Pagine1880–1936 · Lamhi, near Varanasi, India · also known as Munshi Premchand, Dhanpat Rai Srivastava
Munshi Premchand is the most loved writer in Hindi and Urdu. A schoolteacher who wrote some 300 short stories and a dozen novels, he portrayed village life, poverty, caste and the struggles of ordinary people with warmth and realism. Stories such as “Idgah” and “The Chess Players” are read in Indian schools, and Godaan (1936), the story of a poor farmer’s dream of owning a cow, is his masterpiece.
Begin with Idgah.
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Munshi Premchand is the most loved writer in Hindi and Urdu. A schoolteacher who wrote some 300 short stories and a dozen novels, he portrayed village life, poverty, caste and the struggles of ordinary people with warmth and realism.
Godaan is usually considered Premchand’s best-known work, followed by Idgah, The Chess Players.
Most readers start with Idgah.
Both refer to the same writer. Other spellings and names include Munshi Premchand, Dhanpat Rai Srivastava.
Many of Premchand’s works are in the public domain; we link to free editions below.