Premchand was an Indian writer and social reformer who lived from 1880 to 1936. He is famous for his satirical novels and short stories, many of which were written in simple hindi that could be understood by the masses of pre-independence India. Many of his stories are set during the pre-Independence era and provide insight into the struggles of everyday people, as well as their relationships with those in power—be it the local ruler or British imperialists—in pre-independent India.
He was an Indian writer best known for his short stories and novels that depicted the everyday lives of common Indians, often with social messages embedded in them. Premchand stories are particularly interesting to read because of their realistic portrayal of the struggles faced by ordinary people in pre-independence India, such as farmers who had to deal with corrupt village headsmen, or children who had to cope with abusive fathers without any recourse to the law due to lack of education or money to pay lawyers.
His focus on everyday people and his use of colloquialisms make the stories relatable and easy to read, and they give us insight into the lives of the people that shaped the history of India we know today.
In honor of Premchand Ji, we’ve picked 25 of our favorite stories to read if you want to understand the rags-to-riches story of pre-independence India.
1 Poos ki Raat
Premchand has produced yet another masterpiece. Poos is the regional name for Poush, a Hindu month that runs from mid-December to mid-January.
A farmer named Halku was forced to repay his debt with the money he had been accumulating to buy a blanket for the winters in the heartbreaking story "Poos Ki Raat" or "A Night of January."
To learn how Halku endured the bitter winds with nothing but an old, worn-out blanket and his devoted dog by his side, read "Poos Ki Raat."
2 Boodhi Kaaki
This story, like most others, focuses on the difficulties of a helpless and underprivileged person.
His main character this time is an elderly, blind woman who lost her husband and sons. Her nephew vows to retain her because she has no one to care for her at this age, but only after transferring all of her assets into his name.
And now, neither Buddhiram nor his wife Rupa offers her anything to eat. At one gathering at their house, everyone indulges in sweets and pooris while oblivious to the elderly Kaaki, who is starved to death. The elderly and destitute woman falls among the visitors after losing all control of herself.
The cruel pair is further infuriated by this.
Even the hardest of hearts will soften after this tale when Rupa discovers the Kaaki eating the leftovers in silence.
Munshi Premchand conveys the idea that growing older is simply the return to childhood through this tale.
3 Godaan
The illiteracy and helplessness of Hori are depicted in Munshi Premchand Ji's well-known Godan.
Hori and the other village's underprivileged farmers pay rent to the landlord monthly. Hori's life is coming to an end as a result of the debt that is crushing him day by day.
This premchand story shows two sides of life: the poor farmers' struggle in their rural communities, and the wealthy urban lifestyle. At one time in the narrative, they cross paths.
Godaan highlights the class conflict that was widespread during the period and the substandard living circumstances of the underprivileged communities during the British reign.
This is one of the premchand stories which was also adapted for the big screen and small.
4 Nirmala
Nirmala's father passes away unexpectedly as she prepares to marry a boy her age. The boy's family rejects Nirmala's proposal because of this. Her mother marries Nirmala to an elderly man. In her in-home, Nirmala has a lot of money. Although she felt it was her duty to help her husband, she found it difficult to embrace him as her spouse.
Premchand Ji has depicted the appalling state of women in Nirmala.
5 Bazaar-e-Husn
Munshi Premchand is the only author who could so masterfully capture modern or pre-independence India. Bazaar-e-Husn discusses women's emancipation, prostitution, and marriage.
Premchand stories also emphasizes the prejudice women faced and how important social approval was during that time.
6 Do Bailon ki Katha
Heera and Moti, two best friends who are devoted to sticking together, are the subject of the moving story Do Bailon Ki Katha (The story of two oxen). Their devoted master's evil wife, who mistreats them and provides inadequate food, sends them to live with a relative. The two manage to escape the chains, but they soon find themselves in a warehouse full of other stuffed animals that are being sold despite their terrible conditions.
It's a beautiful story of how these pals persevere through every challenge to come home.
7 Namak Ka Darogha
Namak Ka Daroga, another heartfelt treasure from his stories, leaves you with a great flavor in your mouth and emotions in your eyes.
