James Herbert Lorrain
| James Herbert Lorrain | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 February 1870 |
| Died | 1 July 1944 (aged 74) London and was buried in grave Lane KK, Section No. CC, Plot No. 16J in South Ealing Cemetery, 28 Chilton Ave, London W5 4RU, UK. [[1]] |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Pu Buanga (to Mizo people) |
| Occupation | Christian missionary |
| Known for | Christianity in Mizoram, Mizo language, and Mizo literature |
James Herbert Lorrain, or Pu Buanga, (6 February 1870 – 1 July 1944) was a Scottish Baptist missionary in northeast India, including Mizoram, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh. He and Frederick William Savidge reduced the Lushai language (a Colonial British name, present Mizo language) to writing—devised an alphabet using Roman lettering and phonetic form of spelling based on Hunterian system translation; compiled grammar and dictionaries for missionary activities and clerical administration.
He and F.W. Savidge were credited to the establishment of Christianity and education in Mizoram. They compiled the first Lushai grammar and dictionary. As a gifted lexicographer, Lorrain single-handedly was responsible for the origin of written language and hymns in Mizo. More popularly known as "Pu Buanga Dictionary", Dictionary of the Lushai Language became the foundation of Mizo language and literature.
Lorrain was brought up in South London as a Congregationalist. He was baptised at a young age. His father was a postmaster at London Post Office. Fowllowing his father's profession, he worked as a telegraphist in the same post office. His family was a member of London Highgate Road Baptist Church. Here he met F.W. Savidge. In 1890, story of Mary Winchester, a six-year-old British girl who was held hostages by Mizo tribes, and rescued by the British military, was a headline. When Lorrain saw a portrait the hapless girl in captivity in a newspaper, he prayed and planned to work as a missionary to the remote tribes. In December 1890 he saw the exact opportunity under Robert Arthington's Aborigines Mission. He resigned from post office and left London on 16 December 1890. His ship arrived at Calcutta on 21 January 1891, not really knowing how to proceed further for the unexplored land. He stayed in Bengal (now in Bangladesh) for a year. His future associate F.W. Savidge arrived in November 1891, and they met at an evangelical campaign at Brahmanbaria organised by the New Zealand Baptists. On their first attempt to enter Tripura they were bluntly denied by the ruler, Maharaja. Dejected they moved to Chittagong where they stayed for sometime awaiting permission to enter Lushai Hills. Since Lushai Hills was still under tribal chieftainships with constant warfare, their application was deferred and were allowed to stay at Kasalong village, the nearest possible location. Facing heavy shortage of food supply, they stayed there for a few months under constant hunger. Rangamati Commissioner had provided them with a rifle to defend themselves from any tribal insurgency. Unfortunately neither of them had any experience in shooting and could not even hit jungle fowls flogging around their hut. Then they suffered from severe dysentery. The medical doctor advised them to move to Darjeeling where a colder climate would revive them. After they recovered they stayed at Silchar for one whole year in 1893. Fortunately they could encounter some Mizo visitors from time to time, so that they could start learning their language. Finally a permit was issued and they immediately set off on Tlawng River in a canoe on Boxing Day of 1983.
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