Premchand - Premchand (English spelling)

Indian Hindi and Urdu novelist. His real name was Dhanpat Rahe, and his pen name was Nawab Rahe. Born to a postal worker, he lost his mother at age 9 and his father at age 17, and struggled to graduate from high school. In 1905, he was posted to Kanpur as a school teacher, where he struck up a friendship with the editor-in-chief of the Urdu magazine Zamana and began publishing Urdu works. In 1908, his collection of short stories, Soh-e-Watan (Tragedy of the Hometown), published under the name Nawab Rahe, was banned and burned for being insulting to Britain, but he had a strong desire to write, and in 2010 he published the short story, Barely Ghar Khibeti (Daughter of an Old Family), under the pen name Premchand. In 1918, while the publication of the Urdu version of his first full-length novel was delayed, the Hindi translation, titled Sehwa Sadan (Asylum), was released to great acclaim, establishing him as a Hindi writer.

In 1921 and 1922, as part of the anti-cooperation movement, he resigned from his teaching job and, after working as an editor and private school teacher, ran a publishing company, and in 1930 launched the monthly magazine "Hans." He continued his work as a writer while struggling with financial difficulties at the publishing company. From 1924 onwards, he began writing first in Hindi and published Urdu translations later, but continued to publish in Urdu until the end. He passed away in 1936 leaving behind his masterpiece "Godan" (Cow Offering), but he wrote over 200 short stories and 11 full-length novels, and is known as the father of Hindi and Urdu novels. He deeply resonated with the ideas of Gandhi, and his works, which skillfully combine idealism and realism, and urban and rural life, are widely read and loved.

[Hisaya Doi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

インドのヒンディー語およびウルドゥー語の小説家。本名ダンパト・ラーエ、筆名ナワーブ・ラーエ。郵便局員の子として生まれ、9歳で母を、17歳で父を失い、苦労して高校を卒業。1905年カーンプルに学校教師として赴任、ウルドゥー語誌『ザマーナ』の編集長と親交を結び、ウルドゥー語の作品を発表し始める。08年、ナワーブ・ラーエの名で出版した短編集『ソーゼ・ワタン』（故郷の悲劇）が、イギリスを侮蔑(ぶべつ)するものとして発禁焚書(ふんしょ)の罰を科せられたが、創作意欲が強く、10年には短編『バレー・ガル・キーベーティー』（旧家の娘）をプレームチャンドの筆名で発表した。18年、最初の本格小説のウルドゥー語版の出版が遅れている間にヒンディー語訳が『セーワー・サダン』（救護施設）として出版され大好評を博し、ヒンディー語作家としての地歩を固めた。

　1921、22年、対英非協力運動の一環として教員を辞職し、編集者、私立学校教師などを経て出版社を経営、30年には月刊誌『白鳥(ハンス)』を刊行。出版社の経営難と闘いながら作家活動を続けた。24年以後は、まずヒンディー語で書き、ウルドゥー語訳はあとに発表するようになったが、ウルドゥー語による発表を最後まで行った。36年、傑作『ゴーダーン』（牛供養）を残して世を去るが、短編二百数十、長編11編があり、ヒンディー語・ウルドゥー語小説の父と称されている。ガンディーの思想に深く共鳴し、理想主義と写実主義、都市生活と農村生活とを巧みに組み合わせたその作品は、広く愛読されている。

［土井久弥］

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