Dhanpat Rai Srivastava, better known by his pen name Premchand, 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 Hindi writers of the early twentieth century.

How was Premchand?

Premchand, also spelled Prem Chand, pseudonym of Dhanpat Rai Srivastava, (born July 31, 1880, Lamati, near Varanasi, India—died October 8, 1936, Varanasi), Indian author of novels and short stories in Hindi and Urdu who pioneered in adapting Indian themes to Western literary styles.

Who gave Premchand name to Premchand?

The author was influenced by the freedom movement and his works not only entertained readers, but also conveyed social messages, and encouraged them to participate in the movement. One such work, Soz-e-Watan, published in 1907, was banned by the British rulers, which prompted him to change his pen name to Premchand.