HINDI FICTION was in its infancy when Premchand appeared on the scene. After Premchand's contribution Hindi fiction reached its fullest maturity and flowering. Premchand gave to Hindi fiction a new social awareness, a new sense of purpose. In his hands the Hindi novel comes very close to life and faithfully reflects reality. Premchand was an idealist who desired to mould life according to dreams, but he did not close his eyes to the harsh, ugly truths of life. He mitigated nothing, condoned nothing; his work uplifts and exalts the reader. He was truly a people's writer who wrote about the 1 ifc of common folk in a language they could understand. His appeal goes much beyond the closed circle of the intelligentsia and he has readers among people who have very little education. In this he reminds us of mediaeval poets like Tulsidas and Kabir whose words bring magic into the lives of the people in India.