Monday, 30 August 2021

BOOK REVIEW : WINGS OF FIRE

 BOOK REVIEW

 

Name of the Book

Wings of Fire

Name of the Author

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam & Arun Kumar Tiwari

Name of the Publisher

Sangam Books Limited

Pages

196

Cost of the Book

Rs. 425/-


 If you want to know more about APJ Abdul Kalam, then this book is for you.  He was a hardworking student, dedicated missile scientist and a well-liked leader.  This story will tell you about her journey from her childhood in Tamil Nadu to DRDO and her important contribution to ISRO.  In this book, you will learn many things about aerospace. You will also learn important lessons of life from APJ, called India's Missile Man.

 Wings of fire :  Who should read this book?

 Students, teachers, who want to become scientists, who want to become civil servants.

 Wings of fire : About the anther:

 APJ Abdul Kalam is a Missile Scientist and former President of India.  He is affectionately called Missile Man.  Arun Tiwari is a Professor and Missile Scientist.  He has worked with Kalam in DRDO. Together, he has written 5 books.

About the childhood of APJ Abdul Kalam, author of wings of fire -:

 A.P.J.  Abdul Kalam says I am a deep well on this land for uncountable boys and girls to quench their thirst.  His unselfish mercy rains on Zarere just as the well quenches everyone's thirst.  Such a story is the story of Mary, Zainulbadin and Ashinamma's son.  The story of a boy who helped his brother by selling newspapers.  The story of the protagonist who was raised by Shiva Subramaniam Iyer and Anna Doraisolomon.  The story of the student trained by the Pendule Master, M.G.K.  Menon and Professor Sarabhai gave the identity of the engineer.  The one who grew up in failure and difficulties became Sayinsdan, and the story of the primate who was accompanied by a team of uncountable, capable and skilled people.

 My story will end with me because in the worldly ways I have no capital, I have not gained anything, I have not accumulated, I have nothing and no one, neither my son, nor daughter nor family.  I do not want to be an example for others, but maybe some reading people will be praised that the ultimate happiness is spirit and soul, God has mercy, their heritage.  My great grandfather Avul, my grandfather Fakir and my father Janelubdin's dynasty will end on Abdul Kalam, but God will never die because he is immortal.

 My father used to narrate even the most difficult spiritual matters in the common language of Tamil.  Once said to me "When trouble comes, try to understand the cause of the trouble, difficulty always gives you the chance to test yourself".

 I have always tried to follow Abba's Usulu in my science and technology.  I believe that there is a great power above us, a great power that takes us out of trouble, despair and failure to reach the point of truth.

 I was about six years old when Abba decided to make a wooden kayak in which he could take the passengers from Rameswaram to Dhanushkoti.  Take it and bring it back.  Ahmad Jalaludin with another relative, later he was married to Mary Apa Zohra.  Ahmad Jalaludin, although fifteen years older than me, our friendship was frozen.  Jalaludin could not read much because of the condition of his house, but the time I am talking about, in those days there was only one person in our area who knew how to write English.

And one person who took a lot of trouble in my childhood was my cousin, my cousin Shamsudin and he had a newspaper contract in Rameswaram and used to do all the work alone.  Every morning the newspaper reached Rameswaram railway station by train.  The second Alamgir war started in 1939, The Second Word War, at the time I was eight years old.  An emergency-like situation had arisen.  Only the first accident was that the train stop at Rameswaram station was canceled and the newspapers were now thrown from the moving train on the road passing between Rameswaram and Dhanushkoti.  Shamsudeen was forced to keep a helper who could collect newspapers from the road, I got that chance and Shamsuddin became the reason for my first income.

 In 1950, I joined St. Joseph's College Trichy to study Intermediate.  It was only after passing B.Sc. that I knew that physics was not my subject.

 During the engineering of APJ Abdul Kalam, the author of Wings of Fire: -

Somehow I got in the list of candidates of MIT i.e. Madras Engineering and Technology but its admission was very expensive, at least one thousand rupees was required and my father did not have that much money.  My aka, my temper Zohra at that time, sold her gold rings and chains and used my fees.

I had consulted him even before enrolling in mechanical engineering.  He explained to me that before deciding to "Mustakabil, one should not think of Mustakabil's potential but rather for a good foundation and how much strength is there in Aptitude and Inspiration about their instincts and relationships."  .  I want to tell the engineer students who are themselves that when they choose their specialization, then it has to be seen how much hobby and passion they have to go to that hobby.

