Maithilisharan Gupt, Poet
Poet

Maithilisharan Gupt

Born 3 August 1886 · Uttar Pradesh — Died 12 December 1964

Writing Bharat-Bharati (1912), a patriotic Hindi poetry collection praised by Mahatma Gandhi.

Dr Maithilisharan Gupt was one of the most important modern Hindi poets. He is considered one among the pioneers of Khari Boli poetry and wrote in Khari Boli dialect, at a time when most Hindi poets favoured the use of Braj Bhasha dialect. He was a recipient of the third highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Bhushan. For his book Bharat-Bharati (1912), widely quoted during India's freedom struggle, he was given the title of Rashtra Kavi by Mahatma Gandhi.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Maithilisharan Gupt’s 1912 poem collection Bharat-Bharati was so influential that Mahatma Gandhi personally titled him Rashtra Kavi, intertwining poetry with political activism.

The Story

1
In 1912, Maithilisharan Gupt published Bharat-Bharati, a collection of nationalist poems that Mahatma Gandhi himself quoted, bestowing upon Gupt the title Rashtra Kavi — a rare honor linking poetry directly to India's freedom struggle.
2
🌟 Born in 1886 in Chirgaon, Jhansi, Gupt’s family had lost its zamindar wealth by his birth, yet his father and brother were poets, and his home education in Sanskrit, English, and Bengali shaped his early literary path.
3In 1909, his debut major work, Rang mein Bhang, was published by Indian Press, marking his entry into Hindi literature in an era dominated by Braj Bhasha poetry.
4Gupt embraced Khari Boli dialect for his poetry when most Hindi poets preferred Braj Bhasha, pioneering a style that used non-rhyming couplets with rhythmic alliterations, creating a distinctive poetic cadence.

🏅 Awards & Honours

1954
Padma Bhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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In 1956, a 1000-page Abhinandan Granth was published in Calcutta by the Rashtrakavi Maithili Sharan Gupt Abhinandan Samiti, comprehensively honoring his life and works.

📸 Through the Years

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🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth
Birth in Chirgaon, Jhansi
Maithilisharan Gupt was born into the Kankane clan of the Gahoi Bania community in Uttar Pradesh, in a family that had lost zamindar wealth.
1886
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Publication
Published Rang mein Bhang
Gupt’s first major poetry work, Rang mein Bhang, was published by Indian Press, marking his entrance into Hindi literary magazines.
1909
📖
Publication
Published Bharat-Bharati
This collection of nationalist poems became widely quoted during the Indian freedom struggle and earned him the title Rashtra Kavi from Mahatma Gandhi.
1912
📖
Publication
Published Saket
Gupt’s epic poem Saket portrayed the story of Urmila, Lakshmana’s wife, a seldom-explored character from Ramayana.
1931
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Publication
Published Yashodhara
This work focused on Yashodhara, the wife of Gautama Buddha, exploring her inner emotions and life.
1932
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Other
Abhinandan Granth published
A 1000-page commemorative volume honoring Gupt’s life and works was published by the Rashtrakavi Maithili Sharan Gupt Abhinandan Samiti in Calcutta.
1956
🕊️
Death
Death of Maithilisharan Gupt
He passed away, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer of modern Hindi poetry and a patriotic voice during India’s freedom movement.
1964
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
👤PERSONAL

Gupt disliked formal schooling as a child, leading his father to arrange home education in multiple languages including Sanskrit, English, and Bengali, an uncommon multilingual upbringing in 19th century rural Uttar Pradesh.

02 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Despite the dominance of Braj Bhasha among Hindi poets of his time, Gupt chose to write in Khari Boli, a dialect that would later become the foundation for modern Hindi literature.

03 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

His poem Saket (1931) uniquely focuses on Urmila, a lesser-known female figure in Ramayana, exploring her perspective and emotional life rather than the epic’s central heroes.

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प्राण न पागल हो तुम यों, पृथ्वी पर वह प्रेम कहाँ.. मोहमयी छलना भर है, भटको न अहो अब और यहाँ.. ऊपर को निरखो अब तो बस मिलता है चिरमेल वहाँ..

— Maithilisharan Gupt

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Maithili Sharan Gupt | National Poet | Sangrahalaya Ke Galiyaron Se
More from this archive
Maithili Sharan Gupt | National Poet | Sangrahalaya Ke Galiyaron Se
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Maithili Sharan Gupt | National Poet | Sangrahalaya Ke Galiyaron Se
Pankaj Tripathi recites Maithili Sharan Gupt's Poem | क्विंट हिंदी स्पेशल
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Pankaj Tripathi recites Maithili Sharan Gupt's Poem | क्विंट हिंदी स्पेशल

🌱 What changed because of them

Gupt’s pioneering use of Khari Boli in Hindi poetry helped establish it as the standard dialect for modern Hindi literature, paving the way for future poets like Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. His Bharat-Bharati became a cultural touchstone during the freedom movement, inspiring patriotic fervor through accessible language. Today, his family’s RMSG Group of Institutions in Chirgaon promotes education, especially for girls, continuing his vision of social empowerment.

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