In the government's salt division, Vanshidhar has just been named the Daroga. Salt used to be a valuable commodity, and there was a thriving black market. Vanshidhar is honest and just in his actions, despite the advice of his elderly father encouraging him to earn some additional money by accepting a bribe.
As it turns out, Vanshidhar detains wealthy businessman Pandit Alopideen for transacting in salt illegally. Vanshidhar was unable to compromise his morals despite the money Pt. Alopideen offered. Ultimately, the powerful businessman is acquitted of all charges, disappointing Vanshidhar.
However, the plot surprise occurs when he shows up at Vanshidhar's house and commends his honesty.
8 Bade Ghar Ki Beti
Premchand stories focuses on patriarchy and the joint family structure in India.
The plot of this one is about a woman from a rich family who marries a poor family and the difficulties she has to deal with because of her in-laws.
9 Thakur Ka Kuan
Thakur Ka Kuan sheds light on the humiliating circumstances of Dalits in the past, when upper-caste individuals denied them access to safe drinking water.
A Dalit lady named Gangi urges her sick husband to wait until she obtains clean water from elsewhere when he complains that the water has an intolerable odor.
Gangi musters the bravery and moves for their village's Thakur well, knowing full well that she would be thrashed to death if she was found. Gangi is determined to provide clean drinking water for her parched and ill husband. You will dread our nation's caste-based discrimination after reading Thakur Ka Kuan.
10 Gaban
Among all other premchand stories, this gem is the finest.
Everything is in Jalapa's house. During her marriage, she expects to get jewelry from her in-laws, but she is disappointed. She is upset with her husband Ramnath as a result. He can't stand how obnoxious she is. He takes out a loan to buy jewelry, but he has been unable to pay it back. Due to his dread of the police, he steals (Gaban) at his workplace and then flees.
11 Pratigya
With Pratigya, the narrative that addresses the topic of widow remarriage, Premchand allegedly found his way to a fair and genuine level and the capacity to hold his readers' attention. Pratigya, or The Vow, was published in 1927.
12 Kshama
The father of a son who is cruelly slain is the subject of this timeless story by Munshi Premchand. It transports us back to the era of religious strife. It's a fantastic tale that will keep you wondering whether or not the father should pardon the murderer.
13 Bade Bhai Sahab
The humorous tale of two brothers, one of whom is five years older than the other, is called Bade Bhai Sahab. Many people laugh out loud when the older brother goes on about how important education is while also pointing out how ludicrous he sees it. His younger brother, who dislikes studying and prefers to idle and play much of the time, receives frequent lectures from him. Sadly, despite this, the younger brother consistently succeeds while the older sibling fails.
This is one of the premchand stories we all have heard or lived in our lives.
14 Premashram
Premchand provides us a peek at the Zamindari system in place in villages during British control in this passage. The story contrasts the lives of two men: one who pursues wealth at any cost, and the other who lives to serve humanity.
15 Manorama
This tale serves as an example of how events in life may alter a person irrevocably. It also depicts the situation of women in India before independence. Strong characters like Rani Manorama, Chakradhar, and Shankhdhar can be found in Premchand's Manorama.
16 Doodh Ki Qeemat
In Doodh Ki Qeemat, the caste system's adverse consequences on society are portrayed.
17 Nasha
Nasha is likewise situated in the period leading up to Zamindari's government abolition during the pre-independence era. Ishwari, the son of a wealthy landlord, and Bir, the son of a poor clerk, were close friends. They frequently engaged in a disagreement, and Bir fiercely criticized the Zamindari system, claiming that the landlords took advantage of the underprivileged and that the entire system should be abolished. Ishwari, on the other hand, held that Zamindars were created to rule people and that all individuals were not created equal. The two were still close friends despite their differences in viewpoint.
Ishwari once takes Bir to his house after Bir was unable to travel there due to a lack of funds. He describes Bir as one of the wealthiest zamindars when he arrives. Bir starts to live the lie, despite his ideals against the aristocracy, because he enjoys the attention and respect he receives from all of Ishwari's slaves.
