Ramdhari Singh Dinkar

2021-12-13T14:16:34Z

2409:4064:E97:FD30:BA6E:BA57:F316:C554:

{{short description|Indian poet}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}

{{Infobox writer 
| name = Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
| image = Ramdhari Singh Dinkar 1999 stamp of India.jpg
| image_size = 245px
| alt =
| caption = Dinkar on a 1999 stamp of India
| pseudonym =
| birth_name = Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1908|9|23}}
| birth_place = [[Simaria]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]<br/> (now in [[Bihar]], [[India]])
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1974|4|24|1908|9|23}}
| death_place = [[Begusarai]], [[Bihar]], [[India]]{{cn|date=November 2021}}
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Poet
* [[freedom fighter]]
* Member of Parliament
* essayist
* [[literary critic]]
* journalist
* satirist
}}
| notableworks = ''[[Rashmirathi]]'', ''[[Hunkar (epic poem)|Hunkar]]''
| awards = 1959:[[Sahitya Akademi Award]] <br />1959: [[Padma Bhushan]] <br />1972: [[Jnanpith Award|Bharatiya Jnanpith]]
| signature = Dinkar Autograph Hindi.png
}}

'''Ramdhari Singh''' (23 September 1908 – 24 April 1974), known by his ''[[nom de plume]]'' '''Dinkar''', was an [[Indian people|Indian]] [[Hindi]] poet, essayist, patriot and academic,<ref>[http://www.anubhuti-hindi.org/gauravgram/dinker/index.htm Biography and Works] anubhuti-hindi.org.</ref> who is considered one of the most important modern Hindi poets. He remerged as a poet of rebellion as a consequence of his nationalist poetry written in the days before [[Partition of India|Indian independence]]. His poetry exuded ''veer [[Rasa (art)|rasa]]'',{{Definition needed|date=July 2021}} and he has been hailed as a ''[[Rashtrakavi (disambiguation)|Rashtrakavi]]'' ('national poet') on account of his inspiring patriotic compositions.<ref name="pib.nic.in">{{cite web
|url=http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/l0999/r140999.html
|title=Special Postage Stamps on Linguistic Harmony of India
|work=Latest PIB Releases
|date=September 1999
|access-date=26 September 2008
|publisher=Press Information Bureau of the Government of India
}}</ref> He was a regular poet of Hindi [[Kavi sammelan]] and is hailed to be as popular and connected to poetry lovers for Hindi speakers as [[Alexander Pushkin|Pushkin]] for [[Russians]].<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://scroll.in/article/726247/interview-is-fiction-writer-siddhartha-chowdhury-creating-a-new-literary-form
| title = Interview: Is fiction-writer Siddharth Chowdhury creating a new literary form?
| author = Trisha Gupta
| publisher = Scroll.in
| date = 9 May 2015
| access-date = 22 June 2015
}}</ref>

One of the most important modern Hindi poets in India,, in a poor family in Simariya village in Bihar's Begusarai district. The government had honoured him with the Padma Bhushan Award in the year 1959 and had also nominated him thrice to the Lok Sabha. Dinkar's poetry was greatly influenced by Rabindranath Tagore and Muhammad Iqbal. Similarly, his political thought was greatly shaped by both Mahatma Gandhi and Karl Marx. A poet of great gutso, he was extremely popular during his life time. His poetry exuded 'veer rasa' and had the ability to inspire any nationalist. Dinkar gained popularity in the pre-independence period through his eminent and notable nationalist poetry<ref>{{Cite web|last1=DelhiSeptember 23|first1=India Today Web Desk New|last2=April 24|first2=2016UPDATED|last3=Ist|first3=2019 11:38|title=Remembering poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar: Famous excerpts from the works of the nationalist|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/ramdhari-dinkar-342737-2016-09-23|access-date=2021-11-25|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

Dinkar initially supported the revolutionary movement during the [[Indian independence movement|Indian independence struggle]], but later became a [[Gandhian]]. However, he used to call himself a "Bad Gandhian" because he supported the feelings of indignation and revenge among the youth.<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005">{{cite book
| first = Singh
| last = Vijendra Narayan
| title = Bharatiya Sahitya ke Nirmata: Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'
| publisher = [[Sahitya Akademi]]
| location = New Delhi
| year = 2005
| isbn = 81-260-2142-X
}}</ref> In {{Transl|hi|Kurukshetra}}, he accepted that war is destructive but argued that it is necessary for the protection of freedom. He was close to prominent nationalists of the time such as [[Rajendra Prasad]], [[Anugrah Narayan Sinha]], [[Sri Krishna Sinha]], [[Rambriksh Benipuri]] and Braj Kishore Prasad.

