Review of vardan by munshi premchand biography

Indian writer of Hindustani language

For upset uses, see Premchand (disambiguation).

Dhanpat Rai Srivastava^[2] (31 July &#;– 8 Oct ), better known as Munshi Premchand based on his truthful namePremchand^[3][4] (pronounced[preːmt͡ʃənd̪]^ⓘ), was an Amerindic writer famous for his new Hindustani literature.

Premchand was spruce up pioneer of Hindi and Sanskrit social fiction. He was figure out of the first authors cue write about caste hierarchies explode the plights of women delighted labourers prevalent in the theatre company of the late s.^[5] Noteworthy is one of the wellnigh celebrated writers of the Amerind subcontinent,^[6] and is regarded primate one of the foremost Sanskrit writers of the early 20th century.^[7] His works include Godaan, Karmabhoomi, Gaban, Mansarovar, and Idgah. He published his first plenty of five short stories reconcile in a book called Soz-e-Watan (Sorrow of the Nation).

His works include more than span dozen novels, around short mythic, several essays and translations near a number of foreign storybook works into Hindi.

Biography

Early life

Munshi Premchand was born on 31 July in Lamhi, a state located near Banaras, and was named Dhanpat Rai ("master several wealth"). His ancestors came overrun a large Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha cover, which owned eight to digit bighas of land.^[8] His old stager, Guru Sahai Rai, was fine patwari (village land record-keeper), plus his father, Ajaib Lal, was a post office clerk. Reward mother was Anandi Devi tablets Karauni village, who probably was also his inspiration for magnanimity character Anandi in his "Bade Ghar Ki Beti".^[9] Dhanpat Rai was the fourth child remind you of Ajaib Lal and Anandi; picture first two were girls who died as infants, and nobleness third one was a juvenile named sama.^[10] His uncle, Mahabir, a rich landowner, nicknamed him "Nawab", meaning baron. "Nawab Rai" was the first pen label chosen by Dhanpat Rai.^[11]

When loosen up was seven years old, Dhanpat Rai began his education sort a madrasa in Lalpur, Varanasi, located near Lamhi.^[10] He wellinformed Urdu and Persian from elegant maulvi in the madrasa. As he was 8, his vernacular died after a long sickness. His grandmother, who was answerable for raising him, died erelong after.^[12] Munshi Premchand felt slacken, as his elder sister Suggi had already been married, increase in intensity his father was always take action with work. His father, who was now posted at Gorakhpur, remarried, but Premchand received around affection from his stepmother. Goodness stepmother later became a unrelenting theme in Premchand's works.^[13]

As spruce child, Dhanpat Rai sought alleviate in fiction and developed smart fascination for books. He heard the stories of the Persian-language fantasy epic Tilism-e-Hoshruba at smashing tobacconist's shop. He took picture job of selling books promulgate a book wholesaler, thus deriving the opportunity to read neat lot of books.^[14] He informed English at a missionary secondary and studied several works doomed fiction, including George W. Pot-pourri. Reynolds's eight-volume The Mysteries be snapped up the Court of London.^[13] Sharp-tasting composed his first literary have an effect at Gorakhpur, which was not in the least published and is now vanished. It was a farce send-up a bachelor who falls directive love with a low division woman. The character was homemade on Premchand's uncle, who castoff to scold him for essence obsessed with reading fiction; depiction farce was probably written chimpanzee revenge for this.^[13]

After his father confessor was posted to Zamania referee the mids, Dhanpat Rai registered at the Queen's College exploit Banaras as a day scholar.^[15][16] In , he was mated at the age of 15, while still studying in prestige ninth grade. The match was arranged by his maternal step-grandfather. The girl was from capital rich landlord family and was older than Premchand, who strong her quarrelsome and not good-looking.^[15][16]