 From MIT, I joined Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, Bangalore as a trainee.  When I came out of HAL as a graduate in aeronautical engineering, life gave me two opportunities.  There was an opportunity for the Directorate of Technical Development and Production in Airforce's second Ministry of Defense.  I sent an application to both of them and an interview was invited from both of them.  I was called to Dehradun for the Air Force and Delhi for defense.  Gave an interview with the defense ministry.  The interview was good from there, I went to Dehradun for an interview with the Air Force Selection Board.  I came in number nine in twenty five hopefuls.  My heart sank.

 I was very disappointed and regretted for several days that the opportunity to go to the Air Force was lost.  I left for Rishikesh, then a few days later I returned to Delhi.

 In response to my interview in defense, I was handed an appointment letter.  And from the next day, Senior Scientific Assistant was released on a salary of 250 rupees per month.  Three years passed.  In those days, a new department of Aeronautical Development Establishment ADE opened in Bangalore and I was posted there.

 I went to Mumbai to give interviews.  Among those interviewing me were Vikram Sarabhai, MGK Menon, Mr. Saraf, who was then the deputy secretary of the Atomic Energy Commission.  The very next day I received the news that I had been selected.  I was inducted as a rocket engineer at Incospar.  In 1962, somewhere in Derena, Incospar decided to build Equatorial Rocket Launch Station at Thumba.  Thumba is the name of a high-altitude village in Daraz, beyond Trivandrum in Kerala.  Shortly thereafter, I was sent to America for six months.  To train rocket launching at NASA.  Before leaving I took a little time and went to Rameswaram.  My father was very happy for my success.

Soon after I returned from NASA, the first rocket launch of India happened.  November 21, 1963, it was the sounding rocket, named Apache Nike.  After the success of Nike Apache, Prof Sarabhai expressed his resume, his dream.  Dream of an Indian satellite launch vehicle ISLV.  The dream of the Indian rocket can also be called the dream of the 20th century.
 After the battle of Tirunelveli in 1799, those rockets were sent to England by William Kangeri for investigation.  To understand his technique, which we call reverse engineering in today's Science Juban. Two rockets were spontaneously cooked and thundered in Thumba, one being Rohini and the other Manika.

On Republic Day 1990, the country celebrated the success of the fire and missile program.  I was awarded the Padma Vibhushan and also Dr. Arunachalam.

 

APJ Abdul Kalam, writer of Wings of Fire - in his last days -:

A room of 10 by 12 is full of books and some necessary furniture which was rented.  I think the youth of my country need a clear vision and a direction only when I intend that I should mention all those people, because of which I could become this.  The motive was not that I should take the names of great people, but that no person, no matter how small, should not be encouraged.
 Issues, difficulties are part of life and trouble is the truth of success.  As someone has said that "God did not promise that the sky will always be blue, there will be full of flowers filled with life, God has not promised that there will be no clouds if there is sun, no happiness, no sorrow.  There will be no pain.  I have no qualms about making my life an example for everyone, but it may be that a desolate child who lives in an anonymous place who belongs to a section of society, read it and gets rest, read it and his  Hope brightens up.  It may be that they bring some children out of hope and that they feel compulsion should not feel compelled. They believe that God is with them wherever they are.  Wish every Indian has a burning flame, and the flame of that flame will brighten the whole sky.

 

 

Tuesday, 17 August 2021

Book review : My Journey : Transforming Dreams into Actions

 

BOOK REVIEW

 



Name of the Book

My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions

Name of the Author

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Name of the Publisher

Rupa Publications

Pages

160

Cost of the Book

Rs. 156/-

  • “I am not a handsome guy, but I can give my hand to some who needs help. Beauty is in heart and not in face.”

                                                                                                   -  Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam

 This very famous quote has inspired many youth and adults that it is your actions that make you beautiful and not you outer look. Not only this, but many quotes by him have ignited the mind of young leaders. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the eleventh president of India, aeronautical engineer resides in many people’s heart. He has written various books to help youth to dream and live their dreams. His speech has got a magic that can influence any one.