Dinkar was elected three times to the [[Rajya Sabha]], and he was the member of this house from 3 April 1952 to 26 January 1964,<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005"/> and was awarded the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1959.<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005"/> He was also the Vice-Chancellor of Bhagalpur University (Bhagalpur, Bihar) in the early 1960s.

During [[The Emergency (India)|The Emergency]], [[Jayaprakash Narayan]] had attracted a gathering of one lakh ({{Lakh|1}}) people at the [[Ramlila grounds]] and recited Dinkar's famous poem: {{Transl|hi|Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aaati Hai}} ('Vacate the throne, for the people are coming').<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/05/16/stories/05162523.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090910162813/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/05/16/stories/05162523.htm
| url-status = usurped
| archive-date = 10 September 2009
| title = Obligations of a lameduck
| author = Harish Khare
| work = [[The Hindu]]
| date = 16 May 2001
| access-date = 2 January 2009
| author-link = Harish Khare
}}</ref>

==Biography==
Dinkar was born on 23 September 1908, in [[Simaria]] village in [[Begusarai district|Begusarai]] district in [[Bihar]] (then a part of [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]])<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> in a [[Bhumihar]] family<ref>{{cite news |title='राष्‍ट्रकवि' की कविता पढ़ पीएम मोदी ने बढ़ाया हौसला, जानिए क्‍यों खास हैं 'दिनकर' |url=https://www.aajtak.in/education/history/story/pm-modi-addressed-rashtra-kavi-ramdhari-singh-dinkar-while-speaking-on-corona-vaccine-lbse-1193110-2021-01-16 |access-date=24 January 2021 |work=Aaj Tak |date=16 January 2021 |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=रामधारी सिंह दिनकर के जरिए BJP का 'भूमिहार' प्रेम |url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/bihar/patna/bihar-bjp-plans-to-celebrate-poet-ramdhari-singh-dinkars-works/articleshow/47385919.cms |access-date=24 January 2021 |work=Navbharat Times |date=22 May 2015 |language=hi}}</ref> to Babu Ravi Singh and Manroop Devi. He was married in Tabhka village of [[Samastipur district|Samastipur]] district in Bihar. As a student, his favourite subjects were history, politics and philosophy. At school and later in college, he studied Hindi, [[Sanskrit]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Urdu]] and English literature. Dinkar was greatly influenced by [[Muhammad Iqbal|Iqbal]], [[Rabindranath Tagore]], [[John Keats|Keats]] and [[John Milton|Milton]] and translated works of [[Rabindranath Tagore]] from [[Bengali language|Bengali]] to [[Hindi]].<ref>{{cite book
| first = Sabyasachi
| last = Bhattacharya
| title = Rabindranath Tagore: An Interpretation
| publisher = [[Penguin Books|Penguin/Viking]]
| location = New Delhi
| year = 2011
| isbn = 978-0-670-08455-5
| pages = 320 (at p. 240)
}}</ref> The poetic persona of the poet Dinkar was shaped by the pressures and counter-pressures of life during the [[Indian freedom movement]].<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005"/><ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151">{{cite book
| first = Arun Kumar Sinha
| last = Kumar Vikram
| title = Ramdhari Singh Dinkar: Makers of Indian Literature
| publisher = [[Sahitya Akademi]]
| year = 2010
| isbn = 978-81-260-2664-7
| page = 151
}}</ref> A tall man, 5 ft 11 inches in height, with a shining white complexion, long high nose, large ears and broad forehead, he tended to have a noticeable appearance.<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005"/><ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/>

As a student, Dinkar had to battle day to day issues, some related to their family's economic circumstances. When he was a student of Mokama High School, it was not possible for him to stay on till school closed at four p.m.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> as he had to leave the class after the lunch break to catch the steamer back home.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> He could not afford to be in the hostel which would have enabled him to attend all periods.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> How could a student who had no shoes on his feet manage the hostel fees? His poetry later showed the impact of poverty.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> This was the environment in which Dinkar grew up and became a nationalist poet of radical views.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In 1920, Dinkar saw [[Mahatma Gandhi]] for the first time.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> About this time, he founded Manoranjan Library at Simariya.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> He also edited a handwritten pamphlet.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/>

