Hindi Literature
Art & Culture › Language & Literature · Topic 9.18
Hindi literature is the writing in Hindi, an Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-European family, standardised from Khari Boli and descended from Sauraseni Apabhramsha. It is divided into Adikal (Veergatha, Prithviraj Raso), Bhaktikal (Kabir, