Shardha Ram Phillauri

Shardha Ram Phillauri (in Punjabi ਸ਼ਰਧਾ ਰਾਮ ਫਿਲੌਰੀ/شردھا رام فلوری (September 1837[1] – 24 June 1881) was a Hindu social reformer, and writer best remembered for his contributions to Hindi and Punjabi literature. He has been called the "father of modern Punjabi prose."[2]

Biography

Shardha Ram was born in 1837 to a Brahmin family in the town of Phillaur, Jalandhar.[2][3] His father, Jai Dyalu, was an astrologer. Their gotra was Moudgil.[2] He did not have any formal education as such.[2] By age ten, he had studied Hindi, Sanskrit, Persian, astrology, and music.[2] Later, he was also a missionary of traditional Hinduism (Sanatana dharma).[2][3][4]

In his books, Shardha Ram documented Punjabi culture and language.[2][3]

Shardha Ram gave forceful lectures on the Mahabharata, and because of this was charged with conducting propaganda against the British government[2][3] in 1865. As a result, he was exiled temporarily from his home town, Phillaur.[2][3]

Sharda Ram often visited Amritsar and adjoining Lahore, especially in connection with astrology.[2] During this time, he earned a reputation as an astrologer and wrote several books in Hindi.[2]

Shardha Ram has recently been acknowledged as having written the first novel in Hindi.[2][3][5] His novel Bhagyawati, believed to have been written mainly in Amritsar, was first published in 1888, after Shardha Ram's death.[2] The novel's portrayal of women and women's rights was progressive for its day.[2][3]

Sharda Ram has written the famous and widely sung aarti "Om Jai Jagdish Hare...."

Shardha Ram died on 24 June 1881 at Lahore.[2]

Works

Work	Year	Description
Sikhan De Raj Di Vithia (The Story of Sikh Rule)[2][3]	1866	The book is an account of Sikh religion and the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.[3][6] The last of its three chapters documents Punjabi culture and language, including its customs, usages, and folk songs.[3] The book was often prescribed as a text book.[3]
Punjabi Batcheet[2][3]		This book was specifically written to help the British understand the local dialect.[2][3] It may have been the first book transliterated into Roman script from Gurmukhi script.[2][3] The study of this was a requirement for admission into the administrative services.[2][3] The book is taught to this day at schools affiliated with the Punjab State Education Board (PSEB) Mohali.
Om Jai Jagdish Hare[2][3]	1870s	Translated in Punjabi the first time[3]
Bhagyawati[2][3]	published 1888	This book is believed to be the first novel in Hindi.[2][3][5]
Satya Dharm Muktavli[3]
Shatopadesh[3]
Satyamrit Pravaha[3]

Notes and references

1. Singh Bedi, Harmohinder. Shardha Ram Granthawali. Nirmal Publisher. (A three-volume work by the dean and head of the Guru Nanak Dev University Hindi Department.)
2. Walia, Varinda. "Hindi novel’s first cradle." The Tribune (17 March 2005).
3. Maitray, Mohan. "The creator of Om Jai Jagdish Hare." The Tribune (27 September 1998).
4. http://www.faithandthearts.com/images/9_20070612201926.pdf
5. Previously, Lala Sri Niwas was credited with this achievement; his Priksha Guru was written in 1902. Walia, Varinda. "Hindi novel’s first cradle." The Tribune.
6. Sisir Kumar Das. A History of Indian Literature, p. 540. Sahitya Akademi (1991), ISBN 81-7201-006-0.

Further reading

• Singh Bedi, Harmohinder. Shardha Ram Granthawali. Nirmal Publisher. (A three-volume work by the dean and head of the Guru Nanak Dev University Hindi Department.)

External links

• Painting of Shardha Ram Phillauri.