शतरंज के खिलाडी और अन्य कहानियाँ

by Munshi Premchand

This ebook is from Rajpal and Sons, a 103 year-old publishing house headquartered in Delhi. Rajpal and Sons publishes books in English and Hindi languages, in non-fiction, fiction, classic and contemporary literature, and children categories.

Genres: Fiction

204 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2015

About the author

Munshi Premchand (Hindi: मुंशी प्रेमचंद) was an Indian writer famous for his modern Hindustani literature. He is one of the most celebrated writers of the Indian subcontinent,and is regarded as one of the foremost Hindustani writers of the early twentieth century.

Born Dhanpat Rai, he began writing under the pen name "Nawab Rai", but subsequently switched to "Premchand", while he is also known as "Munshi Premchand", Munshi being an honorary prefix. A novel writer, story writer and dramatist, he has been referred to as the "Upanyas Samrat" ("Emperor among Novelists") by some Hindi writers. His works include more than a dozen novels, around 250 short stories, several essays and translations of a number of foreign literary works into Hindi.

Premchand is considered the first Hindi author whose writings prominently featured realism. His novels describe the problems of the poor and the urban middle-class. His works depict a rationalistic outlook, which views religious values as something that allows the powerful hypocrites to exploit the weak. He used literature for the purpose of arousing public awareness about national and social issues and often wrote about topics related to corruption, child widowhood, prostitution, feudal system, poverty, colonialism and on the India's freedom movement.

Several of his early works, such as A Little Trick and A Moral Victory, satirised the Indians who cooperated with the British colonial government.

In the 1920s, he was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement and the accompanying struggle for social reform. During this period, his works dealt with the social issues such as poverty, zamindari exploitation (Premashram, 1922), dowry system (Nirmala, 1925), educational reform and political oppression (Karmabhumi, 1931).

In his last days, he focused on village life as a stage for complex drama, as seen in his most famous work Godan as well as the short-story collection Kafan (1936).Premchand believed that social realism was the way for Hindi literature, as opposed to the "feminine quality", tenderness and emotion of the contemporary Bengali literature.

