| Honorific Prefix: | Pandit |
| Honorific Suffix: | Phillauri |
| Spouse: | Mehtab Kaur[1] |
| Occupation: | Writer, poet, social Reformer |
| Death Place: | Lahore, Punjab Province, British India |
| Birth Place: | Phillaur, Dallewalia Misl, Sikh Empire |
| Birth Date: | September 1837 |
| Birth Name: | Shardha Ram |
| Language: | Punjabi, Hindi, Sanskrit |
Shardha Ram Phillauri (September 1837[2] – 24 June 1881) was an Indian writer, poet and social reformer, known for his contributions to Hindi and Punjabi literature. He is best known for his Hindu religious hymn Om Jai Jagdish Hare and Bhagyawati, one of the first novels in Hindi. Phillauri has also been called the "father of modern Punjabi prose". Born in Phillaur, he visited cities across Punjab and died in Lahore in 1881.
Shardha Ram was born in September 1837, to a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family in the town of Phillaur in the Sikh Empire under the reign of Ranjit Singh.[3] [4] His father, Jai Dyalu, was an astrologer. Their gotra was Moudgil. He did not have any formal education as such. By age ten, he had studied Hindi, Sanskrit, Persian, astrology, and music. Later, he was also a missionary of traditional Hinduism (Sanatana dharma).[5]
In his books, Shardha Ram documented Punjabi culture and language.[3] [4]
Shardha Ram gave forceful lectures on the Mahabharata, and because of this was charged with conducting propaganda against the British government[3] [4] in 1865. As a result, he was exiled temporarily from his home town, Phillaur.[3] [4]
Sharda Ram often visited Amritsar and adjoining Lahore, especially in connection with astrology.[3] During this time, he earned a reputation as an astrologer and wrote several books in Hindi.[3]
In 1886, Sikhan De Raj Di Vithia (Punjabi:The Story of Sikh Rule) he published, an account of Sikh religion and the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The last of its three chapters documents Punjabi culture and language, including its customs, usages, and folk songs. The book was often prescribed as a text book.
Shardha Ram has recently been acknowledged as having written the first novel in Hindi.[3] [4] [6] His novel Bhagyawati, believed to have been written mainly in Amritsar, was first published in 1888, after Shardha Ram's death.[3] The novel's portrayal of women and women's rights was progressive for its day.[3] [4]
Shardha Ram died on 24 June 1881, aged 43, at Lahore.[3]
| Work | Year | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sikhan De Raj Di Vithia (The Story of Sikh Rule) | 1866 | The book is an account of Sikh religion and the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.[7] The last of its three chapters documents Punjabi culture and language, including its customs, usages, and folk songs. The book was often prescribed as a text book. | |
| Punjabi Batcheet | This book was specifically written to help the British understand the local dialect. It may have been the first book transliterated into Roman script from Gurmukhi script. The study of this was a requirement for admission into the administrative services. The book is taught to this day at schools affiliated with the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Mohali. | ||
| 1870s | Translated in Punjabi the first time | ||
| Bhagyawati | published 1888 | This book is believed to be the first novel in Hindi. | |
| Satya Dharm Muktavli | |||
| Shatopadesh | |||
| Satyamrit Pravaha |