My Journey is a book, where Kalam Sir has penned down his experiences and lessons that life has taught him. My journey focuses more on the smaller, lesser known happenings in his life with great teachings for the readers. In this book Kalam Sir writes about his father, from whom he learnt the quality of humbleness, loyalty and faith in God. He writes about his father’s friendship with a Hindu priest, with a father of a church and how they maintained peace and harmony.

He writes about his teacher, who tried to separate Kalam from his best friend just because he was a Muslim and how these three divine people took action to maintain equality in their town. He further writes about his mother and grandmother who gave their share of food so that children of the house don’t remain hungry, he writes about poor income of the family.

His  sister Firoza who sold her jewelleries so that Kalam Sir could go for further studies, he writes about his school, about professors in college, teachers in school, Leadership quality of Vikram Sarabhai, about his work as a newspaper seller boy at the age of eight, Sudhakar’s story of courage, importance of Holy scriptures and about his life.

This is a must read and must have book. This book can be read by people of any age be it a child, a youth or an adult. This book should also be read by teachers where he actually defines what teachers exactly means, this book should be read by the management of school and college to understand that quality does not come from a great building or great facilities or great advertisements, it happens when education is imparted with love by great teachers.

This book should be read by youths and adults where he explains to never stop dreaming, this book should also be read by small children where he explains about hard work that should be imparted to children in small age. His description about various Holy Scriptures, about life and death, about the quality of a leader, about his energy and enthusiasm to work at a very small age, about his dream, about destiny and in between poems surely touches the heart of reader. Every story covered in this book is nostalgic and gives us beautiful lessons. For me this book is no less than a Holy Scripture.

- Keshav Ram Sharma, Librarian KV Hamirpur

Link for for Questions - Answer based on above Book Review : Click and solve

Questions-Answers on Book Review

Friday, 23 July 2021

मुंशी प्रेम चंद जी जन्म माह प्रश्नोत्तरी

 प्रिय छात्रो !

निम्न दिए गए लिंक पर जाकर मुंशी प्रेम चंद जी जन्म माह प्रश्नोत्तरी में भाग लें | प्रेम चंद जी की जीवनी आपको पहले भेजी जा चुकी है, प्रश्नोत्तरी उसी पर आधारित है :-

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RV-ig3-fErY9XqFcDbNxI5tNSidDvauhOASmCj0kByw/edit



केशव राम शर्मा 

पुस्तकालयाध्यक्ष


Wednesday, 21 July 2021

मुंशी प्रेमचंद जीवनी - Biography of Munshi Premchand in Hindi Jivani

 


                                        जन्म : 31 जुलाई 1880 बनारस।

                                        पिता : अजीब राय।

                                        माता : आनंदी देवी।

                                        पत्नी : शिवरानी देवी।

        प्रेमचंद (३१ जुलाई, १८८० - ८ अक्टूबर १९३६) हिन्दी और उर्दू के महानतम भारतीय लेखकों में से एक हैं। मूल नाम धनपत राय श्रीवास्तव वाले प्रेमचंद को नवाब राय और मुंशी प्रेमचंद के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। उपन्यास के क्षेत्र में उनके योगदान को देखकर बंगाल के विख्यात उपन्यासकार शरतचंद्र चट्टोपाध्याय ने उन्हें उपन्यास सम्राट कहकर संबोधित किया था। प्रेमचंद ने हिन्दी कहानी और उपन्यास की एक ऐसी परंपरा का विकास किया जिसने पूरी सदी के साहित्य का मार्गदर्शन किया। 

        आगामी एक पूरी पीढ़ी को गहराई तक प्रभावित कर प्रेमचंद ने साहित्य की यथार्थवादी परंपरा की नींव रखी। उनका लेखन हिन्दी साहित्य की एक ऐसी विरासत है जिसके बिना हिन्दी के विकास का अध्ययन अधूरा होगा। वे एक संवेदनशील लेखक, सचेत नागरिक, कुशल वक्ता तथा सुधी (विद्वान) संपादक थे। बीसवीं शती के पूर्वार्द्ध में, जब हिन्दी में की तकनीकी सुविधाओं का अभाव था, उनका योगदान अतुलनीय है। प्रेमचंद के बाद जिन लोगों ने साहित्य को सामाजिक सरोकारों और प्रगतिशील मूल्यों के साथ आगे बढ़ाने का काम किया, उनमें यशपाल से लेकर मुक्तिबोध तक शामिल हैं।