===Creative Struggle===
When Dinkar stepped into his adolescence, the Indian freedom movement had already begun under the leadership of [[Mahatma Gandhi]].<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In 1929, when after matriculation, he entered [[Patna College]] to study intermediate; this movement started becoming aggressive.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In 1928, the [[Simon Commission]], against which nationwide demonstrations were being held, arrived.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Demonstrations were held in [[Patna]] too and Dinkar too signed the oath-paper.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Thousands came to the rally at [[Gandhi Maidan]] in which Dinkar also participated.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> During the protest against [[Simon Commission]], the police of the British government mercilessly [[Baton charge|lathi charged]] the Lion of Punjab, [[Lala Lajpat Rai]], who succumbed to the injuries.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> The whole country was in turmoil.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> The youthful mind of Dinkar became increasingly radical due to these agitations. His emotional nature was charged with poetic energy.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/>

Dinkar's first poem was published in 1924 in a paper called {{Transl|hi|Chhatra Sahodar}} ('Brother of Students'). {{Transl|hi|Chhatra Sahodar}} was a local newspaper established under the editorship of Narsingh Das.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In 1928, the peasant's [[satyagraha]] under the leadership of [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]] proved successful in [[Bardoli]] of [[Gujarat]].<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> He wrote ten poems based on this Satyagraha which was published in a book form under the title {{Transl|hi|Vijay-Sandesh}} ('Message of Victory').<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> This composition is now available.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Right in front of [[Patna College]], the office of Yuvak functioned.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> To escape the wrath of the government, Dinkar's poems were published under the pseudonym "Amitabh".<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> On 14 September 1928, a poem of his, on the martyrdom of [[Jatin Das]], was published.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Around this time he wrote two small works of poetry called {{Transl|hi|Birbala}} and {{Transl|hi|Meghnad-Vadh}}, but neither of them are traceable now.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In 1930, he composed a poem called {{Transl|hi|Pran-Bhang}} ('The Breach of Vow'), which was mentioned by [[Ramchandra Shukla]] in his history.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> So the journey of his poetic career should be deemed to have begun with {{Transl|hi|Vijay-Sandesh}}.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Before this his poems had become a frequent feature of the magazine {{Transl|hi|Desh}}, published from [[Patna]] and of {{Transl|hi|Pratibha}}, which was published from [[Kannauj]].<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/>

Dinkar's first collection of poems, {{Transl|hi|Renuka}}, was published in November 1935.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> [[Banarsi Das Chaturvedi]], the editor of {{Transl|hi|Vishal Bharat}}, wrote that [[Hindi]]-speaking people should celebrate the publication of {{Transl|hi|Renuka}}.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Around this time, Chaturvediji went to [[Sevagram]].<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> He took with him a copy of {{Transl|hi|Renuka}}.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> The copy was given to [[Mahatma Gandhi]].<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/>

The famous historian Dr. [[K.P. Jayaswal|Kashi Prasad Jaiswal]] is said to have loved him like a son. During the early days of Dinkar's poetic career, Jaiswal helped him in every way.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Jaiswal died on 4 August 1937, which was a great blow to the young poet.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Much later, he wrote in {{Transl|hi|Kalpna}}, a magazine published from [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], "It was a good thing that Jaiswalji was my first admirer. Now when I have savoured the love and encouragement of the Sun, Moon, Varun, Kuber, Indra, Brihaspati, Shachi and Brahmani, it is clear that none of them was like Jaiswalji. As I heard the news of his death, the world became a dark place for me. I did not know what to do."<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Jaiswalji was the first person to appreciate the historical sense in the poetry of Dinkar.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/>

==Work==
His works are mostly of {{Transl|hi|Veer Rasa}}, or the 'brave mode', although {{Transl|hi|Urvashi}} is an exception to this. Some of his greatest works are ''[[Rashmirathi]]'' and [[Parashuram ki Prateeksha|''Parashuram ki Prateeksha'']]. He is hailed as the greatest Hindi poet of 'Veer Rasa' since Bhushan.<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005"/>

