James Herbert Lorrain, or Pu Buanga, (6 February 1870 – 1 July 1944) was a British Baptist missionary in northeast India, including Mizoram, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh. He and Frederick William Savidge reduced the Mizo language (known as the Lushai language under the Colonial British name), 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.
Life
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. Following 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 1893. Lorrain married Eleanor Atkinson in 1904. He died in London after ten years of his retirement, at the age of 73.
Missionary work
Arthington Aborigines Mission Lorrain and Savidge arrived in Aizawl on 11 January 1894 to be the first missionaries to Mizos. The day is now observed as public holiday as "Missionary Day" in the state. They made camp at Thingpui Huan Tlang ("tea garden"), MacDonald Hill, Zarkawt. The natives soon called Lorrain as Pu Buanga ("Mr. Grey", for his grey hairs), and Savidge as Sap Upa ("Old Mizo Sahib", as he was older of the two). They became known only be these new names among the Mizos. By March or April 1894, created the first Mizo alphabets based on Roman script. On 2 April 1894 they started a school. Suaka and Thangphunga became the first students, hence the first literate Mizos. However, the school was closed down in 1897 as the Arthington Mission was terminated. During their stay, they taught the Lusei tribes to read and write, translated Gospels (Gospel of Luke, Gospel of John) and Acts into Lusei language, and published A Grammar and Dictionary of the Luhsai Language in 1895.
Assam Frontier Pioneer Mission In 1897 Arthington dissolved his mission, and handed over the mission field to Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Mission. Lorrain and Savidge were forced to return to England. After completing a short on medicine, they formed their own Assam Frontier Pioneer Mission, and they returned to India in 1899. On 16 June 1900 they arrived at Sadya, Assam (now in Arunachal Pradesh). They worked among Abors – Galo tribe and Adi people. They prepared A Dictionary of the ABOR-MIRI Language.
Baptist mission in southern Mizoram In 1902, the Welsh Presbyterian Mission decided to split Mizoram into two mission fields, the northern and southern regions. Since mission was fledging well and the church was growing immensely, they handed the southern field to Baptist Missionary Society of London. The mission was funded under the share of Robert Arthington's will. The experienced and unemployed Baptist workers Savidge and Lorrain were immediately recruited. They arrived in Lunglei on 13 March 1903, greeted by several Christinized natives from the north. They settled at Serkawn. This marked the establishment of Baptist Church in Mizoram and Serkawn remains the centre of its administration to this day. For effective administration Savidge took up education and social works, while Lorrain pursued pastoral and translation works. They both got married during this period. In terms of statistics, evangelism in Mizoram the most successful in any BMS field in the 20th century. Between 1919 and 1924, the total Baptist community increased from 3,670 to 8,770, and church membership from 1,017 to 3,198.
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