        प्रेमचन्द की रचना-दृष्टि विभिन्न साहित्य रूपों में प्रवृत्त हुई। बहुमुखी प्रतिभा संपन्न प्रेमचंद ने उपन्यास, कहानी, नाटक, समीक्षा, लेख, सम्पादकीय, संस्मरण आदि अनेक विधाओं में साहित्य की सृष्टि की। प्रमुखतया उनकी ख्याति कथाकार के तौर पर हुई और अपने जीवन काल में ही वे ‘उपन्यास सम्राट’ की उपाधि से सम्मानित हुए। उन्होंने कुल १५ उपन्यास, ३०० से कुछ अधिक कहानियाँ, ३ नाटक, १० अनुवाद, ७ बाल-पुस्तकें तथा हजारों पृष्ठों के लेख, सम्पादकीय, भाषण, भूमिका, पत्र आदि की रचना की लेकिन जो यश और प्रतिष्ठा उन्हें उपन्यास और कहानियों से प्राप्त हुई, वह अन्य विधाओं से प्राप्त न हो सकी। यह स्थिति हिन्दी और उर्दू भाषा दोनों में समान रूप से दिखायी देती है।

आरंभिक जीवन :

        मुंशी प्रेमचन्द  का जन्म 31 जुलाई 1880 को भारत के उत्तर प्रदेश राज्य के वाराणसी शहर के निकट लमही गाव में हुआ था इनके पिता का नाम अजायबराय था जो की लमही गाव में ही डाकघर के मुंशी थे और इनकी माता का नाम आनंदी देवी था मुंशी प्रेमचन्द का वास्तविक नाम धनपतराय श्रीवास्तव था लेकिन इन्हें मुंशी प्रेमचन्द और नवाब राय के नाम से ज्यादा जाना जाता है।

        प्रेमचन्द का बचपन काफी कष्टमय बिता महज सात वर्ष पूरा करते करते ही इनकी माता का देहांत हो गया तत्पश्चात इनके पिता की नौकरी गोरखपुर में हो गया जहा पर इनके पिता ने दूसरी शादी कर ली लेकिन कभी भी प्रेमचन्द को अपनी सौतेली माँ से अपने माँ जैसा प्यार नही मिला और फिर चौदह साल की उम्र में इनके पिताजी का भी देहांत हो गया इस तरह इनके बचपन में इनके उपर मुसीबतों का पहाड़ टूट पड़ा।

        धनपतराय की उम्र जब केवल आठ साल की थी तो माता के स्वर्गवास हो जाने के बाद से अपने जीवन के अन्त तक लगातार विषम परिस्थितियों का सामना धनपतराय को करना पड़ा। पिताजी ने दूसरी शादी कर ली जिसके कारण बालक प्रेम व स्नेह को चाहते हुए भी ना पा सका। आपका जीवन गरीबी में ही पला। कहा जाता है कि आपके घर में भयंकर गरीबी थी। पहनने के लिए कपड़े न होते थे और न ही खाने के लिए पर्याप्त भोजन मिलता था। इन सबके अलावा घर में सौतेली माँ का व्यवहार भी हालत को खस्ता करने वाला था।

        विवाह के एक साल बाद ही पिताजी का देहान्त हो गया। अचानक आपके सिर पर पूरे घर का बोझ आ गया। एक साथ पाँच लोगों का खर्चा सहन करना पड़ा। पाँच लोगों में विमाता, उसके दो बच्चे पत्नी और स्वयं। प्रेमचन्द की आर्थिक विपत्तियों का अनुमान इस घटना से लगाया जा सकता है कि पैसे के अभाव में उन्हें अपना कोट बेचना पड़ा और पुस्तकें बेचनी पड़ी। 

        एक दिन ऐसी हालत हो गई कि वे अपनी सारी पुस्तकों को लेकर एक बुकसेलर के पास पहुंच गए। वहाँ एक हेडमास्टर मिले जिन्होंने आपको अपने स्कूल में अध्यापक पद पर नियुक्त किया। अपनी गरीबी से लड़ते हुए प्रेमचन्द ने अपनी पढ़ाई मैट्रिक तक पहुंचाई। जीवन के आरंभ में आप अपने गाँव से दूर बनारस पढ़ने के लिए नंगे पाँव जाया करते थे। इसी बीच पिता का देहान्त हो गया। पढ़ने का शौक था, आगे चलकर वकील बनना चाहते थे। मगर गरीबी ने तोड़ दिया।