[[Acharya]] (teacher) [[Hazari Prasad Dwivedi]] wrote that Dinkar was very popular among people whose mother-tongue was not [[Hindi]] and he was a symbol of love for one's own mother-tongue.<ref name="'Dinkar' 2008">{{cite book
| first = Ramdhari Singh
| last = Dinkar
| title = Chintan ke Aayam
| publisher = Lokbharti Prakashan
| year = 2008
}}</ref> [[Harivansh Rai Bachchan]] wrote that for his proper respect, Dinkar should get four [[Bharatiya Jnanpith]] Awards – for poetry, [[prose]], languages and for his service to [[Hindi]].<ref name="'Dinkar' 2008"/> [[Rambriksh Benipuri]] wrote that Dinkar is giving voice to the [[revolutionary movement]] in the country.<ref name="'Dinkar' 2008"/> [[Namvar Singh]] wrote that he was really the sun of his age.<ref name="'Dinkar' 2008"/>

[[Hindi]] writer [[Rajendra Yadav]], whose novel {{Transl|hi|Sara Akash}} also carried a few lines of Dinkar's poetry, has said of him, "He was always very inspiring to read. His poetry was about reawakening. He often delved into [[Hindu mythology]] and referred to heroes of epics such as [[Karna]]."<ref name="Avijit Ghosh">{{cite news
| url =http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-24/india/27941157_1_ramdhari-singh-dinkar-poet-poems
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20121025151015/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-24/india/27941157_1_ramdhari-singh-dinkar-poet-poems
| url-status =dead
| archive-date =25 October 2012
| title = 100 years on, poet Dinkar remains popular as ever
| author = Avijit Ghosh
| work = [[The Times of India]]
| date = 24 September 2008
| access-date = 30 September 2008
}}</ref> He was a poet of [[anti-imperialism]] and nationalism, says well-known [[Hindi]] writer [[Kashinath Singh]].<ref name="Avijit Ghosh"/>

He also wrote social and political satires<ref name="Lal 1992 820">{{cite book
| first = Mohan
| last = Lal
| title = Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature
| publisher = [[Sahitya Akademi]]
| year = 1992
| page = 820
| isbn = 978-81-260-1221-3
}}</ref> aimed at socio-economic inequalities and exploitation of the underprivileged.<ref name="Lal 1992 820"/>

A [[Progressivism|progressive]] and [[Humanism|humanist]] poet, he chose to approach history and reality directly and his verse combined oratorical vigour with a declamatory diction. The theme of {{Transl|hi|Urvashi}} revolves round love, passion, and the relationship of man and woman on a spiritual plane, distinct from their earthly relationship.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.clashroyalegemme.com/| title=clash royale gemmes }} Wednesday, 11 January 2017</ref>

His {{Transl|hi|Kurukshetra}} is a narrative poem based on the {{Transl|hi|Santi Parva}} of the [[Mahabharata|''Mahābhārata'']].<ref name="Das 1995 908">{{cite book
| first = Sisir Kumar
| last = Das
| title = A History of Indian literature
| publisher = [[Sahitya Akademi]]
| year = 1995
| page = 908
| isbn = 978-81-7201-798-9
}}</ref> It was written at a time when the memories of the [[Second World War]] were fresh in the mind of the poet.<ref name="Das 1995 908"/>

{{Transl|hi|Krishna Ki Chaetavani}} is another poem composed about events that led to the [[Kurukshetra War]] in the {{IAST|Mahābhārata}}. His {{Transl|hi|Samdheni}} is a collection of poems reflecting the poet's social concern transcending the boundaries of the nation.<ref name="Das 1995 908"/>

His {{Transl|hi|Rashmirathi}} is considered one of the best versions of the Hindu epic {{IAST|Mahābhārata}}.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

==={{Transl|hi|Sanskriti ke Char Adhyaya}}===
In his {{Transl|hi|Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyaya}}, he said that despite various cultures, languages and [[topography]], India stands united, because "however different we may be, our thoughts are one and the same".<ref>{{cite news
| title = A mine of resources waiting to be tapped
| author = Misha Sharma
| work = [[The Hindu]]
| date = 9 September 2007
}}</ref> Dinkar made the understanding of historical perspectives much more direct by looking at the history of India's culture in terms of four major encounters: between the [[Indigenous peoples|autochthons]] (indigenous people) and the [[Indo-Iranians|Aryans]]; between [[Vedic]] beliefs and the philosophy propounded by the [[Buddha]], as well as by [[Mahavira]]; between [[Hinduism]] and [[Islam]]; and finally between [[Western culture|European civilisation]] and the Indian way of life and learning.<ref name="Singh 2012 264">{{cite book
| first = Balmiki Prasad
| last = Singh
| author-link = Balmiki Prasad Singh
| title = India's Culture: The State, the Arts and Beyond (preface by His Holiness the Dalai Lama)
| publisher = Oxford University Press
| location = Delhi
| year = 2012
| isbn = 978-0-19-807734-3
| page = 264
| title-link = 14th Dalai Lama
}}</ref> These encounters at different periods of history have imparted strength to India's culture.<ref name="Singh 2012 264"/> The most striking feature of India's civilizational history has been its marked tolerance and human approach with its potential to impart a message to the world.<ref name="Singh 2012 264"/>

