Now Is The Time For You To Know The Truth About Bhartendu Harishchandra

Bhartendu Harishchandra was an India Poet, Writer. He is known as the father of Hindi literature. He is also famous for being the first person to have translated the Ramayana into Hindi. Bhartendu harishchandra ka janm kab hua? 9 September 1850. Bhartendu Harischandra was born in 1850 in Varanasi and died in 1885 at the age of 34. Bhartendu Harischandra was born in the Brahmin family who had migrated from Bihar. He was born to Kashi Rai, who was a priest at Banaras Hindu University.

Harishchandra got admission in a college and passed the BA exam from BHU also. However he did not pursue higher education, instead returned to Varanasi and started writing poems in Hindi language. His first poem is named as ‘Vishal Bharat’ which is a commentary on William Henry David’s ‘The History of British India‘. Later Bhartendu Harischandra started writing the ‘Kathakosha’, which is the first dictionary of Hindi language. He also wrote several other books of poetry.

Later, Bhartendu Harishchandra turned to social service and is remembered as the ‘father of Hindi literature.’ Harishchandra spent his entire life encouraging people to read the Ramayana, which was the national epic of India.

There are several myths associated with the life of Bhartendu Harishchandra, one of them is that he was born from a fish and another from a jackfruit . Due to these myths he became an epithet ‘Bharat-Nath’ for his services for the country. He will remain an important figure in Indian history as a favourite poet and literary activist.

Now Is The Time For You To Know The Truth About Bhartendu Harishchandra :

1. Bhartendu Harischandra translated the Ramayana into Hindi from Sanskrit.

He wrote essays on Hinduism, mythology and history which are together known as the “Suktakaar ” (Disquisition on Religion). After his untimely death, his son Subhashchandra Harishchandra was originally appointed to complete Bhartendu Harischandra’s work but he died soon after commencing work on it. However, both works were completed by his grandson Shrinivas Harichandra.

2. Bhartendu Harishchandra was the first person to translate the Ramayana into Hindi.

Ramayana was considered as the ‘ancient’ and ‘perfect’ Hindu epic at that time. His translation of Ramayana also showed that he had a deep knowledge of Sanskrit and Prakrit languages. However this did not deter him to begin writing in Hindi and even translated Shakespeare’s Hamlet while he was studying BA at Banaras Hindu University.

3. He became a Government Officer in 1876 after passing the competitive examination in Kanpur.

Bhartendu Harischandra took up a job as a lecturer of Hindi language and literature at BHU. He was appointed to the post of the head of department, besides being the chairman of the school of English. He was an able administrator and made his mark in his field so well that he was appointed to several other positions which are described in detail below. He became an Assistant Collector in 1881 and a District Magistrate (Dy.Collector) in 1882.

4. His career as a government officer.

He worked towards making Hindi accessible to all people living on the Indian subcontinent by encouraging people to read Sanskrit and reading Hindi books even while they were learning Sanskrit.  He was a firm believer in the cause of Hindi and worked towards building up the language in all fields. This can be seen as he himself wrote poems, plays and translated works from Sanskrit to Hindi, besides being a prolific writer of prose. 

Moreover, he also encouraged people to use Hindi in administration and other formal occasions like parliament. Bhartendu Harishchandra who was one of the most prominent writers at that time also argued that Hindi should become the official language of India instead of Urdu which was widely accepted at that time by the British Government and upper classes.

5. Bhartendu Harishchandra was appointed as the Director of Public Instruction in 1884.

He kept his position till his death in 1885. During this time he wrote ‘Hindi Primer’. He also translated the Ramayana into Hindi and it was published by him with the title ‘Krittivasi Ramayan’. It is a good source to know about Bhartendu Harishchandra’s views on religion, morality and philosophy.

6. Bhartendu Harishchandra had a research-oriented scientific bent of mind.

He found time from his busy schedule to conduct experiments in various scientific fields. He tried to produce electricity using chemical compounds like aluminum, uranium and iron. One of his experiments is still remembered today as he succeeded in conducting a chemical reaction by burning coal in a microwave type apparatus. But unfortunately he died before he could publish his work fully on these topics.

7. Bhartendu Harishchandra wrote several books.

His works are still read today and are considered invaluable records of the time during which he lived. He is also known for his piety, character and generosity.

Bhartendu Harishchandra was a poet who translated the Ramayana into Hindi, besides writing many books on religion and philosophy. 

He was appointed as the Director of Public Instruction in 1884 before he died at the young age of 35 in 1885. The Bhartendu ‘Nath’ University was established in Allahabad by the government of India in his honor to promote Hindi literature, learning and culture.