        महात्मा गांधी के आह्वान पर उन्होने 1921 में अपनी नौकरी छोड़ दी। नौकरी छोड़ने के बाद कुछ दिनों तक उन्होने ने मर्यादा नामक पत्रिका में सम्पादन का कार्य किया।उसके बाद छह साल तक माधुरी नामक पत्रिका में संपादन का काम किया। 1930 से 1932 के बीच उन्होने अपना खुद का मासिक पत्रिका हंस  एवं साप्ताहिक पत्रिका जागरण  निकलना शुरू किया। कुछ दिनों तक उन्होने ने मुंबई मे फिल्म के लिए कथा भी लिखी। 

        उनकी कहानी पर बनी फिल्म का नाम मज़दूर था, यह 1934 में प्रदर्शित हुई। परंतु फिल्मी दुनिया उन्हे रास नहीं आयी और वह अपने कांट्रैक्ट को पूरा किए बिना ही बनारस वापस लौट आए। प्रेमचंद ने मूल रूप से हिन्दी मे 1915 से कहानियां लिखना शुरू किया। उनकी पहली हिन्दी कहानी 1925 में  सरस्वती पत्रिका  में सौत नाम से प्रकाशित हुई। 1918 ई से उन्होने उपन्यास लिखना शुरू किया। उनके पहले उपन्यास का नाम सेवासदन  है। प्रेमचंद ने लगभग बारह उपन्यास तीन सौ के करीब कहानियाँ कई लेख एवं नाटक लिखे है।

लेखन कार्य :

        प्रेमचंद ने अपने जीवन में तक़रीबन 300 लघु कथाये और 14 उपन्यास, बहोत से निबंध और पत्र भी लिखे है। इतना ही नही उन्होंने बहोत से बहु-भाषिक साहित्यों का हिंदी अनुवाद भी किया है। प्रेमचंद की बहोत सी प्रसिद्ध रचनाओ का उनकी मृत्यु के बाद इंग्लिश अनुवाद भी किया गया है। सादे एवं सरल जीवन के मालिक प्रेमचंद हमेशा मस्त रहते थे। 

        उनके जीवन में वे हमेशा चुनौतियों और मुश्किलों का सामना करते थे। उनके दिल में हमेशा अपने मित्रो के लिये प्रेम भाव होता था और साथ ही गरीब एवं पीडितो के लिये सहानुभूति का सागर भी बसा होता था। प्रेमचंद एक उच्चकोटि के इंसान थे। जीवन में न तो उनको कभी सुख-चैन का विलास मिला और न ही उनकी इसकी तमन्ना थी. तमाम महापुरुषों की तरह वे भी अपना काम स्वयम करना ही पसंद करते थे।

        1900 में मुंशी प्रेमचंद को बहरीच के सरकारी जिला स्कूल में असिस्टेंट टीचर का जॉब भी मिल गया जिसमे उन्हें महीने के 20 रुपये पगार के रूप में मिलते थे. तीन महीने बाद उनका स्थानान्तरण प्रतापगढ़ की जिला स्कूल में हुआ. जहा वे एडमिनिस्ट्रेटर के बंगले में रहते थे और उनके बेटे को पढ़ाते थे.

        धनपत राय ने अपना पहला लेख “नवाब राय” के नाम से ही लिखा था. उनका पहला लघु उपन्यास असरार ए मा’बिद (हिंदी में – देवस्थान रहस्य) था जिसमे उन्होंने मंदिरों में पुजारियों द्वारा की जा रही लुट-पात और महिलाओ के साथ किये जा रहे शारीरिक शोषण के बारे में बताया. उनके सारे लेख और उपन्यास 8 अक्टूबर 1903 से फेब्रुअरी 1905 तक बनारस पर आधारित उर्दू साप्ताहिक आवाज़-ए-खल्कफ्रोम में प्रकाशित किये जाते थे.

