Dhirendra Verma

Verma was born on 17 May 1897 in Bhui colony of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, India. His father, Khanchand, was a Jamindar by birth and occupation. Khanchand had deep interest in Indian culture and was influenced by the ideals of Arya Samaj. Verma was significantly influenced by his father and the ideals of Arya Samaj in his formative years.

Verma died on 23 April 1973.

Verma was admitted to D.A.V. College, Dehradun in 1908. However, he soon returned to his father and took admission in Queen's College, Lucknow. He passed the "School Leaving Certificate Examination" with first division with special honours in Hindi. Subsequently, he went to Myor Central College, Allahabad where he received his M.A. in Sanskrit (1921) from. Later, he was awarded a D. Litt degree from Paris University.

Verma was appointed as the first lecturer of Hindi language at Allahabad University in 1924. Subsequently, he was promoted as a Professor and then Head of Department of Hindi department at Allahabad University, which he headed for several years. Later on, he served as the Vice Chancellor of Sagar University in Madhya Pradesh.

It was his stint as a teacher and researcher that brought a lot of fame for Verma. He is recognized as the pioneer in introducing scientific methods to research in Hindi language and literature.

Verma is known to have mentored many prominent writers, among them Dharamvir Bharati,[4] who edited the Hindi magazine Dharmyug.

Along with Rahul Sankrityayan, Dhirendra Verma represented the spatial and temporal dimensions of Akshayat.

Considered knowledgeable on Hindi literature,[1] Verma has written many books. Notable among them in Hindi are Hindi-Rashtra ya Suba Hindustan (1930)[5] Hindi Bhasha ka Itihasa ( History of Hindi language ) (1933).[6] Notable books written by Verma in Brij Bhasha are Brij Chhap- Grammar of Brij Bhasha, Ashtchhap,[7] Sursagar Saar, etc. Also he wrote books on rural Hindi.

Verma was the principal editor of the first 'हिन्दी विश्वकोश' (Hindi Encyclopedia).

Verma maintained a diary during his student years in 1917–23 about the political events taking place in India then. The diary entries were published in four parts called Meri kalej dayari (My College Diary).[6]

Father Kamil Bulke, the Belgian Jesuit, who later became famous as India's most famous Christian Hindi scholar, wrote that it was on the inspiration of Verma that he went to Allahbad in 1945 and did research in Hindi for four years.[8]