Munshi Premchand

1) His Biography:

Premchand was born in Lamahi, a village on the outskirts of Benaras, to Kayastha parents. When he was eight years old, his mother died, and his father, a postal employee, remarried soon after. He began his education at Gorakhpur, where his father was stationed. Premchand, who was born Dhanpat Rai Shrivastav, was known as Nawab and published his early works as ‘Nawab Rai.’

Premchand began a long career as a teacher and school administrator after finishing his class 10 tests in 1898, during which time he passed the class 12 examination as a non-formal candidate. This happened in 1916. Three years later, he completed a BA in English literature, Persian, and history.

In 1908, he released his first collection of five short stories, titled Soz-e Watan. The stories were all patriotic, which the British government saw as seditious. He was summoned by the district magistrate, who ordered him to destroy all copies and never write anything similar again. Premchand was born as a result of this tragedy. Premchand’s brush with authority was only the first of many in the 1930s, and he was asked to deposit a security of Rs 1000 on several occasions.

Premchand’s work was affected by his vast readings of literature from across the world, Indian history and mythology, Indo-Muslim cultural history, contemporary society, and his own wide readings of literature from around the world. He was the first Hindi and Urdu writer to write about the underprivileged sectors of society in depth. After experimenting with a few short stories set in the past, he mostly worked on modern subjects of immediate social and political relevance. His work became a platform for his socially engaged reform goal.

Gandhi declared Hindi to be the national language in 1918, and Premchand began writing in Hindi rather than Urdu between 1915 and 1924. During the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921, he resigned from the cabinet at Gandhi’s request. In 1923, he purchased a printing press and established Saraswati Press.

He also worked as the editor of the Hindi periodical Madhuri in Lucknow in 1924-25 and again in 1927-32 due to a lack of funds. In 1930, he founded the Hans journal, and two years later, he took over the Jagaran journal.

Premchand passed away on October 8, 1936, at the age of 56. He’d returned to Benares four years ago and lived in Lamahi in a larger pukka house he’d built, which still stands today. He’d authored close to 300 short tales and released thirteen books, one of which was left unfinished. Sevasadan, Rangbhumi, Karmabhumi, and Godaan are four of his works that are considered among the best written in Hindi.

2) His Main Works:

Gaban:

Gaban (published in 1931) is a pre-independence narrative that discusses the socio-economic situations of the ordinary man. It follows a character who believes he is being investigated for fraud in British India. This is one of Premchand’s most well-known novels, and it was later adapted into a film.

Vardaan:

Pratap Cahndra and Brij Rani, two childhood neighbours who like one other, star in Vardan (“Boon”). After being widowed, Brij marries another guy and goes on to become a great poet. After hearing about Pratap from Brij, her companion Madhvi develops an interest in him. Madhvi becomes Pratap’s devotee and he becomes a sadhu. In 1912, it was published.

Seva Sadan (Bazaar-e-Husn):

Bazaar-e-Husn tells the story of a dissatisfied housewife who is lured away from domestic purity and into the life of a courtesan. She later reforms and atones by managing an orphanage for the young daughters of courtesans, or seva-sadan as the Hindi title suggests. Around the turn of the twentieth century, the scene is Varanasi, an orthodox Hindu sacred city. Municipalities in certain Indian cities were given local self-government by the British Raj.

Suman, a Brahmin lady, is the primary character, and she gets married into a loveless union due to her family’s social and financial duties. She abandons her marriage to work as a courtesan in the city’s “kothas.” In a twist to the story, the local municipal corporation, a feature of modernising India at the time, mandates that they be relocated outside of the city for social morality reasons. Suman discovers that her social standing is causing issues in her sister’s marriage.

She then volunteers at a home for widows, where she teaches them religion. When this proves intolerable, as does a stay with her sister, who is married to a former lover, Suman decides to work as a teacher in a home for former courtesans’ children. The house is called Seva Sadan (the house of service), which appears to be the inspiration for the novel’s title.

Nirmala (The Second Wife):

The dowry system in India is the subject of this narrative (serialised in the magazine Chand between November 1921 and November 1926, before being published as a novel). Nirmala, a young girl who was compelled to marry a widower her father’s age, is the protagonist of the melodramatic story. The plot progresses to disclose her husband’s suspicions of a link between her and his eldest son, which results to the son’s death.

Rangbhoomi:

The novel is set in colonial India and tells the story of Soordas, a blind beggar who fights for his ancestral property. As in other Premchand works, the issue of working-class persecution is prevalent. Soordas is the most Gandhian-influenced character in Premchand’s books. He is simple and bold, and he personifies the anti-industrialization protests in his community, which are in line with Gandhi’s views on the subject. In 1924, it was released.

3) Main themes in his writings:

Realistic portrayal of the Indian peasantry:

Premchand depicts the Indian peasantry realistically in ‘Godan’ (1930) and displays a portrait gallery of contemporary Indian society. Premchand exposes the poor farmers’ pitiful situation. Hori is a victim of this cruel and ruthless system in ‘Godan.’ The novel often takes the shape of an epic about the common man and his daily existence. It accurately portrays the numerous parts of life. It has a high level of social awareness. It is a vehicle for expressing modern society’s rapid socio-cultural developments. Godan is epic in scope because it tells the story of the Indian peasantry’s epic struggle against the established social order.

Blind faith in Fate:

Another frequent topic in his story is blind confidence in Fate. In Godaan, for example, the novelist portrays his characters as simple and innocent. His characters like Hori is subjected to several forms of exploitation by the wealthy. They have unwavering trust in the future. “It is the voice of God that talks through the Panches,” Hori adds, “but what is written must happen.” Nobody can argue with Fate.” As a result, they will never be able to withstand adversity. Premchand believes that studying an individual in his environment is the finest method to analyse and comprehend society and its problems. He also believed that a change in society’s structure was sufficient to modify people’s lives.

The theme of love:

Mr. Mehta and Miss Malti are Prem Chand’s colourful and endearing characters. Through them, the novelist emphasises the concept of love. They are unconstrained by life’s constraints. They represent the human heart’s intrinsic goodness. They consider love to be a holy and spiritual emotion. Their ideas about love are Platonic in nature. Prem Chand fights for societal reforms via them. They believe in bold and revolutionary egalitarian values.

Social problems depicted in his novels:

Premchand’s stories and books address a variety of current issues. He calls for truth and nonviolence in his books “Rang Bhoomi” and “Karam Bhoomi.” He recounts the poor peasants’ despicable and pitiful situation in “Premasharam.” He examines the contentious issue of Hindu Muslim sectarian classes in “Kayakaipa.” “Seva Sadan” portrays a vibrant and realistic depiction of middle-class life, complete with conflicts and tensions. The terrible life story of Nirmala is told in “Nirmala,” which exposes the hollowness of contemporary Hindu society.

4) His influence on our times:

The stories and ideas of a writer’s legacy live on. The world in which we live has inspired these stories. Few stories, however, remain relevant as time passes. Such are the tales of Dhanpat Rai Shrivastav, also known as Munshi Premchand, a famed early twentieth-century novelist. It is interesting how our country continues to struggle with topics that are prevalent throughout Munshi Premchand’s works. The writer’s thoughts still ring true to the times we live in today, with over 250 short tales and several essays.

Godaan, which was published in 1936 and is based on the economic hardship of the local poor during the British rule, is a novel about the sufferings of the common man. What is interesting, though, is that the story is still applicable today. The simplicity of people’s lives, as well as the economic issues that many face, remain true.

Pratigya is a Sanskrit word that signifies vow. The book, which was published in 1927, is about the criticism and prejudice surrounding widow remarriage. Our rural civilisation is still plagued by this problem, which is frequently ignored. The author also proposes an economic self sufficiency alternative for repressed women in society through the book.

Premchand was noted for developing complicated stories in a straightforward manner. The book Rangabhoomi (published in 1924) is about working-class injustice. It also addresses the suffering of farmers and rural Indians. Consider the current situation: these are the folks that continue to strive and are oppressed. He discusses capitalism, civil servant self-interest, and societal concerns in the book. All of this still exists in today’s culture, giving the reader a sense of realism.