As the plot develops and Bir is confronted with the harsh reality after he goes, Nasha or inebriation completely justifies its term.
18 Kafan
'Kafan' portrays the feelings and problems of Ghisu and Madhav, a father and son who are too apathetic and indolent to do anything because of their circumstances yet occasionally take on menial occupations when there is a pressing need. One is completely shaken by their discourse as Ghisu recalls a lavish lunch he previously enjoyed at Thakur's daughter's wedding almost 20 years prior.
The story of Ghisu and Madhav's justification for splurging on alcoholic beverages and food with the money they borrowed to purchase a Kafan for Ghisu's deceased wife is a must-read.
19 Eidgaah
After losing both of his parents, Hamid, 5, now resides with his grandma. Due to their great poverty, his grandma can hardly afford to feed him two square meals a day. Everyone from the hamlet goes to the Eidgaah for prayers when it is Eid time. The fair is anticipated by all the kids, and Hamid's pals buy candy and lovely toys.
Despite being enticed by his friends' gadgets and candy, Hamid, who has the least money of all his friends, resists. Instead, the considerate child buys his grandmother a set of tongs so she won't burn her hands while cooking.
20 Panch Parmeshwar
Once more, it is a timeless tale of two best friends who have complete faith in one another, Jumman Sheikh and Algu Chaudhary But when Jumman's aunt seeks justice from the village panchayat against her nephew, who effectively took all of her property and is now mistreating her, their friendship takes a U-turn. Algu Chaudhary, who serves as a village assembly representative, is in a predicament where he must uphold the law, which can jeopardize his friendship with Jumman.
The moral of this premchand story is that everyone sees things differently and that we should all consider this when interpreting events.
21 Rangbhoomi
We learn how the British and the zamindar (landowner) class persecuted the farmers through the tale of blind Surdas. Surdas' struggle against oppression that is accepted in the community he lives in is the subject of the intricate plot.
The main character serves as a lens through which we can observe the systematic oppression of the working and middle classes and farmers in rural India by British authorities and landowner Indians.
22 Karmabhoomi
A groundbreaking story is Karmabhoomi. The people from lower castes are agitating for their rights. In Kashi and the nearby villages, there is a movement. Amarkant, Samarkant, Salim, Sukhada, and Naina are the primary characters of Karmabhoomi. Amaranth, a member of a wealthy family, is married to Sukhada. Amarkant refuses to manage the home business despite requests from his father and wife to do so.
He eventually gives up and departs from home. He resides in a village of lower caste citizens. Amarkant launches a campaign to give the villagers more power. Since Amarkant left the house, Sudhda's life has changed. She also joined the campaign in Kashi for the rights of those from lower castes. The story's plot changes at this point.
23 Sawa ser gehu
A poor farmer borrowed sawa ser gehun (about 1.163 kg of wheat) from a moneylender in this heartbreaking tale to rehydrate a saint. He struggled, therefore he was unable to give the moneylender the wheat back promptly.
After some time, the lender demanded that the struggling farmer return him with a man's worth (about 46 kg) of wheat. He found it nearly impossible to compensate him for the wheat that he had given him. Instead of this, he and the generations that followed were made to work practically as slaves for the moneylender for free.
24 Shatranj ki baazi
This Premchand classic portrays the tale of two Lucknow nawabs who, while playing chess, neglect to protect their city. Laundering, prostitution, and other topics are covered in Shatranj Ki Baazi.
25 Duniya ke Sabse Anmol Ratan
A lovely story about love and humanity. In ‘Duniya Ka Sabse Anmol Ratan’, Dilfigaar seeks out the "most valuable thing in the world" to gain Dilfareb's affection.
Conclusion
A must-read author of the twentieth century, Premchand remains one of the most celebrated writers in India’s history. While he achieved fame during his lifetime as an author, he was also revered by Mahatma Gandhi as one of India’s finest storytellers and non-violent activists. While many writers remain tied to their novels or poems, Premchand wrote a large number of short stories that allowed him to explore the day-to-day lives of common people and their interactions with the world around them.