History is not merely a compilation of facts.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> History is written from an ideological perspective.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> The poet Dinkar wrote {{Transl|hi|Sanskriti ke char adhyaya}} in the context of values emerging from the freedom movement.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> The nationalist view of history, which was propounded in the field of history, is propounded by Dinkar in the field of culture.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> The values which developed in the context of the freedom movement determine the perspective of this book.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> Those values are [[anti-colonialism]], [[secularism]] and the idea of integrated culture.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> This book has been written around these very values. Dinkar is the nationalist historian of [[Indian Culture|Indian culture]].<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/>

Divided into four vast chapters, in the first chapter, the form and development of the culture of India from pre-[[Vedic]] times to around the middle of the 20th century has been discussed.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In the second chapter the [[Buddhist]] and [[Jain]] religions which grew as a revolt against ancient [[Hinduism]] have been analysed.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In the third chapter, the influence of [[Islam]] on Hindu culture after its advent along with the influence of Islam on Hindu-Muslim relations, like – nature, language, art and culture has been studied.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In this chapter a very authentic investigation into the mutual relation between the [[Bhakti movement]] and Islam has been presented.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In this context, it has also been considered how the culture of India acquires an integrated form.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In the 4th chapter, a comprehensive account of the colonialisation of education and the clash of Christianity with Hinduism, etc., since the arrival of Europeans in India has also been given.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> In this chapter, along with an inquiry into the [[Bengali Renaissance|Renaissance]] of the 19th century, the contributions of the leading leaders of the Renaissance have been comprehensively discussed.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/> A leading characteristic of this chapter is also that a copious account of the Hindu Renaissance and with it of the Muslim Renaissance and its limitations have been presented.<ref name="Kumar Vikram 2010 151"/><ref name="Singh 2012 264"/>

Dinkar :

{{quote|''Examples of inter-mixture and cultural harmony among peoples belonging to different races, languages and faiths are available in some other countries too (such as Mexico and Ancient Greece), but not to the same extent as in India. In the world there are but four colours of people – white, wheatish, black and yellow – and all four are profusely inter-mixed in the Indian populace. Even linguistically, the offspring of all the major language families live together in this country. And as for religion, India as a whole has always been, from the beginning, a land common to all the major religions of the world. The Indians of Tiruvankur had become Christian long before the people of England, and Islam had perhaps already arrived among the Moplas while Prophet Mohammad was still alive. Similarly, the followers of Zoroaster have been inhabiting India since the tenth century. When the Arab Muslims occupied Iran and began to propagate their own religion there, the [[Parsis]] fled Iran and came to settle in India. When the Jewish temples began to crumble under the Roman tyranny, a number of Jews fled to India in order to save their faith, and ever since they have been living happily in South India. Therefore, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Parsi religions have as much a claim over India as Hinduism or Buddhism has.''}}

India's antecedent composite cultural catalytic formation is suggestively sketched out by Dinkar as a product of four cultural revolutions and acculturative tendencies: (a) Aryan-Dravidian (Mongoloid) racial aggregations and admixtures and Indo-European/Dravidian/(Tibeto-Burman) linguistic agglomerations and transitions; (b) [[Vedic]] or [[Brahman]]ical foundational worldview and [[Jain]], [[Buddhist]], [[Bhakti]], [[Sikh]], [[Sufi]], and a variety of neo-Hindu reform movements; (c) Hindu-Muslim encounter, coexistence, and osmosis; and (d) Indo-European contact and British colonial conquest of India.<ref name="Kukreja & Singh 2008 340">{{cite book
| first = Veena Kukreja
| last = Mahendra Prasad Singh
| title = Democracy, Development and Discontent in South Asia
| publisher = [[Sage Publications]]
| location = New Delhi
| year = 2008
| isbn = 978-0-7619-3617-6
| page = 340
}}</ref> The vast panoramic overview of Dinkar's [[historiography]] of India's composite culture verges on a kind of [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]]ist evolutionism.<ref name="Kukreja & Singh 2008 340"/> The idea of India of Dinkar's imagination is reminiscent of the American '[[melting pot]]' model of assimilative nationalism.<ref name="Kukreja & Singh 2008 340"/>

