MUNSHI PREMCHAND

(31 July 1880 – 8 October 1936)

Munshi Premchand actual name was Dhanpat Rai Srivastava, but he was known
pseudonyms like “Nawab Rai” and „Pemchand‟, Munshi was an honorary suffix.

Dhanpat Rai Shrivastava was better known by his pen name Munshi Premchand.
He is the biggest Hindi and Urdu social fiction writer ever existed in the history of
Indian writing.

Early life

Munshi Premchand, whose original name was Dhanpat Rai, was born on 31 July
1880, in village Lamahi near Varanasi.

His grandfather, Guru Sahai Rai was a patwari (village land record-keeper), and
his father Ajaib Rai was a post office clerk. His uncle, Mahabir, a rich landowner,
nicknamed him "Nawab" ("Prince"). "Nawab Rai" was the first pen name chosen
by Dhanpat Rai.

When he was 7 years old, Dhanpat Rai began his education at a madrasa. He learnt
Urdu and Persian from a maulvi in the madrasa. As a child, Dhanpat Rai sought
solace in fiction, and developed a fascination for books. He learnt English at a
missionary school, and studied several works of fiction

Premchand's parents died young - his mother when he was seven and his father
while he was fourteen and still a student. Premchand was left responsible for his
stepmother and step-siblings.
Early in life, Premchand faced immense poverty. He was married at the early age
of fifteen but that marriage failed, later he married again. She supported him
through life struggles.

Writing style

The main characteristic of Premchand's writings is his interesting story-telling and

use of simple language. His novels describe the problems of the rural peasant
classes. He avoided the use of highly Sanskritized Hindi.

Literary works

Munshi Premchand is known as India‟s Shakespeare. Premchand has written about

300 short stories, several novels as well as many essays and letters. He has also
written some plays. He also did some translations. Many of Premchand's stories
have been translated into English and Russian.

Though it would be an injustice to rank his works, since it‟s impossible to

submerge his writing in one article, I am trying to accommodate few of his
masterpieces.

Godan

Nirmala
Karmabhoomi

Gaban

'Kafan', 'Bade Ghar Ki Beti', 'Idgah', 'Prema', 'Rangbhoomi', 'Namak Ka Daroga'

etc.