Nagari Pracharini Sabha Revival: Background, Key Publications and Legacy

Nagari Pracharini Sabha, established in 1893 in Varanasi, played a vital role in promoting the Hindi language and Devanagari script, supporting Hindi literature, publishing, and linguistic standardization during India's cultural renaissance.

Table of Contents

Context: As debates over official languages and linguistic identity intensify in India it is timely to revisit the role of institutions like the Nagari Pracharini Sabha.

Nagari Pracharini Sabha

Established: January 16, 1893, in Varanasi (Banaras).
Founders: Hindi scholars Shyam Sunder Das, Pandit Ramnarayan Mishra, and Thakur Shivkumar Singh.
Purpose: To promote Hindi in the Devanagari script and ensure its recognition in official and literary domains.

Background

During the Mughal period, Persian was the official language.
By the British era, official language use shifted to English, Persian, and Urdu, sidelining Hindi.
In 1888, Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh of Darbhanga introduced Hindi as an official language in his region, influenced by the slogan “Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan.”

Major Initiatives of Nagari Pracharini Sabha

Advocated for Hindi as the language of administration and courts.
Took the initiative to create a standardised Hindi dictionary.
Sent language surveyors across India (from 1908–1929) to collect regional Hindi words and meanings.

Key Publications

Shabd Sagar (1929): A comprehensive 11-volume Hindi dictionary.
- Forewords by Acharya Ramchandra Shukla and Shyam Sunder Das.
History of Hindi Literature (Hindi Sahitya ka Itihaas) by Acharya Shukla – considered foundational for Hindi literary studies.
Nagari Pracharini Patrika (from 1896): One of the oldest research journals in Hindi.
Saraswati Magazine (launched in 1900): Edited by Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, instrumental in shaping modern Hindi prose and poetry.

Legacy and Expansion

Opened regional branches in Haridwar and New Delhi.
Received support from nationalist leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Its post-Independence patron was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Decline and Revival

From the 1970s, internal disputes and court cases led to its decline.

A 2023 verdict by the Allahabad High Court upheld the leadership of Vyomesh Shukla, restoring administrative clarity.
In March 2024, it republished Acharya Shukla’s History of Hindi Literature and a collection of Amir Khusrau’s Hindi poems, marking a revival.