BridgetteBarthol at 17:51, 24 April 2026

2026-04-24T17:51:08Z

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{{Short description|Indian Poet (1886-1964)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox writer 
| name = Dr Maithilisharan Gupt
| image = Maithili Sharan Gupt 1974 stamp of India.jpg
| pseudonym =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1886|8|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Chirgaon]], [[North-Western Provinces]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1964|12|12|1886|8|3}}
| death_place = [[India]]
| occupation = [[Poet]], [[politician]], [[dramatist]], [[translator]]
| education = Macdonal High School Jhansi
| alma_mater = Doctorate from Banaras Hindu University
| period =
| genre =
| subject =
| movement = Indian Nationalist Movement
| notableworks = Bharat Bharti, Saket
| spouse = Sarju Devi (Jiya)
| partner =
| children = Urmila Charan Gupt <ref>{{Cite web | title=Urmila Charan Gupta. v Charushila Sharan Gupta and Sumitra Nandan Gupta. on 01 June 1982 - Judgement - LexTechSuite | url=https://lextechsuite.com/Urmila-Charan-Gupta-Versus-Charushila-Sharan-Gupta-and-Sumitra-Nandan-Gupta-1982-06-01 | access-date=2026-04-05 | website=lextechsuite.com}}</ref>
| relatives = Mr Saurabh Gupta (Grandson)<ref>{{Cite web | title=Chairman Message - RMSG Public School, Chirgaon Jhansi | url=https://rmsg.ac.in/rmsg-chairmanmsg.php | access-date=2026-04-05 | website=rmsg.ac.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=School Information - RMSG Public School, Chirgaon Jhansi | url=https://rmsg.ac.in/rmsg-info.php | access-date=2026-04-05 | website=rmsg.ac.in}}</ref>

Dr Vaibhav Gupta (Grandson)<ref>{{Cite web | title=RMSG Vidyapeeth Inter College Chirgaon, Jhansi | url=https://www.rmsgvidyapeeth.in/our-founder.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123201646/https://rmsgvidyapeeth.in/our-founder.aspx | access-date=2026-04-05 | archive-date=2025-01-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Uttar Pradesh - Affidavit | url=https://www.rmsgmahavidyalaya.in/documents/affidavit.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111000526/https://rmsgmahavidyalaya.in/documents/affidavit.pdf | archive-date=2024-11-11}}</ref>
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]] (1954)
| signature =
| website =
| portaldisp =
| ethnicity =
| influences =
| influenced =
| module = {{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| office = Member of Parliament, [[Rajya Sabha]]<br />{{small|(Nominated)}}
| term_start = 3 April 1952
| term_end = 2 April 1964
}}
}}

'''Dr Maithilisharan Gupt'''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sharma |first1=Rahul |title=राष्ट्रकवि मैथिलीशरण गुप्त की जीवनी Maithili Sharan Gupt Bio |date=3 September 2021 |url=https://www.ajabgajabfacts.com/maithili-sharan-gupt-biography-in-hindi/}}</ref> (3 August 1886 – 12 December 1964<ref name=":0" />) was one of the most important modern [[Hindi]] poets.<ref>Sanjeev Chandan (4 August 2009) [https://web.archive.org/web/20110811031702/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-04/nagpur/28157631_1_premchand-hindi-literature-anthropologists 'Anthropologists' work inspired by Premchand']. ''Times of India''.</ref> He is considered one among the pioneers of ''[[Kauravi dialect|Khari Boli]]'' (plain dialect) poetry and wrote in [[Khari Boli]] dialect,<ref name=":0" /> at a time when most Hindi poets favoured the use of [[Braj Bhasha]] dialect.<ref name="SnellRaeside1998">{{cite book | author1=Rupert Snell | author2=Ian Raeside | title=Classics of Modern South Asian Literature | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X9KbhnDC6FAC&pg=PA240 | year=1998 | publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag | isbn=978-3-447-04058-7 | pages=240–}}</ref> He was a recipient of the third highest (then second highest) Indian civilian honour of [[Padma Bhushan]].<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref> For his book Bharat-Bharati (1912),<ref>[https://www.jagran.com/sahitya/literary-works-3283.html राष्ट्रकवि व उनकी भारत भारती, जागरण, Oct 15, 2012]</ref> widely quoted during India's freedom struggle, he was given the title of Rashtra Kavi<ref name=":0" /> by [[Mahatma Gandhi]].

In 1956, Rashtrakavi Maithili Sharan Gupt Abhinandan Samiti Calcutta published an [https://epustakalay.com/book/151472-rastrakabi-maithileeswaran-gupta-abhinandangranth-by-vashudev-sharan-agrawal/ Abhinandan Granth], a comprehensive 1000 page document in honour of his life and work.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vasudeva Sharana Agrawala |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.429776/mode/2up |title=Rashtrakavi Maithilisharan Guptha Abhinandan Granth (1956) |date=1956 |publisher=Rashrtkavi Maithilisharn Gupt Abhinandn Samiti.}}</ref>

His family now runs the RMSG Group of Institutions<ref>{{Cite web |title=RMSG Public School Jhansi, RMSG Chirgaon, RMSG Jhansi, R.M.S.G School - School Overview, Courses, Placements, Facilities |url=https://rmsg.ac.in/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=rmsg.ac.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RMSG Vidyapeeth Inter College Chirgaon, Jhansi |url=https://rmsgvidyapeeth.in/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=rmsgvidyapeeth.in}}</ref> in Chirgaon, promoting his ideals of empowering education, especially among girls.

