What was the real name of the Hindi-Urdu writer Munshi Premchand?

Munshi Premchand (1880-1936), one of the greatest writers of Hindi and Urdu literature, was born Dhanpat Rai Srivastava.

About his names:

• He first wrote in Urdu under the pen name "Nawab Rai".
• In 1907, his collection of patriotic Urdu stories, "Soz-e-Watan" ("Lament of the Nation"), was banned by the British government, and copies were burnt.
• After this, he began writing under the pen name "Premchand".

The title "Munshi" was added later; it was an honorary title, possibly because of his association with the magazine "Hans", which he co-edited with K. M. Munshi.

About Premchand:

• He was born on 31 July 1880 in Lamhi village, near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• He worked as a school teacher and later as a deputy inspector of schools, but resigned in 1921 in response to Mahatma Gandhi's call for Non-Cooperation.

He wrote about 300 short stories and around a dozen novels. His works describe the lives of peasants, the poor, women and the oppressed, and deal with issues such as poverty, caste, exploitation and social reform.

He is called "Upanyas Samrat" ("Emperor of Novels").

His famous novels include "Godaan" (1936, his last completed novel), "Gaban", "Nirmala", "Karmabhoomi", "Rangbhoomi" and "Sevasadan".

His famous short stories include "Idgah", "Kafan" (his last story), "Panch Parmeshwar", "Do Bailon Ki Katha", "Bade Ghar Ki Beti" and "Shatranj Ke Khilari" (made into a film by Satyajit Ray in 1977).

He started the literary magazine "Hans" in 1930.

He presided over the first conference of the Progressive Writers' Association in Lucknow in 1936.

He died on 8 October 1936.

Why not the other options?

• ✗"Nawab Rai" was Premchand's early pen name, not his real name.
• ✗Sahib Singh Verma was a politician (former Chief Minister of Delhi).

Ghanshyam Das is the first name of the industrialist G. D. Birla.