Munshi Premchand's birth anniversary: Netizens pay tribute to 'pride of Indian literature'

People are celebrating the 140th birth anniversary of renowned Indian writer Dhanpat Rai Shrivastava, better known by his pen name Munshi Premchand. Netizens are flooding social media with posts filled with heartfelt tributes for the 20th-century writer. Some of Premchand's works such as Godaan, Karmabhoomi, Gaban, Mansarovar, and Idgahstill resonates with people who are marking his birth anniversary on social media. Premchand had also written under the pen name 'Nawab Rai' reportedly given by his uncle, Mahabir, who nicknamed him 'Nawab' or Prince.

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Premchand was famous for his literary works in Hindi and Urdu language, which also became part of the curriculum of Indian schools. Born on July 31, 1880, in British India, Premchand started his schooling at a madrasa, located in his village Lamahi, just north of Varanasi. Later, when his father, a post office clerk was posted to Jamniya, he enrolled at the Queen's College in Varanasi and passed matriculation exams with less than 60 percent marks. He dropped-out because no college was ready to give him admission with fee concession and started teaching an advocate's son at a monthly salary of five rupees. 

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Last days

Premchand moved to several cities during his lifetime but wanted to settle in Allahabad. However, he had to move to Varanasi in his last days due to financial constraints. He became the first president of the Progressive Writers' Association in 1936 in Lucknow and died while still in office on October 8 the same year. In 2016, Google had dedicated a doodle to mark the author's 136th birth anniversary. 

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