Who is Munshi Premchand?

Munshi Premchand (1880 – 1936) was a renowned Indian writer whose works include numerous short stories, more than a dozen novels, essays and literary translations. He was born as Dhanpat Rai, but later took up the pen name Premchand. His father was called Ajaib Rai, a post office clerk. His mother, Anandi Devi, died when he was eight years old. His father then remarried. However, Premchand was not close to his stepmother.
Premchand started his studies at seven years of age at a Madrasa in Lalpur. Here, he learned Urdu and Persian. He later joined the Queen College of Benares where he sat for his matriculation exam which he passed with a second division. However, he was unable to pursue further studies since he had lost his father during the same span of time. He started his career as a tuition teacher then moved on to the position of assistant teacher a few years later. He also started writing fiction. His first novel was called “Asrar e Ma’abid”. It talked about corruption in the temple. Later, around 1905, he met the editor of a magazine called “Zamana”, for which he wrote many articles and stories in the following years.
He took up a variety of positions and continued to write in Urdu and Hindi. Around 1921, Premchand quit his job to focus on his writing. Up until his death in 1936, he focused on his literary career, except for a few job stints that he used to improve his financial situation.
For a more detailed analysis of Munshi Premchand’s life, please refer to the attached reference article.
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/munshi-premchand-101.php