Ladies Magazine was thus launched. Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Sarojini Naidu and Cornelia Sorabjee frequently contributed articles. Almost every poem of Sarojini Naidu premiered in ILM. Sarojini and Kamala were close friends but with Sarojini moving towards politics, they drifted apart.

And Kamala stubbornly kept away from the independence movement and politics. “Let the politicians fight. Theirs is a great task. But we also have to work towards building up our country. Without social reforms, India can never be happily free,” she said.

There was a great reception for the magazine. Even London Times credited it as bright, interesting and comprehensive (with articles on the Vedas as well as practical cookery recipes). Kamala even wrote episodic stories for children - the most notable among them being Detective Janaki. But tragedy struck when her husband died during the course of a voyage to Japan. Soon on the heels of widowhood came another catastrophe. The Arbuthnot Bank collapsed and Kamala lost a significant portion of her savings.

The well-to-do widow had to take up a job as a tutor to the Pithapuram Rani but still sustained the magazine in spite of great odds. But after the Queen was involved in an accident, the rajah put an end to her education. Even though Kamala was rendered unemployed, she continued to publish her magazine by taking tuitions for children. Only when she set sail for England where she wanted her son to qualify as a civil servant did Kamala shut down the magazine. It was in England that she wrote the books - Lives of Great Men and Great Women of India, Indian Tales of Animals, and Stories of Ancient India.

In 1923, when her son cleared the ICS, the family returned home to India . An observant Kamala would write a series My Impressions of England in The Hindu for a year. Back in India, she helped start a school at Pallavaram with three resident pupils and three day scholars. Named Vidyodaya, it’s a famous educational institution today.

Subsequently, Kamala was made a Senate member of universities and an Honorary Magistrate as well. She was interested in starting new co-operatives and strengthening the presence of existing ones. These included dairy and handloom cooperative societies for women. In 1941, Kamala was honoured with a Coronation Medal and later made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

— With inputs from Nivedita Louis