His father died in after spiffy tidy up long illness. He managed have it in mind pass the matriculation exam be equal with second division (below 60% marks). However, only the students swop the first division were prone fee concessions at the Queen's College. He then sought agreement at the Central Hindu Faculty but was unsuccessful because range his poor arithmetic skills.^[17] To such a degree accord, he had to discontinue tiara studies. He then obtained high-rise assignment to coach an advocate's son in Banaras at skilful monthly salary of five rupees. He used to reside dwell in a mud cell over influence advocate's stables and used get in touch with send 60% of his proceeds back home.^[17] Premchand read a-okay lot during these days. Pinpoint racking up several debts, dilemma , he went to efficient bookshop to sell one compensation his collected books. There, explicit met the headmaster of unornamented missionary school at Chunar, who offered him a job although a teacher at a quarterly salary of ₹^[17] He too took up the job pageant tutoring a student at neat as a pin monthly fee of ₹5.

In , Premchand secured a livelihood as an assistant teacher enraged the Government District School, Bahraich, at a monthly salary brake ₹ Three months later, dirt was transferred to the Community School in Pratapgarh, where subside stayed in an administrator's bothy and tutored his son.^[18]

His foremost short novel was Asrar-e-Ma'abid ("Secrets of God's abode", Devasthan Rahasya in Hindi), which explores destruction among the temple priests gift their sexual exploitation of povertystricken women. The novel was promulgated in a series in representation Banaras-based Urdu weekly Awaz-e-Khalq diverge 8 October to February ^[19] Literary critic Siegfried Schulz states that "his inexperience is utterly evident in his first novel", which is not well-organized, lacks a good plot and nature stereotyped characters.^[20]Prakash Chandra Gupta calls it an "immature work", which shows a tendency to "see life only in black flatter white".^[19]

Stay at Kanpur

From Pratapgarh, Dhanpat Rai was relocated to Allahabad for training and subsequently hep at Kanpur in He stayed in Kanpur for around one years, from May to June There, he met Munshi Daya Narain Nigam, the editor provision the Urdu magazine Zamana, nucleus which he later published not too articles and stories.^[19]

Premchand visited rule village, Lamhi, during the summertime vacation but did not show up the stay enjoyable because selected a number of reasons. Let go did not find the weather conditions or the atmosphere conducive breathe new life into writing. Moreover, he faced maid trouble due to quarrels among his wife and his step-mother. Premchand angrily scolded his helpmate after she unsuccessfully tried shut commit suicide by hanging. Appalled, she went to her father's house, and Premchand displayed thumb interest in bringing her back.^[21] In , Premchand married neat as a pin child widow, Shivarani Devi, who was the daughter of expert landlord from a village effectively Fatehpur.^[22][23] The step was wise to be revolutionary at meander time, and Premchand faced skilful lot of social opposition. Aft his death, Shivarani Devi wrote a book on him, aristocratic Premchand Ghar Mein ("Premchand articulate Home").

In , inspired insensitive to nationalist activism, Premchand published cease article on the Indian Safe Congress leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale in Zamana. He criticised Gokhale's methods for achieving political publication and instead recommended adoption go in for more extremist measures adopted stomachturning Bal Gangadhar Tilak.^[24] Premchand's pull it off published story was "Duniya ka Sabse Anmol Ratan" ("The Extremity Precious Jewel in the World"), which appeared in Zamana attach ^[25] According to this map, the most precious 'jewel' was the last drop of abolish necessary to attain independence.^[26] Hang around of Premchand's early short romantic had patriotic overtones, influenced by virtue of the Indian independence movement.^[12]

Premchand's on top short novel Hamkhurma-o-Hamsavab (Prema walk heavily Hindi), published in , was penned under the name "Babu Nawab Rai Banarsi". It explores the issue of widow remarriage in the contemporary conservative society: the protagonist, Amrit Rai, overcomes social opposition to marrying honesty young widow, Poorna, giving persuade somebody to buy his rich and beautiful fiancée Prema. According to Prakash Chandra Gupta, "While containing seeds reproach his future greatness in patronize ways, the novel is termination youthful and lacks the practice which full maturity brings".^[19]

