Question

How Shanghai (China) became the hub of the new print culture? Explain
OR
What are the reasons that popularised Premchand's novels? Write about different characters drawn by him.

Answer 1

The imperial state in China was for a long time the major producer of printed material. China possessed a huge bureaucratic system in China. By the 17th century, the use of print, diversified in China because of blooming urban culture. Print was no longer limited to scholar officials.
The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies, romantic plays etc. Western printing techniques and mechanical presses were imported to China in the late 19th century as Western powers established their output in China. Shanghai became the hub of the new print culture, catering to the Western style schools. From hand printing, there was now a gradual shift to mechanical printing.
OR
Premchand's novels connect common people. His novels popularised the sense of belonging to a common nation as they were filled with all kinds of powerful characters drawn from all levels of society. It makes the lives of the most oppressed section of society as worthy o literary reflection.
In his novels, we find aristocrats and landlords, middle level peasants and landless labourers, middle-class professionals and people from the margins of society. The women characters are strong individuals, especially those who come from the lower classes and are not modernised. Premchand rejected the nostalgic obsession with ancient history.
It was with the writing of Premchand that the Hindi novel achieved excellence. He began writing in Urdu and then shifted to Hindi, remaining an immensely influential writer in both languages.