Premchand and the Tradition of Fiction
Premchand and the Tradition of Fiction
Premchand supplies two questions almost every year and is the most certain part of the prose block. The paper asks for his original name, the order of his novels, his best known stories and the journals he edited, so keep one short list for each of those four.
The Basic Facts
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Original name | Dhanpat Rai Srivastava |
| Name used in Urdu | Nawab Rai |
| Epithet | Upanyas Samrat |
| Journals | Hans, Jagran |
| Last complete novel | Godan, 1936 |
| Unfinished novel | Mangalsutra |
Premchand began by writing in Urdu under the name Nawab Rai. His Urdu story collection Soz-e-Watan was confiscated by the colonial government, and he took the name Premchand afterwards. That episode is asked repeatedly.
✗ Premchand's original name was Nawab Rai | ✓ His original name was Dhanpat Rai Srivastava; Nawab Rai was the name he wrote under in Urdu
Major Novels
| Novel | Subject |
|---|---|
| Sevasadan | the life of women and society |
| Rangbhumi | the struggle of Surdas, a blind beggar |
| Nirmala | ill-matched marriage and dowry |
| Gaban | middle-class greed and its fall |
| Karmabhumi | the freedom struggle |
| Godan | the life of the peasant Hori and his debt |
Godan is his finest work and the most discussed novel in Hindi. Its central thread is the peasant Hori's wish to own a cow and his ruin in the cycle of debt. It appeared in 1936, the same year in which Premchand died.
Major Stories
- Kafan — his last and sharpest story.
- Poos ki Raat — the cold night of the peasant Halku.
- Idgah — the story of Hamid and the pair of tongs.
- Bade Ghar ki Beti, Namak ka Daroga and Panch Parmeshwar are also asked often.
His stories were published in eight volumes under the title Mansarovar. Premchand is described as a writer of idealistic realism — he shows society as it is and yet points towards an ideal.
क्रम याद रखने का तरीका: सेवासदन नारी से, रंगभूमि संघर्ष से, निर्मला विवाह से, गबन लालच से, कर्मभूमि आंदोलन से और गोदान किसान से जुड़ा है।
TRE pointer: The difference between Dhanpat Rai Srivastava and Nawab Rai is asked most often. Godan in 1936 and his death the same year, the seizure of Soz-e-Watan, and the journals Hans and Jagran are all settled questions. Among the stories, Kafan, Poos ki Raat and Idgah lead.
60-Second Recap
- Premchand's original name was Dhanpat Rai Srivastava.
- He wrote in Urdu under the name Nawab Rai and is called Upanyas Samrat.
- His Urdu collection Soz-e-Watan was seized by the government.
- Godan appeared in 1936, the year of his death; Mangalsutra stayed unfinished.
- Kafan, Poos ki Raat and Idgah are his best known stories.
- His stories were collected in eight volumes as Mansarovar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Premchand's original name?
Dhanpat Rai Srivastava. He wrote in Urdu under the name Nawab Rai, and after his Urdu story collection Soz-e-Watan was seized he took the name Premchand. All three names are placed together among the options, so the distinction must be clear.
Who is the central character of Godan and what is its story?
The central character is the peasant Hori, whose lifelong wish is to own a cow. He is broken step by step in a cycle of debt, social pressure and exploitation. The novel was published in 1936, the same year in which Premchand died.
Which journals did Premchand bring out?
Hans and Jagran. Hans was a literary journal while Jagran was directed more towards social and political subjects. Both names are asked directly, so they are best learnt alongside the list of his novels.
What does idealistic realism mean?
It means portraying society as it actually is while still pointing towards an ideal. Premchand shows poverty, exploitation and injustice without softening them, yet a direction of reform and justice runs through his work, which is what earned the description.