Acharya Shukla

Ram Chandra Shukla better known as Acharya Shukla (October 4 1882 - 1942) is regarded as the first codifier of the history of Hindi literature in a scientific system by efforting great research with scanty resources and published ‘Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihaas’(1928-29).

This monumental work traces the genesis of Hindi poetry and prose since 6th century and its development through Buddhist and Nath schools and medieval contributions of Amir Khusro, Kabirdas, Ravidas, Tulsidas, stretching to modern realism of Nirala and Premchand.

His works of literary criticism include ‘Kavita Kya Hai’, the most widely read essay explaining poetry and poetics in his outstanding collection ‘Chintamani’, published initially in two volumes as a collection of essays on emotions like anger and hatred. Recently his scattered and unpublished essays have been found out and published as ‘Chintamani-3’ edited by Namwar Singh and ‘Chintamani-4’ by Kusum Chaturvedi.

To enrich the worldview of Hindi knowing people, Acharya Shukla translated Edwin Arnold’s The Light of Asia into ‘Buddha Charit’ (A biography of Gautam Buddha in Brij Bhasha verse) and German scholar Ernst Haeckel’s famous work "The Riddles of Universe" into ‘Vishwa Prapanch’ where he added his own thought provoking preface by comparing its findings with Indian philosophical systems.

These works signify that he did not restrict himself to be the foremost modernizer of Hindi language, literature and thought but also involved with scientific temper building by translating and updating works of science and history. In developing a scientific methodology to investigate the literary works of several centuries as creations of socio-economic and political conditions of the respective era Acharya Shukla became a pathbreaker.

In his view true literature is not merely an expression of human consciousness as an end in itself but accounts for Lokmangal, a concept defining progress of society where common people are supreme and their sufferings are best understood as purpose for amelioration. The literature, though esthetics must address itself to the pains and woes of downtrodden and the underdogs and work for human emancipation from exploitation of all kinds.

Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla was born on 4th October, 1884 to Chandrabali Shukla in a small village Agona, District Basti during British rule over India. He started his journey in the world of letters with a poem and an article ‘Prachin Bharatiyoin Ka Pahirava’ in Hindi and also by writing in English his first published essay at the age of 17 – ‘What Has India to do’. Keeping in the spirit of anti-imperialism, a few years after, in the year 1921, he wrote ‘Non-cooperation and Non-mercantile Classes of India’ which was an attempt to look at the struggle of Indian classes in the set up of colonial and semi-feudal economy.

Acharya Shukla taught at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and chaired its department of Hindi during Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya's period from 1937 till his last breath. He also wrote a long Hindi story ‘Gyarah Varsh Ka Samay’ to inspire original writings, although he was not a regular story writer. His collection of original poems ‘Madhushrota’ includes his felt adolescent hunger for hills, rocks, water falls, crops and birds and images of his childhood sphere. Ram Chandra Shukla was married to Savitri Devi and had two sons Keshav Chandra and Gokul Chandra and three daughters Durgavati, Vidhya and Kamla. He was a painter of some sorts and designed his own house left incomplete when he died in 1941.

Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla Sahitya Shodh Sansthan, a research institute, established in 1972 in his name is a centre of literary activities. It is housed in a double storey building and among its notable secretaries are Gyan Datta Chaturvedi and Kusum Chaturvedi. Naya Mandand, a journal of Hindi criticism is periodically published by this institute under the editorship of Kusum Chaturvedi. Doordarshan the official TV of Government of India commissioned and showed, a documentary done by Mukta on the eve of his birth centenary in 1984. There are two biographies on Acharya Shukla, one authored by Chandra Shekhar and another by Kusum Chaturvedi and Mukta jointly.

Major works by Ram Chandra Shukla

*Hindi Shabd Sagar
*Jayasi
*Kusum Sangrah
*Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihas
*Tulsidas
*Kabirdas
*Surdas
*Rasmimansa
*Madhushrota
*Chintamani, 4 volumes

Major works on Ram Chandra Shukla

*"Alochak Ram Chandra Shukla" by Ganga Prasad Pandey
*"Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla" aur "Hindi Alochana" by Ram Vilas Sharma
*"Lokjagran Aur Acharya Shukla" by Ram Vilas Sharma
*"Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla" by Professor Joseph Mundasshweri
*"Bharatiya Sahitya Samiksha" aur "Acharya Shukla"
*"Acharya Ramchandra Shukla aur Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi ki Itihaas Drishtiyon ka Tulnatmak Adhyayan:A research done by Ranjana Sharma under supervision of Prof.Ashok Chakradhar"

Publications of Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla Sahitya Shodh Sansthan

*Nirala Aur Nazrul Ka Rashtriya Chintan
*Nirvachit Prabandh Sankalan
*Sadi Ke Ant Mein Hindi
*Naya Mandandaccareya

External links

* [http://sabrang.com/cc/comold/july99/essay.htm Sabrang]
* [http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/Students/avatans/hindi.html Role in Evolution of Hindi]
* [http://unnao.nic.in/person.htm Personalities]
* [http://jmi.nic.in/FHum/Research_Hindi.htm Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla aur Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi ki Itihaas Drishtiyon ka Tulnatmak Adhyayan]
* [http://languageinindia.com/march2003/hindustani.html Language in India]
* [http://india-seminar.com/2006/558/558%20laura%20r.%20brueck.htm Issues of the journal of the Acharya Ramchandra Shukla Research Institute]
* [http://sriramakrishnamath.org/magazine/vk/2006/05-4-1.asp Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, May 2006]
* [http://indianembassylao.com/pdfs/book_by_title_q-s.pdf#search=%22acharya%20ram%20chandra%20shukla%22 Indian Authors-Embassy of India to the Lao PDR]