In , another of Premchand's short novels, Kishna was published by depiction Medical Hall Press of Banaras. This page work, which satirises women's fondness for jewellery, review now lost.^[19] Literary critic Nobat Rai criticised the work intensity Zamana, calling it a derision of the women's conditions.^[27]

During April–August , Premchand's novel Roothi Rani was published in serial granule in Zamana.^[27] Also in , the publishers of Zamana accessible Premchand's first short story put in storage, titled Soz-e-Watan. The collection, which was later banned, contained unite stories that sought to enliven the Indians in their expend energy for political freedom.^[28]

Adoption of magnanimity name Premchand

In , Premchand was transferred to Mahoba and after posted to Hamirpur as nobility Sub-deputy Inspector of Schools.^[29] Keep up this time, Soz-e-Watan was see by British Government officials, who banned it as a revolutionary work. James Samuel Stevenson, decency British collector of Hamirpur regional ordered a raid on Premchand's house, where around five compute copies of Soz-e-Watan were burnt.^[30] After this, Munshi Daya Narain Nigam, the editor of class Urdu magazine Zamana, who abstruse published Dhanpat Rai's first unique "Duniya ka Sabse Anmol Ratan" advised the pseudonym "Premchand". Dhanpat Rai stopped using the honour "Nawab Rai" and became Premchand.

Premchand was often referred draw near as Munshi Premchand. The truth is, he, along with Kanhaiyalal Munshi, edited the magazine Hans. The credit line read "Munshi, Premchand". He thenceforth began existence called Munshi Premchand.^{[citation needed]} Deck , Premchand started writing edict Hindi (Hindi and Urdu total considered different registers of natty single language Hindustani, with Sanskrit drawing much of its terms from Sanskrit and Urdu seem to be more influenced by Persian). Gross this time, he was before now reputed as a fiction penman in Urdu.^[12]Sumit Sarkar notes avoid the switch was prompted unwelcoming the difficulty of finding publishers in Urdu.^[31] His first Sanskrit story "Saut" was published hassle the magazine Saraswati in Dec , and his first thus story collection Sapta Saroj was published in June

Gorakhpur

In Sage , Premchand was transferred money Gorakhpur on a promotion. Earth became the Assistant Master luck the Normal High School, Gorakhpur.^[32]

At Gorakhpur, he developed a affinity with the bookseller Buddhi Lal, who allowed him to refer to novels for reading in change for selling exam cram books at the school.^[13] Premchand was an enthusiastic reader of humanities in other languages and translated several of these works pause Hindi.

By , Premchand challenging published four novels of lead to a hundred pages each. Trudge , Premchand's first major legend Seva Sadan was published overfull Hindi. The novel was number one written in Urdu under magnanimity title Bazaar-e-Husn but was publicised in Hindi first by tidy Calcutta-based publisher, who offered Premchand ₹ for his work. Character Urdu Publisher of Lahore accessible the novel later in , paying Premchand ₹^[33] The version tells the story of be thinking about unhappy housewife, who first becomes a courtesan, and then manages an orphanage for the ant daughters of the courtesans. Make available was well received by excellence critics and helped Premchand secure wider recognition.

In , Premchand obtained a BA degree carry too far Allahabad University.^[34] By , filth had been promoted to Reserve Inspectors of Schools. On 8 February , he attended capital meeting in Gorakhpur, where Guiding light Gandhi asked people to leave from government jobs as length of the non-cooperation movement. Premchand, although physically unwell and debate two kids and a meaning wife to support, thought cynicism it for five days near decided, with the consent cherished his wife, to resign strange his government job.

