Bharatendu Harishchandra

Bharatendu Harishchandra (9 September 18506 January 1885) was an Indian poet, writer, and playwright. He authored several dramas, biographical sketches, and travel accounts with the goal of influencing public opinion. Bharatendu Harishchandra is often considered the father of modern Hindi literature and theatre. Some modern Indian authors have described him as a Yug Charan for his writing depicting the exploitative nature of the British Raj.

Writing under the pen name "Rasa," Harishchandra explored themes that portrayed the struggles of the Indian people. His works addressed issues such as poverty, dependency, British tyranny, middle-class unrest, and need for societal progress. Harishchandra opposed the conventional orthodoxy of the time and the manipulations of religious leaders. He is described by some as an influential Hindu traditionalist who used Vaishnava devotion to define a coherent Hindu religion. His ancestors were landlords in Bengal. He wrote under the pseudonym Girdhar Das. He was titled "Bharatendu" ("The moon of India") at a public meeting by scholars of Kashi in 1880 in recognition of his services as a writer, patron, and modernizer. He continued his campaign for a legal ban on cow slaughter on behalf of the Maharaja of Benares, taking it to the Delhi Durbar. According to Sahay, his petition on the ban had 60,000 signatories and was submitted to Lord Lytton. Though no action was taken on the ban, he was given the title "Vir Vaishnava".

Major works

Plays Bharatendu Harishchandra soon became a director, manager, and playwright. He used theatre as a tool to shape public opinion. His major plays are:

Vaidika Himsa Na Bhavati, 1873 (वैदिक हिंसा न भवति) Satya Harishchandra, 1876 (सत्य हरिश्चन्द्र) Bharat Durdasha, 1875 Niladevi, 1881 (नीलदेवी) Andher Nagari (अन्धेर नगरी, City of Darkness), 1881: A popular play of modern Hindi drama and a political satire. Translated and performed in many Indian languages by prominent Indian directors like B. V. Karanth, Prasanna, Arvind Gaur and Sanjay Upadhyaya.

Poetry Bhakta Sarvagya (भक्त सर्वज्ञ) 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 Nij Bhasha (निज भाषा), 1877 India's Plight (भारत दुर्दशा), 1875

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) Invaluable Friend

Essay collection

Bharatendu Granthavali (भारतेन्दु ग्रन्थावली), 1885

Bharatendu Harishchandra Awards The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India has given the Bharatendu Harishchandra Awards since 1983 to promote original Hindi mass communication writings.