== Early life ==
He was born in [[Chirgaon]], [[Jhansi]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=स्पर्श (भाग 2)|publisher=NCERT|isbn=81-7450-647-0|pages=18|language=hi|chapter=मनुष्यता|chapter-url=http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_10.Hindi.Sparsh/K-4.pdf|access-date=5 September 2020|archive-date=24 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024031423/http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_10.Hindi.Sparsh/K-4.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> in the Kankane clan of the [[Gahoi]] [[Bania (caste)|Bania]] community in a family that was once a wealthy zamindar family, but the wealth was lost by the time he was born.<ref>Shri hargovind, "Dadda Ki Chhaya Me", in Raashhtarkavi Maithiliisharana Gupt Abhinandan Granth, Ed. Agravaal Vaasudevasharana, 1959, Raashhtarkavi Maithiliisharana Gupt Abhinandan Committee Calcutta, p. 101.</ref> His father's name was Seth Ramcharan Gupta<ref name=":0" /> and his mother's name was Kashibai. Both his father and his brother Shearamsharan Gupta were prominent poets.<ref name=":0" /> He disliked school as a child, so his father arranged for his education at their home.<ref name=":0" /> As a child, Gupt studied [[Sanskrit]], English and [[Bengali language|Bengali]].<ref name=":0" /> [[Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi]] was his mentor. He married in 1895.<ref>Rishi jaimini Kaushik Barua, "Ikhattara Varshon ki Abhinandaniya Gatha", in Raashhtarkavi Maithiliisharana Gupt Abhinandan Granth, Ed. Agravaal Vaasudevasharana, 1959, Raashhtarkavi Maithiliisharana Gupt Abhinandan Committee Calcutta, p. 150.</ref>

== Literary works ==
Gupt entered the world of Hindi literature by writing poems in various magazines, including ''[[Saraswati (magazine)|Saraswati]]''. In 1909, his first major work, ''Rang mein Bhang'' was published by Indian Press. With ''Bharat Bharati'', his nationalist poems became popular among Indians, who were struggling for independence. Most of his poems revolve around plots from [[Ramayana]],<ref name=":0" /> [[Mahabharata]], [[Buddhist]] stories and the lives of famous religious leaders. His famous work ''Saket'' revolves around [[Urmila (Ramayana)|Urmila]], wife of [[Lakshmana]], from [[Ramayana]], while another of his works ''Yashodhara'' revolves around [[Yashodhara]], the wife of [[Gautama Buddha]].{{Citation needed|date= June 2012}}

प्राण न पागल हो तुम यों, पृथ्वी पर वह प्रेम कहाँ..

मोहमयी छलना भर है, भटको न अहो अब और यहाँ..

ऊपर को निरखो अब तो बस मिलता है चिरमेल वहाँ..

=== Creative style ===

His works are based along patriotic themes,<ref name=":0" /> among others poets such as [[Ramdhari Singh Dinkar]] and [[Makhanalal Chaturvedi]]. His poetry is characterized by non-rhyming couplets in Khadi Boli. Although the couplet structure is non rhyming, the prominent use of [[alliterations]] lends a rhythmic backdrop due to the rhythmic alterations between vowels and consonants. He was a religious man, and this can be seen in his works.<ref name=":0" />

=== Major works ===
'''Poetry''':
* ''Saket(1931)''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Rang mein Bhang(1909)''
* ''Matrubhumi''
* ''Bharat-Bharati(1912)''
* ''Jayadrath Vadh(1910)''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Vikat Bhat''
* ''Plassey ka Yuddha''
* ''Gurukul''
* ''Kisan''
* ''Panchavati(1925)''
* ''Nirjhar''
* ''Yashodhara(1932)''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Manushyata''
* ''Kinaro ka khel''
* ''Dvapar(1936)''
* ''Anagh(1928)''

== Political career ==
After India got independence in 1947, he was also made an honorary member of the [[Rajya Sabha]], where he used poetry to put his opinions before the other members. He remained a member of the Rajya Sabha till his death in 1964. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1954.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Awards {{!}} Interactive Dashboard |url=https://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1954-1954&Place=Uttar%20Pradesh |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Hindi-language poets]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.kavitakosh.org/kk/index.php?title=%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3_%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4 Maithili Sharan Gupt at Kavita Kosh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423112517/http://www.kavitakosh.org/kk/index.php?title=%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3_%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4 |date=23 April 2009 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070220232610/http://www.geeta-kavita.com/article.asp?article=list_poems#maithali Three poems of the poet from Bharat Bharati are available for readers at www.geeta-kavita.com]

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1954–59}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupt, Maithili Sharan}}
[[Category:1886 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Hindi-language poets]]
[[Category:People from Jhansi district]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education]]
[[Category:Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha|M]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian translators]]
[[Category:Translators to Hindustani]]
[[Category:Hindi-language Indian writers]]
[[Category:Translators of Omar Khayyám]]
[[Category:Poets from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rashtrakavi]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]

Maithilisharan Gupt - Revision history

BridgetteBarthol at 17:51, 24 April 2026