Reviews

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shatranj ke Khiladi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan (Hardcover) by Mushi Premchand- (1880-1936) 32 stories- I have written comment on Shatranj ke khiladi separately on this website. About the rest of 31 stories , Premchand has scripted about rural life, poverty, ownership of small agricultural holdings by families because of sub-division of land among the family members and position of women in society. First Story " Vishwas " is about an educated widow befriends the Governor. One day a dedicated leader addresses the public that the rich and mighty are enjoying party here while the common people are dying of hunger and thirst. The lady challenges in the higher society that she will teach a lesson to this leader. When she meets him at his residence, she is impressed by this simplicity and truthfulness while the leader is arrested and tried. She now challenges the Governor to withdraw all fake cases against him and release him or else she takes out a revolver to shoot sthe Governor. The Governor realizes the awakening and power of true love and releases the leader. Second story "Narak ka Marg" story about middle aged wife and husband- the wife loves to decorate her body, visits temples and neighbors but her husband dislikes all this. He wants that his wife should lead the life of a pious woman and live within the fore-corners of her house. She has two children. She maintains a stiff position on her whims but her husband controls and does not let her go out of the house. Her maid servant is poor, lives in a rented house with minimum facilities but her husband loves her. She compares herself with her maid and finds her better. Later her husband dies. She does not like the type of life she is living. One night she moves out of her residence. She meets an old woman who ultimately leads her to live in a brothel. Third story, "Stree Aur Purush" is about Vipin and Asha. Vipin is poet who composes poems on the beauty of women. His maternal uncle sees a young girl and engagement is done but the girl is not shown to Vipin. Marriage ceremony is held, then Vipin is able to see his wife when see arrives in a Doli to his house. Vipin finds that she is fair in color but not beautiful. He does not like her and keeps away. He moves to brothels and is paralyzed. Now his wife serves him and brings him back to health. A party is held to celebrate his health. The women are singing outside which can be viewed from the window. They open the window to see the gathered women. Vipin points out to his wife, indicates her to his friends,thanks her and closes the window. Fourth story "Uddhar" is the story of Gulzarilal, his daughter Amba and Hazarilal, the groom he has proposed for marriage. Hazarilal has got himself examined by two doctors who have diagnosed that he is suffering from Tuberculosis . He is unble to inform his father. He writes to his proposed father in law. Still, both their parents decide the date of their marriage. On the date of marriage, Hazarilal runs away from the marriage party knowing well that he will soon die of tuberculosis. Ultimately, she is married to another person. Fifth story "Nirvasan" is about Parashuram his wife Maryada and their son Vasudev. Both husband and wife visit a religious gathering on the bank of a river. While returning, they are separted because a group of naga sadhus' is crossing the road. She is forced to stay in a Lost and Found women camp. She returns back of her husband after seven days. She informs her husband that one person who was a sweeper informed the camp incharge that he will lead her to her husband's house. She identifies the description of her husband and goes with the man who takes her to a brothel. but she runs away and reaches her husband's house. On the ground that she has been away from her house and has been touched by other men than her husband, he asks her to leave his house and does not allow her to love her child even once. She leave the husband's house for ever. Sixth story "Nairashya Lila" Hridaynath, his wife Jageshwari and his daughter Kailash Kumari. Soon after the marriage of Kailash Kumari is fixed and ceremony performed, her husband expires. Widow remarriage custom is not prevalent. Her parents always listen to the dictates of the society and change their decision about the life of their daughter from time to time. First the parents find that she weeps all the time remembering her husband. They play music and let her visit plays and movies. The society does not like this. Second, they ask her to pray and lead the life of an ascetic. She does but again, the society does not like this. Her parents open a girls school for her and she spends her life for education of girl child. While her retirement is nearing, one of her students falls ill, she stays for three days in her house to take care of her. She returns back after the child is well. The society does not like this. Her parents do not dare to to oppose the society. Seventh story- "Kaushal" is about Balakram and his wife Maya. Maya wishes that her husband should purchase a gold chain for her but he is not interested. She meets her neighbor friend and whose husband has purchased a gold chain for her. She borrows the gold chain, wears it and shows it to her husband. He likes the gold chain and asks her to return it to her neighbor. Next day Maya informs her husband that she did not return the gold chain and it has been stolen from her house. Her husband gets angry on her irresponsible work and works hard to collect money to buy a new gold chain to return to the neighbor. Within six months of his hard work, he collects money buys a new gold chain to return to her neighbor. Maya informs him that the story about theft of the gold chain is wrong, she had returned the gold chain to her neighbor and now she will keep the new gold chain. Eighth story "Swarg ki Devi" is the story of Sitasaran and his wife Lila. Lila comes from an educated background family where hygiene, sunlight and cleanliness are important. After marriage, she comes into a backward family. Here she has to clean the house, cook for all. Her in laws eat fruits without washing them. Fruits are purchased from the market. They do-not clean them. Flies sit on the cut fruits. They eat and suffer from dysentery which converts into cholera. They fall sick and die. Next day, her two children, son and daughter eat the cut one day earlier on whom flies have been sitting. They also suffer from dysentery then cholera and die. Lila is heart broken and shuts herself in her room and weeps at the loss of her family members. After some days, her husband says that she must change her ways, dress up and cheer him up when he returns from work but she is not interested in changing. Her husband starts drinking hard liquor and visits a brothel. Now she understands the need for change and dresses herself in the evening. Sitasaran feels happy and changes into a good husband. Nineth story "Aadhar" the story is about Mathura his wife Anoopa and his younger brother Vasudev. Mathura is a strong built person who visits the local Akhara and keeps himself in good health. One day a bull enters their village and spoils the farms where vegetables have been sown. Daily this incident happens. The villagers best the bull and he goes out of the village then later at night he returns and starts his spoils. There is no strong man in the village who can drive the bull beyond the river so that he does not return back. The villagers request Mathura for help. Mathura takes him lathi and chases the bull. He hits the bull who moves out of the village but tries to return but is hit again. They move towards the river. Both are tired. Mathura feels thirsty but he knows that if he stops the bull will run back towards the village and all his effort will go waste. Chases the bull to cross the river. Mathura falls on the ground tired and thirsty. He rises drinks water from the river again and again. He rests in the shade of a tree. Here he feels pain in his stomach. He is unable to bear it and falls on the ground. He dies of stomach ache. Later the villagers come to search for him, find him dead. They take his dead body to the village. Anoopa weeps and the dead body is cremated. One month later, Anoopa's parents visit her and request her parents to let them take back Anoopa to live with them. Anoopa's mother in law asks her husband's younger brother Vasudev who is seven year old, whether he will marry Anoopa. He replies in the affirmative. Anoopa informs her brother that he will live in his in-laws place and shall not return back with him. After about 14 years, a proposal for the marriage of Vasudev is received. Anoopa accepts the proposal for marriage of Vasudev. She informs her mother in law that when Mathura died, she wanted a basis - a real man for whom she would live. Now, she has passed her youth and is old. Now she wants that Vasudev should be married to a young girl of his age. Tenth story "Ek Anch ki kasar" is the story about not taking dowry in the marriage of sons. Yashodanand is a rich man and a social worker. He declares that accepting a dowry in marriage is an improper practice and in the marriage of his son, he will not accept any dowry. HIs son is being married to the daughter of Swamidayal. The date of sagai is fixed. Guests are invited to the residence of Yashodanand for ceremony and lunch. Here Yasodanad delivers a written talk on the demerits of taking dowry. Next he asks his younger son to deliver a talk. By mistake he reads the letter written by the bride's father Swamidayal. In the letter Swamidayal has written that he will deliver the items of dowry confidentially and also a cash of Rs 20000/- but it is suggested that he may be granted a commission of dowryless marriage and he will deliver only Rs. 15000/- The whole gathering is stunned and they find the sham, discard the reception and return back. Next story is "Nairashya" is about the position of women when she delivers six girl child in a row. When she is pregnant, she announces that she is carrying a male child. For nine months she is treated well by her in laws. When she delivers next girl child, her in laws treat her badly and do-not bother about post natal care, she dies. Stree Purush- he has depicted the story of an ugly wife. Her husband does not like her face He follows after other women of the village and visits a brothel. Here he gets venereal disease by contacting her. In his fatal illness, the wife nurtures him and makes all effort to recover him from the ailment. All his stories relate to day to day difficulties of village life. It is a class book of stories. It is a must read for all.

[Ashwin Dongre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good stories, Munshiji has defined the characters in each story in details, explaining their feelings so well that we feel for them. Unlike the popular impression of Premchand's stories, most of these stories aren't sad, and even when they are a bit sad, they have happy endings. These stories highlights the social paradigm at the time, and many of them are relevant even today.
I liked almost all of the stories, particularly loved "Muktidhan".
Narration by Neeraj Yadav is very good. He has a very good voice and a great way of narrating the story.
All in all, most recommended.

[Rishita Mall · Rating 5 out of 5]

इस किताब में १७ लघु कथाएं हैं । मैंने "शतरंज के खिलाड़ी" बहुत साल पहले पढ़ी थी । हालांकि सारी कहानियां अच्छी थीं, पर मुझे "डिक्री के रुपए" और "दीक्षा" काफी पसंद आई । प्रेम चंद जी की लिखीं कहानियों से उनकी मानवता का परिचय तो मिलता ही है, साथ ही उनकी अवलोकन शक्ति और मनोविज्ञान की समझ का भी पता लगता है । कुछ कहानियों से मुझे प्रोत्साहन मिला - विश्वास हुआ कि अंत में सब सुलझ जाता है, और जैसे एक दिन ज़रूर उत्तर मिलेगा कि आखिर कुछ घटनाओं और अनुभवों के पीछे क्या कारण था ।