Mulk Raj Anand, Short note for PGT English

 

1. Mulk Raj Anand was born on 12 December 1905 in Peshawar, British India (now in Pakistan).
2. He is one of the pioneers of Indian English fiction.
3. Anand is known for his social realism and humanitarian themes.
4. His novels focus on the lives of the poor and the oppressed.
5. He was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas.
6. Anand studied at the University of London and Cambridge University.
7. He was associated with the Bloomsbury Group in England.
8. Anand’s writing exposes caste discrimination and social injustice.
9. His first novel is Untouchable.
10. Untouchable depicts a day in the life of Bakha, a sweeper boy.
11. The novel highlights the evils of the caste system.
12. Mahatma Gandhi wrote the preface to Untouchable.
13. His second famous novel is Coolie.
14. Coolie presents the tragic life of Munoo, a child laborer.
15. Anand’s novel Two Leaves and a Bud deals with exploitation of tea plantation workers.
16. His works present the harsh realities of colonial India.
17. Anand uses simple and direct language.
18. He combines realism with sympathy for the downtrodden.
19. Anand is considered a novelist of protest.
20. His novels are influenced by Marxist ideology.
21. He focused on class conflict and social inequality.
22. Anand’s characters are drawn from marginalized communities.
23. He aimed to bring social reform through literature.
24. Anand also wrote short stories, essays, and autobiographies.
25. His autobiographical work is Seven Summers.
26. This work describes his childhood experiences.
27. Anand’s fiction reflects humanism and compassion.
28. He used Indian settings, customs, and speech patterns.
29. Anand tried to Indianize English language in his novels.
30. His works show the influence of Dickens and Tolstoy.
31. Anand received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971.
32. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1967.
33. Anand was also an art critic and cultural activist.
34. He founded the magazine Marg for Indian art and culture.
35. Anand’s novels are widely taught in Indian universities.
36. He believed literature should serve society.
37. Anand portrayed both rural and urban poverty.
38. His novels have a strong moral and social message.
39. Anand’s style is realistic, emotional, and descriptive.
40. He criticized both caste system and British colonial rule.
41. Anand’s works mark the beginning of Indian English social novel.
42. He lived a long literary life and remained active in writing.
43. Anand’s contribution to Indian English literature is immense.
44. His themes include poverty, caste, exploitation, and injustice.
45. Anand’s writing reflects his deep concern for humanity.
46. He died on 28 September 2004 in Pune, India.
47. Anand is often grouped with R. K. Narayan and Raja Rao as the “Big Three” of Indian English fiction.
48. His novels are important for understanding social history of India.
49. He is remembered as a champion of the oppressed in Indian English literature. (1905–2004)
50. Birth -12th December 1905 (in a Hindu Kshatriya family in Peshawar)
51. Death 28th September 2004 (died of pneumonia)
52. Father Lal Chand (a coppersmith and also worked as a regimental Head Clerk in the British Indian Army)
53. Mother Ishawar Kaur
54.  In 1921, Mulk Raj Anand joined Khalsa college, Amritsar.
55.  In 1921, he was imprisoned for his participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
56.  In 1924, he obtained the degree of B. A. (Honours) from the Panjab University.
57.  He wrote reviews for Bombay Chronicle.
58.  He loved Yasmin, the sister-in-law of his friend Nur Muhammad. He wished to elope with her but could not. One day, his beloved was found dead. This event shocked him much.
59. In 1925, he moved to England for higher studies.
60.  Under the guidance of Prof. Dawes Hicks, he joined Ph. D in Philosophy.
61.  Hir Ranjha was his favourite story.
62.  In 1936, he married Kathleen Van Gelder
63.  In 1952, he was awarded the International Peace Prize for World Peace.
64.  In 1967, he was awarded Padam Bhushan.
65.  In 1971, he got Sahitya Academy Award for Morning Face.

 

ANAND’S WORKS

 

Curries and Other Indian Dishes (1932)

Untouchable (1935)

The Coolie (1936)

Two Leaves and A Bud (1937)

The Village (1939)

Across the Back Waters (1940)

The Sword and the Sickle (1942)

 

The Barber’s Trade Union and Other Stories (1944)

The Tractor and the Corn, Goddess and Other Stories (1944)

The Big Heart (1945)

Indian Fairy Tales Retold (1946)

Apology for Heroism: an Essay in Search of Faith (1946) non-fiction

Seven Summers (1951)

The Private Life of An Indian Prince (1953)

Reflection on the Golden Bed and Other Stories (1955)

Powers of Darkness and Other stories (1959)

The Old Woman and the Cow or Gauri (1960)

The Road (1961)

Death of a Hero: Epitaph for Maqbool Sherwani (1963–64)

Lajwanti and Other Stories (1966)

A Lament on the Death of Master of Arts (1967)

Morning Face (1968)

Roots and Flowers (1972) Non-fiction

Conversations Bloomsbury (1981) non-fiction

Nine Moods of Bharata (1998)

Power and Pity (2001)