Premchand (1880-1936) was the pen name of an Indian writer whose real name was Dhanpat Rai. His name is also given as Prem Chand. He is recognized as the first writer to succeed in adapting the novel and short story, both Western forms, to Indian themes in the Hindi and Urdu languages.
Premchand wrote 12 novels, more than 300 short stories, some plays, and many essays. His writings at first contained heavily patriotic themes, but his later writings focus mostly on the lives of poor north Indian villagers, and often criticize social injustice. His most famous novel is Godan (1936), which was translated into English as The Gift of a Cow. This novel is a portrait of rural Indian life and the injustices suffered by peasants. His novel Sevasadana (House of Service, 1918) explores prostitution and moral corruption in the Indian middle class. Another novel, Nirmala (1925), condemns the Hindu dowry system. His short stories are collected in Manasarovar (The Holy Lake, 1962).
Dhanpat Rai completed his first book of short stories in 1907. The British colonial authorities disapproved of his book, finding it inflammatory, and burned all the copies they could find. To avoid the censors, he began using the pseudonym Premchand. His early writing was in Urdu, but he wrote more in Hindi in later years.
Dhanpat Rai was born on July 31, 1880, in Lamati, near Varanasi, India. He worked as a teacher for many years before leaving in 1921 to become a full-time political activist opposing British colonial rule. He also worked as a journalist, a translator, and a screenwriter. He died in Varanasi on Oct. 8, 1936.