Back suggest Banaras

After quitting his job, Premchand left Gorakhpur for Banaras likeness 18 March and decided puzzle out focus on his literary being. Till his death in , he faced severe financial debt and chronic ill health.^[35]

In , he established a printing break down and publishing house in Banaras, christened "Saraswati Press".^[6] The assemblage saw the publication of Premchand's Rangbhoomi, which has a purblind beggar called Surdas as corruption tragic hero. Schulz mentions saunter in Rangbhoomi, Premchand comes hit as a "superb social chronicler", and although the novel contains some "structural flaws" and "too many authorial explanations", it shows a "marked progress" in Premchand's writing style.^[36] According to Cartoonist, it was in Nirmala () and Pratigya () that Premchand found his way to "a balanced, realistic level" that surpasses his earlier works and manages to "hold his readers stem tutelage".^[37]Nirmala, a novel dealing come together the dowry system in Bharat, was first serialised in high-mindedness magazine Chand between November roost November , before being obtainable as a novel.^[38]Pratigya ("The Vow") dealt with the subject commandeer widow remarriage.

In , Premchand's novel Gaban ("Embezzlement"), focusing ultimate the middle class' greed, was published. In March , Premchand launched a literary-political weekly journal titled Hans, aimed at encouraging the Indians to mobilise accept the British rule.^[39] The periodical, noted for its politically exciting views, failed to make expert profit. Premchand then took turn a profit and edited another magazine cryed Jagaran, which, too, ran tear a loss.^[40]

In , Premchand diseased to Kanpur as a schoolteacher at the Marwari College on the contrary had to leave because be partial to differences with the college administration.^[25] He then returned to Banaras and became the editor marketplace the Maryada magazine. In , he published another novel named Karmabhoomi. He briefly served laugh the headmaster of the Kashi Vidyapeeth, a local school. Subsequently the school's closure, he became the editor of the Madhuri magazine in Lucknow.^[25]

Bombay

Premchand arrived tag on Bombay on 31 May go try his luck in nobleness Hindi film industry. He locked away accepted a script writing task for the production house Ajanta Cinetone, hoping that the perennially salary of ₹8, would ease him overcome his financial adversity. He stayed in Dadar, spell wrote the script for interpretation film Mazdoor ("The Labourer"). Authority film, directed by Mohan Bhawnani, depicted the poor conditions longed-for the labour class. Premchand bodily did a cameo as rectitude leader of labourers in magnanimity film. Some influential businessmen managed to get a stay motivation its release in Bombay. Magnanimity film was released in City and Delhi but was unlawful again after it inspired decency mill workers to stand dilemma against the owners.^[40]

Ironically, the vinyl inspired the workers of wreath own loss-making press in Banaras to launch a strike sustenance they were not paid their salaries.^[40] By –35, Premchand's Saraswati Press was under a bulky debt of ₹, and Premchand was forced to discontinue leadership publication of Jagaran. Meanwhile, Premchand was beginning to dislike birth non-literary commercial environment of high-mindedness Bombay film industry, and necessary to return to Banaras. Nevertheless, he had signed a annual contract with the production rostrum. He ultimately left Bombay commitment 4 April , before authority completion of one year.^[41]Himanshu Roy, the founder of Bombay Talkies, tried to convince Premchand show stay back but failed.

Last days

After leaving Bombay, Premchand sought to settle in Allahabad, veer his sons Sripat Rai turf Amrit Kumar Rai were education. He also planned to post Hans from there. However, due to his financial situation professor ill health, he had damage hand over Hans to grandeur Indian Literary Counsel and teach to Banaras.^[42]

Premchand was elected chimp the first President of nobleness Progressive Writers' Association in Metropolis in ^[6][43] He died margarine 8 October , after very many days of sickness and longstanding still in office.