        प्रेमचंद के नाम से उनकी पहली कहानी ज़माना पत्रिका के दिसम्बर 1910 मे प्रकाशित हुई। इस कहानी का नाम बड़े घर की बेटी  था। अपने लेखन काल मे प्रेमचंद ने सैकड़ो कहानियां लिखी। उन्होने ने हिन्दी लेखन में यथार्थवाद की शुरुआत की। उनके रचनाओ में  हमे कई रंग देखने को मिलते है। मुख्य रूप से प्रेमचंद ने तत्कालीन सामाजिक परिस्थितियो का सजीव वर्णन अपने साहित्यिक रचना के माध्यम से किया है। उनकी रचनाओ में हमे तत्कालीन दलित समाज, स्त्री दशा एवं समाज में व्याप्त विसंगतियाँ का दर्शन प्रत्यक्ष रूप से होता है।

          प्रेमचंद ने 1901 मे उपन्यास लिखना शुरू किया। कहानी 1907 से लिखने लगे। उर्दू में नवाबराय नाम से लिखते थे। स्वतंत्रता संग्राम के दिनों लिखी गई उनकी कहानी सोज़ेवतन 1910 में ज़ब्त की गई , उसके बाद अंग्रेज़ों के उत्पीड़न के कारण वे प्रेमचंद नाम से लिखने लगे। 1923 में उन्होंने सरस्वती प्रेस की स्थापना की। 1930 में हंस का प्रकाशन शुरु किया। इन्होने 'मर्यादा', 'हंस', जागरण' तथा 'माधुरी' जैसी प्रतिष्ठित पत्रिकाओं का संपादन किया।

        जीवन के अन्तिम दिनों के एक वर्ष छोड़कर, सन् (33-34) जो बम्बई की फिल्मी दुनिया में बीता, उनका पूरा समय बनारस और लखनऊ में गुजरा, जहाँ उन्होंने अनेक पत्र पत्रिकाओं का सम्पादन किया और अपना साहित्य सृजन करते रहे । भारत के हिन्दी साहित्य में प्रेमचन्द का नम अमर है। उन्होंने हिन्दी कहानी को एक नयी पहचान व नया जीवन दिया। 

        आधुनिक कथा साहित्य के जन्मदाता कहलाए। उन्हें कथा सम्राट की उपाधि प्रदान की गई। उन्होंने 300 से अधिक कहानियां लिखी हैं। इन कहानियों में उन्होंने मनुष्य के जीवन का सच्चा चित्र खींचा है। आम आदमी की घुटन, चुभन व कसक को अपनी कहानियों में उन्होंने प्रतिबिम्बित किया। इन्होंने अपनी कहानियों में समय को ही पूर्ण रूप से चित्रित नहीं किया वरन भारत के चिंतन व आदर्शों को भी वर्णित किया है। 8 अक्टूबर 1936 को जलोदर रोग से उनका देहावसान हुआ’

पुस्तके :

• गोदान 1936 

• कर्मभूमि 1932 

• निर्मला 1925 

• कायाकल्प 1927 

• रंगभूमि 1925 

• सेवासदन 1918

 गबन 1928 

• प्रेमचन्द की अमर कहानिया 

• नमक का दरोगा 

• दो बैलो की कथा 

• पूस की रात 

• पंच परमेश्वर 

• माता का हृदय 

• नरक का मार्ग 

• वफ़ा का खंजर 

• पुत्र प्रेम 

• घमंड का पुतला 

• बंद दरवाजा 

• कायापलट 

• कर्मो का फल 

• कफन 

• बड़े घर की बेटी 

• राष्ट्र का सेवक 

• ईदगाह 

• मंदिर और मस्जिद 

• प्रेम सूत्र 

• माँ 

• वरदान 

• काशी में आगमन 

• बेटो वाली विधवा 

• सभ्यता का रहस्य 

Tuesday, 20 July 2021

 KNOW ABOUT MUNSHI PREMCHAND : BIRTH MONTH CELEBRATION

Munshi Premchand Biography

Biography of Munshi Premchand
Dhanpat Rai Srivastava or Munshi Premchand as he was better known was born on 31 July, 1880 in Lamahi near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. He ranks as one of the tallest icons in the field of modern Hindi and Urdu literature. He had to face tremendous struggles to make his ends meet due to his patents’ early death. In 1910, the District Magistrate in Jamirpur reprimanded him for his collection of short stories Soz-e-Watan, which was termed as seditious. Hereafter, he began to write under the pen name “Premchand”.

