Premchand (31 July, 1880-8 October, 1936) was an Indian poet regarded as the “Emperor of Novelists” in Hindustani literature.
1. Dhanpat Rai Srivastava Lamhi, was born in a village around Banaras which is a city on the Gangas River. His name means “master of wealth”. He was the fourth child of Ajaib Lal, a post office clerk, ad Anandi Devi
2. He was education when he was seven years old, at Lajpur and learned Urdo and Persian. A year after starting his education his mother passed away. Feeling disconnected from his older sister, a busy father, and unaffectionate stepmother made him feel very isolated
3. He and he started reading fiction as a child, and eventually took a job selling books, which allowed him to read a lot.
4. At a missionary school, Premchand learned English and studied several novels. He wrote his first work of literature, Gorakhpur, at that time however he never published it. The work probably was meant to poke fun at an uncle who berated him for reading fiction.
5. In 1890 he started school at Queen’s College, Banaras. By 1895, at age 15, he was married to an older girl from a rich family. The marriage was arranged by his stepmother, all this while he was studying in the ninth grade, walking five miles one way to school. The match did not work gut, the couple were incompatible and fought a lot. His wife eventually left him and returned to her village. Stepmothers will be a recurring theme in his work.
6. Premchand did something revolutionary in 1906-he married a child widow, Shivani Devi. At the time, remarriage had a stigma on it and he faced enormous social backlash. But he stood firmly by his choice. His wife wrote his definitive biography Premchand at Home (Premchand Ghar Mein)
7. Nevertheless, Premchand managed to get a job teaching, and climbed the ladder as Deputy Director of Schools. After hearing Mahatma Gandhi speak about non-cooperation with the British government, he promptly quit his secure job and dedicated his life to writing about the independence movement.
8. Premchand is celebrated as a master of two languages: Hindi and Urdu. Originally, he wrote in Urdu, but later in life he switched to write primarily in Hindi so he could reach a broader audience. He often translated his works from one language to the other.
9. Hindi and Urdo literature were dominated by stories about kings and romances of the upper class. But Premchand made the heroes of his stories the poor and marginalized.
10. The 1936 novel The Gift of a Cow (Godaan) is considered Premchand masterpiece and one of finest novels ever written in the Hindi language. The story takes a look at how economic exploitation of the Indian peasantry, debt, and the rigid caste system can devastate people.
Zohar — Man of la Book
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Sources:
Premchand | Wikipedia
Premchand: Novels, Short Stories, & Facts | Britannica
