Muslim Cultural and Civilizational Trends in Premchand's Urdu Writings: A Research-Based and Analytical Study
Abstract
Abstract
The period of Urdu literature in the subcontinent when literature was wandering in tales and stories of magic, spells, and trickery. In Urdu-Hindi stories, tales based on impossible imaginations, such as platonic love, sighing over the memory of a beloved, had taken over literature. During this era, Munshi Premchand emerged among Indian writers with stories and fictional characters that proved to be rays of light in the dense darkness of literature. Premchand's stories provide a complete depiction of rural life and environment, as if he had made village life his purpose and art. Among Urdu writers, Premchand brought beauty and love out of the world of palaces and poetic gatherings and placed it in the natural beauty and lively environment of villages. Premchand's novels provide a clear depiction of the economic, political, class, and public struggles of India up to his time. The contributions of Premchand to Urdu fiction cannot be denied. Just as he presented the best standards of patriotism, humanitarianism, beauty, and reality in his works, it is undoubtedly a remarkable effort in the development of prose literature, which holds a distinctive position. Premchand's works introduced Urdu and Hindi as the prominent languages of the country to the world. Not only did he initiate short story writing in Urdu and Hindi, but through thirty years of continuous effort and his creative abilities, he remarkably developed and promoted this art form. Premchand was not only a leading figure and architect of fictional literature but also a prophet of united Indian nationalism, national culture, and the reconstruction of the country. He spent his entire life striving to develop a language of speech and writing without caring for opponents, aiming to build and shape national literature. The social issues of Indian life that he highlighted are still recognized today in every sphere.
Keywords: Urdu writings, Premchand, Subcontinent, Muslim Culture, Civilization.