==Awards and honours==
He received awards from Kashi Nagri Pracharini Sabha, [[Uttar Pradesh]] Government and also an award by the Government of India for his epic poem {{Transl|hi|Kurukshetra}}.<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005"/> He received the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] in 1959 for his work {{Transl|hi|Sanskriti ke char adhyay}}.<ref>[http://www.sahitya-akademi.org/sahitya-akademi/awa10306.htm#hindi Sahitya Akademi Awards 1955–2007] [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] Official website.</ref> He was also a recipient of [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1959 by the Government of India. He was awarded the LLD degree by [[Bhagalpur University]]. He was felicitated as {{Transl|hi|Vidyavachaspati}} by Gurukul Mahavidyalaya.<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005"/> He was felicitated as {{Transl|hi|Sahitya-Chudaman}} by [[Rajasthan Vidyapeeth]], Udaipur on 8 November 1968.<ref name="Vijendra Narayan 2005"/> Dinkar was awarded the [[Jnanpith Award]] in 1972 for {{Transl|hi|Urvashi}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jnanpith.net/laureates/index.html|title=Jnanpith Laureates Official listings|publisher=[[Jnanpith]] Website|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013122739/http://jnanpith.net/laureates/index.html|archive-date=13 October 2007}}</ref> He also became a nominated member of the [[Rajya Sabha]], in 1952. Dinkar's fans widely believe that he truly deserved the honour of {{Transl|hi|RashtraKavi}} (poet of India).{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

==Posthumous recognitions==
On 30 September 1987, to mark his 79th birth anniversary, tributes were paid to him by the then [[President of India]], [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]].<ref>{{cite book
| first = Attar
| last = Chand
| title = President Shankar Dayal Sharma, the scholar and the statesman
| publisher = Anmol Publications
| year = 1992
| isbn = 978-81-7041-678-4
| page = 371
}}</ref>

In 1999, Dinkar was one of the Hindi writers featured on a set of commemorative postal stamps released by [[Government of India]] to celebrate the linguistic harmony of India, marking the 50th anniversary since India adopted Hindi as its official language.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/l0999/r140999.html
|title=Special Postage Stamps on Linguistic Harmony of India
|work=Latest PIB Releases
|date=September 1999
|access-date=26 September 2008
|publisher=Press Information Bureau of the [[Government of India]]
}}</ref>

The government released a book on Dinkar's birth centenary authored by [[Khagendra Thakur]].<ref name="http">{{cite web
|url=http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=43076
|title=Dasmunsi releases book on birth centenary of poet 'Dinkar'
|work=Latest PIB Releases
|date=September 2008
|access-date=26 September 2008
|publisher=Press Information Bureau of the [[Government of India]]
}}</ref>

At the same time a statue of him was unveiled in [[Patna]] at the ''Dinkar Chowk'',<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-24/patna/27906203_1_rich-tributes-poet-dinkar-ramdhari-singh-dinkar
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121025151021/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-24/patna/27906203_1_rich-tributes-poet-dinkar-ramdhari-singh-dinkar
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 25 October 2012
| title = Poet Dinkar remembered
| work = [[The Times of India]]
| date = 24 September 2008
| access-date = 30 September 2008
}}</ref> and a two-day national seminar was organised in [[Calicut University]].<ref>{{cite news
| title = Seminar inaugurated
| work = [[The Hindu]]
| date = 3 February 2009
}}</ref>

The [[Chief Minister of Bihar]], [[Nitish Kumar]], laid the foundation stone of an engineering college in the district of [[Begusarai]] named after the legendary Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-23/patna/45509582_1_sri-babu-foundation-stone-engineering-college|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226050340/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-23/patna/45509582_1_sri-babu-foundation-stone-engineering-college|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 December 2013|title=CM lays foundation of engineering college|author=Rajiv Kumar|work= [[The Times of India]]|date=23 December 2013|access-date=26 December 2013}}</ref>