He wrote in Urdu too under the name of Nawabrai. Credited with introducing realism to the world of Hindi literature, he responded to Mahatma Gandhi’s call in 1921 and resigned from government service. For a brief period, he worked as a scriptwriter for Mumbai film industry. On the personal front, he married twice. He used to write in the language of the common people and is credited with introducing issues like communalism, corruption, poverty and colonialism into Hindi and Urdu literature.
He lived a life of penury. Many of his works were later made into movies and television serials. The legendary Satyajit Ray made two movies based on Premchand’s works – Sadgati and Shatranj Ke Khiladi. Premchand also wrote some plays. His works have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages. He passed away on October 8, 1936.

Early Life

Premchand was born to Ajaib Rai and Anandi Devi. He was the fourth child of his parents. He got his name Dhanpat Rai, while his uncle named him Nawab, which he used as his first pen name.

Premchand received his early education in a Madrasa in Lalpur and from there he learned Urdu and Persian. Later, he was sent to a missionary school where he learned English.

He was very young when his mother died. His father remarried soon; but Premchand did not share a good relation with his step-mother. After a few years, his father passed away too and he had to discontinue his education.

To support his step-mother and half-brother, he started providing tuition classes to students. Later, he also received an offer for the post of an assistant teacher at the Government District School in Bahraich. Around the same time, he also started writing fictions. His first pseudonym was “Nawab Rai” However, later he had to change his name and take up Premchand as pseudonym after publishing ‘Soz-e-Watan’, a short story collection which was banned by British officials.

During the mid-1910s, Premchand became a famous Urdu writer and by 1914 he became a Hindi writer. In 1916 he took up a job of Assistant Master in the Normal High School, Gorakhpur. ‘Seva Sadan’ is his first major Hindi novel which was published in 1919.

During the non-cooperation movement, he resigned from the post of Deputy Inspector of Schools. He moved to Benares and started working on his literary career. In 1923, he established a publishing house ‘Saraswati Press’. In 1930, he came up with a political-weekly called ‘Hans’. In 1931, he took a job of teacher in a Marwari College in Kanpur. In the same year he left the job and came back to Benares and worked as an editor of the ‘Maryada’ magazine and as a headmaster the Kashi Vidyapeeth. In 1931, he moved to Mumbai and worked as a script writer for Ajanta Cinetone, a production house. The script for film Majboor was written by him. His last works were Kafan and Godaan.

Novels

  • Devasthan Rahasya (Urdu title:Asrar-e-Ma’abid)
  • Prema (Urdu title: Hamkhurma-o-Ham Sawab)
  • Kishna
  • Roothi Rani
  • Soz-e-Watan (Urdu)
  • Vardaan (Urdu title: Jalwa-e-Isar)
  • Seva Sadan (Urdu title: Bazaar-e-Husn)
  • Premashram (Urdu title: Gosha-e-Afiyat)
  • Rangbhoomi (Urdu title: Chaugan-e-Hasti)
  • Nirmala (Urdu title: Nirmala)
  • Kaayakalp (Urdu title: Parda-i-Majaz)
  • Pratigya (Urdu title: Bewa)
  • Gaban (Urdu title: Ghaban)
  • Karmabhoomi (Urdu title:Maidan-e-Amal)
  • Godaan
  • Mangalsootra (incomplete)

Short Stories

  • Adeeb Ki Izat
  • Duniya ka Sabse Anmol Ratan
  • Bade Bhai Sahab
  • Beti ka Dhan
  • Saut
  • Sajjanata ka dand
  • Panch Parameshvar
  • Ishwariya Nyaya
  • Pariksha
  • Ghasvali
  • Nashaa
  • Lottery, to name a few.

Some of His other Works include:

Film script

  • Mazdoor (1934)

Plays

  • Karbala
  • Prem Ki Vedi
  • Sangram
  • Roohani Shadi
  • Tajurba

Biographies

  • Durgadas
  • Mahatma Sheikhsadi (biography of Saadi)
  • Essays
  • Qalam Tyag aur Talwar
  • Kuchh Vichar (two parts)

Children’s Books

      • Jangal ki Kahaniyan
      • Manmodak
      • Kutte ki Kahani
      • Ram Charcha