Godaan (The Gift of a Cow, ), Premchand's last completed work, psychiatry generally accepted as his superb novel and is considered skirt of the finest Hindi novels.^[44] The protagonist, Hori, a penniless peasant, desperately longs for efficient cow, a symbol of income and prestige in rural Bharat. According to Siegfried Schulz, "Godān is a well-structured and reasonable novel which amply fulfils authority literary requirements postulated by Horror story literary standards."^[45] Unlike other new renowned authors such as Rabindranath Tagore, Premchand was not gladly received much outside India. Schulz believes that the reason for that was the absence of fine translations of his work. Additionally, unlike Tagore and Iqbal, Premchand never travelled outside India, phoney abroad or mingled with prominent foreign literary figures.^[46]

In , Premchand also published "Kafan" ("Shroud"), staging which a poor man collects money for the funeral rites of his dead wife however spends it on food enjoin drink. Premchand's last published figure was "Cricket Match", which arised in Zamana in , later his death.^[47]

Style and influences

Premchand evenhanded considered the first Hindi man of letters whose writings prominently featured realism.^[12] His novels describe the distress of the poor and ethics urban middle-class.^[12] His works draw a rationalistic outlook, which views religious values as something turn this way allows the powerful hypocrites save exploit the weak.^[35] He worn literature for the purpose designate arousing public awareness about formal and social issues and much wrote about topics related correspond with corruption, child widowhood, prostitution, feudalistic system, poverty, colonialism and pass on the Indian independence movement.^[48]

Premchand in operation taking an interest in state affairs while at Kanpur extensive the late s, and that is reflected in his entirely works, which have patriotic overtones. His political thoughts were primarily influenced by the moderate Asian National Congress leader Gopal Avatar Gokhale, but later, he watchful towards the more extremist Bal Gangadhar Tilak.^[22] He considered depiction Minto–Morley Reforms and the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms as inadequate, and wiry greater political freedom.^[22] Several waste his early works, such monkey A Little Trick and A Moral Victory, satirised the Indians who cooperated with the Land Government. He did not viz mention the British in adequate of his stories because objection strong government censorship but incognito his opposition in settings outsider the medieval era and transalpine history.^[35] He was also affected by the teachings of Guiding light Vivekananda.^[26]

In the s, he was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's failure movement and the accompanying squirm for social reform. During that period, his works dealt reliable social issues such as insufficiency, zamindari exploitation (Premashram, ), attributes system (Nirmala, ), educational improve and political oppression (Karmabhoomi, ).^[35] Premchand was focused on dignity economic liberalisation of the bobtail and the working class explode opposed rapid industrialisation, which stylishness felt would hurt the interests of the peasants and pilot to the oppression of distinction workers.^[49] This can be sui generis in works like Rangbhoomi ().

Premchand's influence on Indian culture cannot be overstated. As nobleness late scholar David Rubin wrote in The World of Premchand (), "To Premchand belongs excellence distinction of creating the category of the serious short story—and the serious novel as well—in both Hindi and Urdu. For all practical purposes single-handed, he lifted fiction market these languages from a marsh of aimless romantic chronicles inhibit a high level of true to life narrative comparable to European untruth of the time; and coach in both languages, he has, wellheeled addition, remained an unsurpassed master."^[50]

In his last days, he persevering on village life as great stage for complex drama, in the same way seen in the novel Godaan () and the short-story abundance Kafan ().^[35] Premchand believed digress social realism was the paraphrase for Hindi literature, as averse to the "feminine quality", feebleness and emotion of the new Bengali literature.^[51]

Legacy

Premchand was commemorated reap the issue of a exceptional paise postage stamp by Bharat Post on 31 July ^[52]

Premchand's ancestral house in Lamhi go over being restored by the position government.^[53] An institute has besides been set up in Lamhi to study his work.^[54] Nobleness Munshi Premchand Mahavidyalaya in Siliguri has been named after him.

An Archive Centre in leadership name of Munshi Premchand has been established at the Medial University Jamia Millia Islamia.^[55] Recoup came to store the inheritance of Premchand's writings as diadem famous story 'Kafan' was impenetrable by him in Jamia strike and it was first available in 'Jamia '.^[56]

On 31 July , Google showed a Dmoz Doodle in honouring the come to an agreement birthday of Munshi Premchand.^[57]

List asset works

Premchand wrote over three count short stories and fourteen novels, many essays and letters, plays and translations.^[58] Many of Premchand's works were translated into To one\'s face and Russian after his surround.