On 22 May 2015 Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] inaugurated golden jubilee celebrations of Dinkar's notable works {{Transl|hi|Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyaye}} and {{Transl|hi|Parshuram ki Pratiksha}} at [[Vigyan Bhavan]], [[New Delhi]].<ref>{{cite news|title=PM Modi inaugurates golden jubilee celebrations of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's works|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2015/05/pm-modi-speaks-at-golden-jubilee-celebrations-of-ramdhari-singh-dinkars-works-part-1/|access-date=22 May 2015|agency=ANI|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|date=22 May 2015}}</ref>

==Major poetic works==

Dinkar's first published work of poetry was {{Transl|hi|Vijay Sandesh}} (1928). His other works are:
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* {{transl|hi|Pranbhang}} (1929)
* {{transl|hi|Renuka}} (1935)
* ''[[Hunkar (epic poem)]]'' (1938)
* {{transl|hi|Rasavanti}} (1939)
* {{transl|hi|Dvandvageet}} (1940)
* {{transl|hi|Kurukshetra}} (1946)
* {{transl|hi|Dhoop Chhah}} (1946)
* {{transl|hi|Saamdheni}} (1947)
* {{transl|hi|Baapu}} (1947)
* {{transl|hi|Itihas ke Aansoo}} (1951)
* {{transl|hi|Dhup aur Dhuan}} (1951)
* {{transl|hi|Mirch ka Mazaa}} (1951)
* ''[[Rashmirathi]]'' (1952)
* {{transl|hi|Dilli}} (1954)
* {{transl|hi|Neem ke Patte}} (1954)
* {{transl|hi|Suraj ka Byaah}} (1955)
* {{transl|hi|Neel Kusum}} (1954)
* {{transl|hi|Samar Shesh Hai}} (1954)
* {{transl|hi|Chakravaal}} (1956)
* {{transl|hi|Kavishri}} (1957)
* {{transl|hi|Seepee aur Shankh}} (1957)
* {{transl|hi|Naye Subhaashit}} (1957)
* {{transl|hi|Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'}}
* {{transl|hi|Urvashi}} (1961)
* {{transl|hi|Parashuram ki Pratiksha}} (1963)
* {{transl|hi|Koylaa aur Kavitva}} (1964)
* {{transl|hi|Mritti Tilak}} (1964)
* {{transl|hi|Atmaa ki Ankhe}} (1964)
* {{transl|hi|Haare ko Harinaam}} (1970)
* {{transl|hi|Bhagvaan Ke Daakiye}} (1970)

{{div col end}}

==Anthologies==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* {{transl|hi|Lokpriya Kavi Dinkar}} (1960)
* {{transl|hi|Dinkar ki Suktiyan}} (1964)
* {{transl|hi|Dinkar ke Geet}} (1973)
* {{transl|hi|Sanchayita}} (1973)
* {{transl|hi|Rashmilok}} (1974)
* {{transl|hi|Urvashi tatha anya shringarik kavitayen}} (1974)
* {{transl|hi|Amrit Manthan}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Bhagn Vina}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Sapnon ka Dhuan}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Samanantar}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Rashmimala}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
{{div col end}}

==Major prose works==
Dinkar's major analytical and other prose works are:
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
*{{transl|hi|Mitti ki Or}} (1946)
*{{transl|hi|Chittaur ka Saakaa}} (1948)
*{{transl|hi|Ardhanaarishwar}} (1952)
*{{transl|hi|Reti ki Phool}} (1954)
*{{transl|hi|Hamaari Saanskritik Ekta}} (1954)
*{{transl|hi|Bhaarat ki Saanskritik Kahaani}} (1955)
*{{transl|hi|Raashtrabhaasha aur Raashtriya Ekta}} (1955)
*{{transl|hi|Ujli Aag}} (1956)
*{{transl|hi|Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyaay}} (1956)
*{{transl|hi|Kaavya ki Bhumikaa}} (1958)
*{{transl|hi|Pant, Prasad aur Maithilisharan}} (1958)
*{{transl|hi|Venu Van}} (1958)
*{{transl|hi|Dharma, Naitikataa aur Vigyan}} (1959)
*{{transl|hi|Vat-Peepal}} (1961)
*{{transl|hi|Lokdev Nehru}} (1965)
*{{transl|hi|Shuddh Kavitaa ki Khoj}} (1966)
*{{transl|hi|Saahityamukhi}} (1968)
*{{transl|hi|He Ram!}} (1968)
*{{transl|hi|Samsmaran aur Shraddhaanjaliyan}} (1970)
*{{transl|hi|Meri Yatrayen}} (1971)
*{{transl|hi|Bhaaratiya Ekta}} (1971)
*{{transl|hi|Dinkar ki Daayri}} (1973)
*{{transl|hi|Chetana ki Shilaa}} (1973)
*{{transl|hi|Vivah ki Musibaten}} (1973)
*{{transl|hi|Aadhunik Bodh}} (1973)
{{div col end}}

