Acharya Chatursen
Encyclopedia
Acharya Chatursen Shastri (26 August 1891 – 2 February 1960) was an eminent writer
of Hindi
, and he wrote many historical fiction
s.
state in India
on the 26th August, 1891. His father was Punditt Kewal Ram Thakur and mother was Nanhee Devi. His birth name was Chaturbhuj.
Chaturbhuj finished his primary education in a school in Sikandarabad. Then he got admitted to Sanskrit College, Jaipur
, Rajasthan
. From here he received the degrees of Ayurvedacharya in Ayurveda
and Shastri in Sanskrit
in the year 1915. He also received the degree of Ayurvedacharya from Ayurveda Vidyapeetha.
After finishing his education he came to Delhi
to start his practice as an ayurvedic physician. He opened his own ayurvedic dispensary in Delhi but it did not run well and he had to close it down. He joined a rich man's charitable dispensary at the salary of Rupees 25 per month. Later in 1917, he joined DAV college, Lahore
(now in Pakistan) as senior professor of Ayurveda. The management at the DAV college, Lahore was insulting to him, therefore, he resigned and went to Ajmer
to help his father-in-law in his dispensary. Working at this dispensary, he started to write and soon became famous as a story writer and novelist.
His first novel Hridaya-Ki-Parakh (Trial of the Heart) was published in 1918. It did not bring him any recognition. His second book, Satyagraha
Aur Asahyoga (Civil Resistance and Non-cooperation) was published in 1921. Contrary to the title, this book collided with the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi
who was a prominent political figure in India in those days. This brought immense attention to Acharya Chatursen Shastri. These were followed by many historical novels, stories and ayurvedic books.
Acharya Chatursen Shastri took his last breath on the 2nd February, 1960.
. These books can be seen as a logical binding of history
and philosophy
and are worth recommending to anyone who is looking to know more about India
before the advent of Islam
and who also wants to see Hinduism
in positive light.In his foreword to his book,'Vaishali ki Nagarvadhu',he declares this is his first book and the ones prior to this one were worthless;the book lives up to this declaration.It is hard to imagine a more readable description of society and politics in India around sixth century BC
He was a friend of Jawaharlal Nehru
, India's first Prime Minister
, but he opposed Nehru's proposition of secular India. Nehru tried to ban his books after Congress
came to power and accused Acharya Chatursen of fuelling tensions between Hindus and Muslims.
He was also a patriot.
His important works include:
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of Hindi
Hindi literature
Hindi literature , is broadly divided into four prominent forms or styles, being Bhakti ; Shringar ; Veer-Gatha ; and Adhunik...
, and he wrote many historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
s.
Biography
Acharya Chatursen Shastri was born in a small village Chandokh (near Sikandarabad) in the Bulandshahr district of Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
state in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on the 26th August, 1891. His father was Punditt Kewal Ram Thakur and mother was Nanhee Devi. His birth name was Chaturbhuj.
Chaturbhuj finished his primary education in a school in Sikandarabad. Then he got admitted to Sanskrit College, Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. From here he received the degrees of Ayurvedacharya in Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
and Shastri in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
in the year 1915. He also received the degree of Ayurvedacharya from Ayurveda Vidyapeetha.
After finishing his education he came to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
to start his practice as an ayurvedic physician. He opened his own ayurvedic dispensary in Delhi but it did not run well and he had to close it down. He joined a rich man's charitable dispensary at the salary of Rupees 25 per month. Later in 1917, he joined DAV college, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
(now in Pakistan) as senior professor of Ayurveda. The management at the DAV college, Lahore was insulting to him, therefore, he resigned and went to Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
to help his father-in-law in his dispensary. Working at this dispensary, he started to write and soon became famous as a story writer and novelist.
His first novel Hridaya-Ki-Parakh (Trial of the Heart) was published in 1918. It did not bring him any recognition. His second book, Satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
Aur Asahyoga (Civil Resistance and Non-cooperation) was published in 1921. Contrary to the title, this book collided with the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
who was a prominent political figure in India in those days. This brought immense attention to Acharya Chatursen Shastri. These were followed by many historical novels, stories and ayurvedic books.
Acharya Chatursen Shastri took his last breath on the 2nd February, 1960.
Career
His books are historically authentic and give details of life in ancient IndiaHistory of India
The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from...
. These books can be seen as a logical binding of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and are worth recommending to anyone who is looking to know more about India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
before the advent of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and who also wants to see Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
in positive light.In his foreword to his book,'Vaishali ki Nagarvadhu',he declares this is his first book and the ones prior to this one were worthless;the book lives up to this declaration.It is hard to imagine a more readable description of society and politics in India around sixth century BC
He was a friend of Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
, India's first Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, but he opposed Nehru's proposition of secular India. Nehru tried to ban his books after Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
came to power and accused Acharya Chatursen of fuelling tensions between Hindus and Muslims.
He was also a patriot.
Writings
The bulk of his literary output is almost unparelleled in Hindi. In all, he wrote 72 published books including 8 historical novels, 10 dramas, 4 historical non-fictions, 15 collections of essays on political subjects and an equal number on the subjects of health and medicine. He also published over 250 short stories in various Hindi periodicals over time.His important works include:
- Vaishali ki Nagarvadhu (वैशाली की नगरवधू)(1948?) ISBN 81-7028-282-9 - based on the historical figure Amrapali
- Vayam Rakshamah (वयं रक्षाम:) - based on life of Mythological character of Ravana (from Ramayana)
- Sahyadri ki chattanen - based on Shivaji's times and life
- Goli (गोली)
- Dharamputra (धर्मपुत्र)
- Sona aur Khoon (सोना और ख़ून)
- Neelmani (नीलमणि)
- Narmedh (नरमेध)
- Somnath Mahalay (सोमनाथ) - Based on invasion of Muhammad Gaznavi and destruction of SomnathSomnathThe Somnath Temple located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed...
temple - Bharat mein Islam (भारत में इस्लाम)
- Achchi Aadatein (अच्छी आदतें)
- Aparajita (अपराजिता)
- Aadarsh Bhojan (आदर्श भोजन)
- Nirog Jivan (नीरोग जीवन)
- Eedo (ईदो) - based on events from The great Depression (1929–34) and World War II (1939–45)
- Hindi Bhasha aur Sahitya Ka Itihas (1946) - A History of Hindi Language and its literature
- Hridaya Ki Parakh (1918)
- Satyagraha Aur Asahyoga (1921) - about Civil Resistance and Non-cooperation
- lalkila [1962]
- Yadon ki parchaiyan
External links
- Review (in Hindi) of Dharamputra (धर्मपुत्र) http://saadajeevan.blogspot.com/2007/12/blog-post.html