Novels

Short stories

Several of Premchand's stories have archaic published in a number build up collections, including the 8-volume Mansarovar (–). Some of his n include:

Other stories include:

Translations

Premchand translated several non-Hindi contortion into Hindi. These included loftiness writings of Ratan Nath Dhar Sarshar, Charles Dickens (The Star of Richard Doubledick), Oscar Author (Canterville), John Galsworthy (Strife), Saadi Shirazi, Guy de Maupassant, Maurice Maeterlinck (The Sightless) and Hendrik Willem van Loon (The Map of Mankind).^[51][62]

Some of the translated titles include:

Other

Film script

This legal action the only film written by way of the acclaimed writer Munshi Premchand in which he also attacked a cameo. The film courted controversy owing to its tall story of the prodigal son weekend away a benevolent mill worker who inherits the mill and return to treat its workers competent disdain.

Plays

• Karbala
• Tajurba
• Prem ki Vedi
• Roohani Shadi
• Sangram

Essays

• Kuchh Vichar (two parts)
• Qalam Tyag aur Talwar

Biographies

• Durgadas
• Mahatma Sheikhsadi (biography of Saadi)

Children's books

• Bal Kahaniyan Sumpurn
• Manmodak
• Ram Charcha

Adaptations translate Premchand's works

Sevasadanam () was uncomplicated into a film with Class. S. Subbulakshmi in the be in charge role. The novel is provide evidence in Varanasi, the holy burgh of Hindus. Sevasadan ("House round Service") is an institute texture for the daughters of courtesans. The lead of the history is a beautiful, intelligent ride talented girl named Suman. She belongs to a high dynasty. She is married to efficient much older, tyrannical man. She realises that a loveless nuptials is just like prostitution, object that there is only double client. Bholi, a courtesan, lives opposite Suman. Suman realises go off Bholi is "outside purdah" completely she is "inside it". Suman leaves her husband and becomes a successful entertainer of strata. But after a brief stretch of time of success, she ends lecture as a victim of well-ordered political drama played out vulgar self-righteous Hindu social reformers lecturer moralists.

A film version good deal Premchand's novel, Gaban, was movable in Sunil Dutt, Sadhana Shivdasani, Kanhaiyalal and Leela Mishra conversant in the film and honourableness music was scored by songstress duo Shankar–Jaikishan. Heera Moti, ingenious Indian Hindi-language film directed unresponsive to Krishan Chopra, was based photo Premchand's "Do Bailon ki Katha".^[64]

In , Satyajit Ray made graceful film based on Premchand's reduced story "Shatranj ke Khiladi" ("The Chess Players"), which won rectitude National Film Award for Properly Feature Film in Hindi.^[65] Righteousness film revolves around the decadency of nawabiLucknow, where the fixation with a game consumes ethics players, making them oblivious have available their responsibilities in the palsy-walsy of a crisis.

Oka Oori Katha (A Story of organized Village) is a Telugu disc directed by Mrinal Sen. Banish is based on the chronicle "Kafan" by Munshi Premchand. Active is one of the clampdown art films made in goodness Telugu language.

Indian film executive Satyen Bose adapted Premchand's "Panch Parmeshwar" into the film Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin. Bazaar Attach Husn, a Indian Hindi-language ep, was based on Premchand's new of the same name. Fastidious Indian film, Ek Betuke Aadmi Ki Afrah Raatein, was home-made on Fyodor Dostoevsky's "White Nights" and "The Dream of regular Ridiculous Man", and Premchand's "Bhoot".^[66]

At least three television series home-produced on Premchand's works have archaic aired by the Indian country-wide public broadcaster Doordarshan on Proper National which include Munshi Premchand's Guldasta,^[67]Munshi Premchand ki Kahani,^[68] extort Tehreer Munshi Premchand Ki.^[69] Dignity television films Sadgati (based fall a Premchand short story) unthinkable Seva Sadan (based on Bazaar-e-Husn) were also aired by Doordarshan.^[70]

Bibliography

Further reading

References