==Literary criticism==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* {{transl|hi|Sahitya aur Samaj}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Chintan ke Aayam}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Kavi aur Kavita}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Sanskriti Bhasha aur Rashtra}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Kavita aur Shuddh Kavita}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
{{div col end}}

==Biographies==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[Sri Aurobindo]]'': {{transl|hi|Meri Drishti Mein}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Pandit Nehru aur anya mahapurush}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Smarnanjali}}, Lokbharti Prakashan, New Delhi, 2008.
* {{transl|hi|Dinkarnama}}, Dr Diwakar, 2008.
{{div col end}}

==Translations==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* {{transl|hi|Meghduta}} translated by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. In {{transl|hi|Rabindra Rachna Sanchayan}}, edited by Asit Kumar Bandopadhyaya, [[Sahitya Akademi]], [[Delhi]].
* {{transl|hi|Rabindranath ki kavitayen}} (101 selected poems of Tagore) translated by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar along with [[Hazari Prasad Dwivedi]], [[Hans Kumar Tiwari]], and [[Bhawani Prasad Mishra]], [[Sahitya Akademi]], {{ISBN|81-260-1216-1}}, 2001 (reprint).
{{div col end}}

==Translations into Hindi and other languages==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* Dinkar's Urvashi: a saga of human love and Vedanta. Trans. by Krishna Kumar Vidyarthi. (New Delhi: Siddharth Publications, 1994. 165 p.)
* Reflections on men and things (essays). (Ajmer: Krishna Brothers, 1968. 80 p.)
* Kurukshetra. Trans. by R.K. Kapur. London: n.p., 1967.
* [Rasmirathi] Sun charioteer. Trans. by R.D. Dunda, D. Nelson and P. Staneslow. (Minnesota: Nagari Press, 1981.)
* Voices of the Himalaya: poems. Trans. by the author, [[Kamala Ratnam]], [[V.K. Gokak]] and others. (Bombay: Asia Publishing House, 1966. vi, 70 p.)
* Himalayas Xotros Poems (Spanish), Collection of thirty poems, Publisher – University of Conceyeion, Chile.
* Sining Potos [Blue Lotus] (Russian), Collection of sixty poems, [[Progress Publishers]], Moscow, Russia.
* Kurukshetra: an aftermath of war, a new search for peace from the classical thought : light radiates through dialogue; translated by Winand M. Callewaert, P. Adeswara Rao; Heritage Publication Division, 1995.
* Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, ''Reflections on men and things'', Krishna Bros., 1968.
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ramdhari Singh Dinkar}}
* [http://www.kavitakosh.org/kk/index.php?title=%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9_%22%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%22 Ramdhari Singh Dinkar at Kavita Kosh]
* [http://www.anubhuti-hindi.org/gauravgram/dinker/index.htm Dinkar at Anubhuti]
* [http://210.212.17.241/hindi/Dinakara/ Dinkar's works in Pdf Format]

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1954–59}}
{{Jnanpith Award}}
{{Sahitya Akademi Award For Hindi}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dinkar, Ramdhari Singh}}
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:Epic poets]]
[[Category:Hindi-language poets]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:Indian male essayists]]
[[Category:Indian male journalists]]
[[Category:Indian literary critics]]
[[Category:Indian academics]]
[[Category:Hindi-language writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Hindi]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Jnanpith Award]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Bihar]]
[[Category:Writers of Mithila]]
[[Category:People from Begusarai district]]
[[Category:Poets from Bihar]]
[[Category:Indian satirists]]
[[Category:Rashtrakavi]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian essayists]]
[[Category:Journalists from Bihar]]
[[Category:Translators from Bengali]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian translators]]

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Ramdhari Singh Dinkar