Bharatendu Harishchandra
Novelist, Poet, and Playwright

British Indian Benares, Benares State, British India

Quick Info

Profession	Novelist, Poet, and Playwright
Nationality	British Indian
Date of Birth	09/09/1850
Age	34 years (died on 06, Jan, 1885)
Birthplace	Benares, Benares State, British India
Date of Death	06/01/1885

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Bio/Wiki

Pen names	Rasa Girdhar Das
Names Earned	Bhartendu Vir Vaishnava

Physical Stats & More

Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Black

Educational Qualification(s)

College/University	The Queen’s College, Varanasi
Educational Qualifications	Persian, Urdu, and Sanskrit languages (early education) English at the Queen’s College, Varanasi (1862 to 1865)

Personal Life

Religion

Hinduism

Caste

Agarwal

Marital Status (at the time of death)

Married

Marriage Date

1863

Parents

Father	Gopal Chandra (poet; died in 1861)
Mother	Parvati Devi (died in 1855)

Siblings

Brother	Gokulchandra

Family

Spouse	Name Not Known
Children	One daughter
Father	Babu Gopal Chandra

Career

Notable Works

Plays	Vaidika Himsa Na Bhavati, 1873 Satya Harishchandra, 1876 Bharat Durdasha, 1875 Niladevi, 1881 Andher Nagari (अन्धेर नगरी, City of Darkness), 1881
Poetry	Bhakta Sarvagya Prem Malika (प्रेम मालिका), 1872 Prem Madhuri (प्रेम माधुरी), 1875 Prem Tarang (प्रेम तरंग),1877 Prem Prakalpa (प्रेम प्रकल्प), Prem Phulwari (प्रेम फुलवारी) and Prem Sarowar (प्रेम सरोवर), 1883 Holi (होली), (1874) Madhumukul (मधुमुकुल), 1881 Raga Sangrah (राग संग्रह), 1880 Varsha Vinod (वर्षा विनोद), 1880 Vinay Prem Pachasa (विनय प्रेम पचासा), 1881 Phulon Ka Guchchha (फूलों का गुच्छा), 1882 Chandravali (चन्द्रावली), 1876 and Krishnacharitra (कृष्णचरित्र), 1883 Uttarardha Bhaktamal (उत्तरार्द्ध भक्तमाल), 1876–77
Essay	Bharatendu Granthavali (भारतेन्दु ग्रन्थावली), 1885
Translations	Harsha's Ratnavali (रत्नावली) Vishakhadatta's Mudrarakshasa (मुद्राराक्षस) Ramprasad Sen's Vidyasundar (विद्यासुन्दर) from Bengali Karpuramanjari (कर्पूरमञ्जरी) from Prakrit Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice as Durlabh Bandhu (दुर्लभ बन्धु) or Invaluable Friend

Achievement

1880: He was bestowed with the title 'Bharatendu' by the Government of India

Magazines Edited

Kavi Vachan Sudha
Harishchandra Magazine
Bala Bodhini

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Bharatendu Harishchandra was a famous Indian poet, author, and playwright.
2. He is often referred to as the father of Hindi literature and Hindi theatre.
3. He wrote plays, biographies, travel memoirs, and used various forms of media to shape public opinion.
4. He earned the title 'Yug Charan' for his writings that criticized the British Raj's exploitative practices.
5. His family originally served as landlords in Bengal.
6. His father, Gopal Chandra, was a poet recognized for creating the first modern Hindi drama, 'Nahushnatak'.
7. He faced conflicts with British officials and was prohibited in 1880, likely due to critical editorials.
8. Harishchandra supported the Swadeshi movement, opposing the adoption of English customs to protect India's morals and economy.
9. In 1866, he founded the 'Harishchandra Intermediate College' in Varanasi.
10. In 1880, scholars in Kashi honored him with the title 'Bharatendu' for his achievements.
11. The 'Bharatendu Harishchandra Award' is given annually by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to encourage Hindi language development.
12. In 1976, the Government of India issued a postal stamp as a tribute to his contributions to Hindi literature.
13. He was a polyglot.

Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error

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