Navalram Pandya

Navalram Laxmiram Pandya (Gujarati: નવલરામ) (9 March 1836 – 7 August 1888) was a Gujarati critic, playwright, poet, essayist, editor, educationist and a social reformer. He is considered to be a most important figure in modern Gujarati literature. The first humourist, the first historical dramatist, the first critic and a leading scholar of his age, Navalram was the first to herald the new generation of writers like Manilal Dwivedi, Govardhanram Tripathi and Narsinhrao Divetia. His writings covered numerous areas, including philosophy, patriotism, reformation, education, journalism, grammar and literature.

BornNavalram Laxmiram Pandya
(1836-03-09)March 9, 1836
Surat, British India
DiedAugust 7, 1888(1888-08-07) (aged 52)
Rajkot, British India
OccupationLiterary critic, playwright, poet, essayist, editor, educationist and a social reformer
LanguageGujarati
Notable works
Spouse
Shivagauri
​
​
(m. 1847, died)​
    Manigauri
    ​
    (m. 1850)​

    Life

    Navalram was born on 9 March 1836 in Surat (now in Gujarat) to Nandkor and Lakshmiram Pandya. Physically weak as a child, he didn't take much interest in games and was introvert in nature. At the age of eleven, he passed the final vernacular exam and got admission in an English school as a free merit scholar.[1] He passed his matriculation exam in 1853. Though he was a prodigy in mathematics he didn't go to college and joined as an Additional Teacher at the English High School in Surat in 1854. From there he went to Deesa and joined the Anglo Vernacular School. Then he became the assistant principal of Ahmedabad Training College and worked there from 1870 to 1876. In 1876, he became the Principal of Rajkot Training College and lived there until his death on 7 August 1888.[2][3][4]

    In 1847, at the age of 11, he married Shivagauri, who died after 10 months of marriage. His second marriage was with Manigauri in 1850. His son, Dhimatram, was born in 1867, while his daughter, Kamla, in 1871.[5]

    Govardhanram Tripathi and Vijayray Vaidya published his biography as Navalram Lakshmiram Ni Jivankatha (1940) and Shukra Tarak (1944) respectively.[6]

    Works

    In addition to writing literary essays and book reviews, Navalram was a critic of distinction. He started his writing career with a report on the Maharaj Libel Case (1863).[3][4]

    Plays

    In 1867, he penned the Gujarati Bhatnu Bhopalu, based on Henry Fielding's The Mock Doctor, a play which in its turn had been adapted from French playwright Molière's Le Médecin malgré lui.[7] He wrote the historical play Veermati in 1869, based on the story of Jagdev Parmar, published in Alexander Kinloch Forbes' Ras Mala.[3][4][7][8][9][10]

    Criticism

    He reviewed the first Gujarati novel, Karan Ghelo in Gujarat Mitra daily in 1867, pioneering the criticism of Gujarati literature.[3][4][11]

    Prose

    Navalram was an editor of Gujarat Shala Patra, a periodical on education.[10][12] He wrote serial commentary on poetry with humour titled Akbarshah ane Birbal Nimitte Hindi Hasyatarang in the periodical from 1860 to 1870. His other serialized writing in periodical Engrej Lok no Sankshipt Itihas (Concise History of Englishmen, 1880–1887) was later edited and published by Balwantray Thakore in 1924. He translated Kalidasa's Meghadūta (1870) in Gujarati and also discussed the methodology of translation in it. Kavijivan (1888) is a biographical work on Gujarati poet and social reformer Narmad based on his autobiography, Mari Hakikat.[3][4][8][13]

    Others

    His poetry collections Balalagnabatrisi (1876) criticized child marriage while Balagarbavali (1877) is about ideals of life of women. He edited Premanand Bhatt's Kunwarbai nu Mameru (1871).[3][4][10] His Vyutpattipatha (1887) was a pioneer essay on philology in Gujarati while Nibandh-riti was an essay on writing essays.[10][14]

    His complete works are published under Navalgranthavali (1891), edited by Govardhanram Tripathi.[3][4][10]

    See also

    References
    1. Shukla, Ramesh M. (1988). Navalram. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 10–11.
    2. report of the department of public instruction in the Bombay presidency. 1870. pp. 89–93.
    3. "Navalram Pandya" (in Gujarati). Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
    4. Mansukhlal Maganlal Jhaveri (1978). History of Gujarati Literature. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 86–100.
    5. Shah, Purnima Manilal (1983). Navalram Laxmiram Pandyanu Vangamay Vyaktitva: Yugasandarbhma (Ph.D.) (in Gujarati). Ahmedabad: Department of Gujarati, Gujarat University. pp. 541–544.
    6. Chavda, V. K. (1979). "Historical Biography in Gujarati Literature" (PDF). In Sen, S. P. (ed.). Historical Biography in Indian Literature. Calcutta: Institute of Historical Studies. p. 202. OCLC 773398543.
    7. Amaresh Datta; various (1 January 2006). The Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature (Devraj To Jyoti). Vol. 2. Sahitya Akademi. p. 1071. ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0.
    8. Nalini Natarajan; Emmanuel Sampath Nelson (1 January 1996). Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-0-313-28778-7.
    9. Rita Kothari (8 April 2014). Translating India. Taylor & Francis. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-1-317-64215-2.
    10. Sujit Mukherjee (1 January 1998). A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850. Orient Blackswan. pp. 259–. ISBN 978-81-250-1453-9.
    11. Indian Literature. Prabhat Prakashan. 1988. p. 306.
    12. Narsinhrao Divetia (1 January 1993). Gujarati Language and Literature. Asian Educational Services. p. 429. ISBN 978-81-206-0648-7.
    13. U. M. Chokshi; M. R. Trivedi (1991). Gujarat State Gazetteer. Director, Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Gujarat State. pp. 380–382.
    14. Thomas Albert Sebeok (1971). Current Trends in Linguistics. Walter de Gruyter. p. 111. GGKEY:58UAB133QTX.

    Further reading
    • 'Navalram' by Rameśa Ma Śukla, Published in 1988, Sahitya Akademi (New Delhi)
    • Milestones in Gujarati Literature by K M Jhaveri.
    • Brahmbhatt, Prasad. (2003) Kavyasarita. (Literary Criticism of the evolution of Poetry). Ahmedabad: Parshwa Publication.
    • Trivedi, Ramesh. M. (1994) Arvachin Gujarati Sahityano Itihaas. (History of Modern Gujarati Literature). Ahmedabad: Adarsh Prakashan.
    • Trivedi, Ramesh. M. (2005) Gujarati Sahityano Itihaas. (History of Gujarati Literature). Ahmedabad: Adarsh Prakashan.
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