Premchand, Hindi-Urdu Writer
Hindi-Urdu Writer

Premchand

Born 31 July 1880 · Uttar Pradesh — Died 8 October 1936

Wrote the novel Godaan, a landmark in modern Hindi literature.

Dhanpat Rai Srivastava, better known as Munshi Premchand based on his pen name Premchand, was an Indian writer famous for his modern Hindustani literature.

✨

A detail that
surprised us

“

Premchand’s first literary work, a farce on a bachelor in love with a low-caste woman inspired by his uncle, was never published and is now lost.

The Story

1
🌾 Born in 1880 in Lamhi near Banaras, Dhanpat Rai Srivastava was nicknamed 'Nawab' by his uncle, a rich landowner, reflecting early social contrasts that would shape his stories.
2
At age 7 in 1887, he started education in a madrasa learning Urdu and Persian, languages in which he would later pioneer social fiction blending Hindi and Urdu.
3📚 After losing his mother and grandmother by age 8, Premchand found refuge in books, selling them at a wholesaler’s shop and reading works like George W. M. Reynolds's eight-volume "The Mysteries of the Court of London."
4In 1907, he published his first short story collection, Soz-e-Watan (Sorrow of the Nation), marking his entry into literature focused on social realities of India under colonial rule.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Honoured widely as “Upanyas Samrat” (Emperor of Novel)

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

Premchand’s first pen name was 'Nawab Rai', a nickname given by his uncle, reflecting early personal ties to landowning elites despite his later focus on marginalized lives.

🖼️

Through the Years

2 photographs from the archives
Premchand in a photograph taken shortly before his death in 1936
Premchand in a photograph taken shortly before his death in 1936
1936
Premchand with his wife Shivrani Devi in a photograph published in 1936

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Birth in Lamhi near Banaras
Dhanpat Rai Srivastava was born in a Kayastha family owning land near Banaras, setting his early social context.
1880
📚
Education
Started education at madrasa
At age 7, he began learning Urdu and Persian at a madrasa in Lalpur, Varanasi.
1887
📖
Publication
Published Soz-e-Watan
Released his first collection of five short stories addressing social issues in colonial India.
1907
⚡
Career
Wrote early social fiction works
Published stories focusing on caste and gender inequalities, pioneering Hindi-Urdu social fiction.
c.1910
📖
Publication
Published Godaan
Released Godaan, a novel depicting rural India's social hardships, later adapted into films.
c.1920
🕊️
Death
Death of Premchand
Passed away after a prolific literary career spanning novels, stories, and translations influencing modern Indian literature.
1936
More moments to come...
+ Add a moment

🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
💡SURPRISING

He learned English at a missionary school and avidly read George W. M. Reynolds's eight-volume The Mysteries of the Court of London, blending Western narrative styles with Indian social themes.

02 / 04
👤PERSONAL

Premchand’s personal trauma with his stepmother became a recurring motif in his stories, exposing domestic cruelty rarely addressed in early 20th-century Indian literature.

03 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

His book Soz-e-Watan (Sorrow of the Nation), published in 1907, contained five short stories focused on social issues under colonial India, marking a shift in literary themes for Hindi-Urdu fiction.

“

"I fail to understand what this culture is that communalism is hell-bent on protecting."

— Premchand

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
मेरे प्रिय लेखक मुंशी प्रेमचंद | Essay on Munshi Premchand | My Favourite Writer Essay in Hindi
·YouTube
More from this archive
मेरे प्रिय लेखक मुंशी प्रेमचंद | Essay on Munshi Premchand | My Favourite Writer Essay in Hindi
01
मेरे प्रिय लेखक मुंशी प्रेमचंद | Essay on Munshi Premchand | My Favourite Writer Essay in Hindi
YouTube
Munshi Premchand I Part 1| Srijan
02
Munshi Premchand I Part 1| Srijan
YouTube
Premchand ka jivan parichay | प्रेमचंद का जीवन परिचय | प्रेमचंद का कवि परिचय | Premchand lekhak |
03
Premchand ka jivan parichay | प्रेमचंद का जीवन परिचय | प्रेमचंद का कवि परिचय | Premchand lekhak |
YouTube
Bade Ghar Ki Beti | बड़े घर की बेटी | Munshi Premchand ki Kahani #promo #shorts
04
Bade Ghar Ki Beti | बड़े घर की बेटी | Munshi Premchand ki Kahani #promo #shorts
YouTube
मुंशी प्रेमचंद | साहित्यकार और लेखक #reels
05
मुंशी प्रेमचंद | साहित्यकार और लेखक #reels
YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Premchand transformed Hindi-Urdu literature by integrating social issues like caste and gender inequality into mainstream fiction, influencing several generations of writers and social reformers. His promotion of Hindustani as a blend of Hindi and Urdu fostered linguistic unity during a period of communal tensions. Institutions and literary circles continue to study his works as foundational texts in modern Indian literature.

💬 Social Buzz

💬

What are people saying about Premchand?

Share posts from historians, journalists and notable voices about this icon. 🇮🇳

💭 Memories & Tributes

Share your memory of Premchand...
Loading memories...
Is this profile accurate?