Narmadashankar Dave
Encyclopedia
Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave (August 24, 1833 – February 26, 1886), popularly known as Narmad, was a Gujarati
author, poet, scholar and public speaker.
. He wrote pioneering work in such forms as autobiography
, poetry
, lexicography
, historical plays and research in folk literature. He was also an outspoken journalist and a pamphleteer. Narmad was a strong opponent of religious fanaticism
and orthodoxy
. He promoted nationalism
and patriotism
- with famous songs like Sahu Chalo Jitva Jang, wrote about self-government and talked about one national language, Hindi
, for all of India
, nearly five decades before Mohandas Gandhi or Nehru. He wrote a poem Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat
in which he listed with a sense of pride all the cultural symbols that go into constituting the Gujarat identity. These symbols include even the things non-Hindu, implying that Gujarat belongs to all the castes, communities, races, religions and sects that inhabit Gujarat. It was this devout poet whose debt Gandhi acknowledged for his philosophy of non-violence. With the help of some friends, Narmad published a newsletter called Daandiyo, modeled after The Spectator
, a weekly British magazine. He died of arthritis
on February 26, 1886.
.
Gujarati people
Gujarati people , or Gujaratis are an ethnic group that is traditionally Gujarati-speaking and can trace their ancestry to the state of Gujarat in western India...
author, poet, scholar and public speaker.
Biography
Narmad was born in Surat on August 24, 1833. He introduced many creative forms of writing in GujaratiGujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. He wrote pioneering work in such forms as autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, lexicography
Lexicography
Lexicography is divided into two related disciplines:*Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries....
, historical plays and research in folk literature. He was also an outspoken journalist and a pamphleteer. Narmad was a strong opponent of religious fanaticism
Religious fanaticism
Religious fanaticism is fanaticism related to a person's, or a group's, devotion to a religion. However, religious fanaticism is a subjective evaluation defined by the culture context that is performing the evaluation. What constitutes fanaticism in another's behavior or belief is determined by the...
and orthodoxy
Orthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
. He promoted nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
- with famous songs like Sahu Chalo Jitva Jang, wrote about self-government and talked about one national language, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, for all of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, nearly five decades before Mohandas Gandhi or Nehru. He wrote a poem Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat
Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat (Poem)
Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat is a poem written by well-known Gujarati poet, Narmad.જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત !જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત,દીપે અરુણું પરભાત,ધ્વજ પ્રકાશશે ઝળળળ કસુંબી, પ્રેમ શૌર્ય અંકિત;તું ભણવ ભણવ નિજ સંતજિ સઉને, પ્રેમ ભક્તિની રીત -ઊંચી તુજ સુંદર જાત,...
in which he listed with a sense of pride all the cultural symbols that go into constituting the Gujarat identity. These symbols include even the things non-Hindu, implying that Gujarat belongs to all the castes, communities, races, religions and sects that inhabit Gujarat. It was this devout poet whose debt Gandhi acknowledged for his philosophy of non-violence. With the help of some friends, Narmad published a newsletter called Daandiyo, modeled after The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, a weekly British magazine. He died of arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
on February 26, 1886.
Works
- Narmagadya (નર્મગદ્ય) - Collection of Essays
- Narmakavita (નર્મકવિતા) - Collection of Poems
- Narmakathakosh (નર્મકથાકોશ)
- Maari Haqeeqat (મારી હકીકત) - AutobiographyAutobiographyAn autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
It is first autobiography of Gujarati Literature - Daandiyo (ડાંડિયો) - Newsletter
Honors
In 2005, the name of South Gujarat University was changed to Veer Narmad South Gujarat University by the Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat, Narendra ModiNarendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat.He was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar; and is a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since childhood, as also an active politician since early in life. He holds a masters degree in political...
.
External links
- Narmad website
- Dandiyo newsletter (scanned copy)
- Article about Narmad in Gujarat SamacharGujarat SamacharGujarat Samachar is the numero uno daily newspaper in Gujarat. It is published in Gujarati and its main office is in Ahmedabad. It has one branch in Surat as well.-External links:*...
- Biographical blogpost about Narmad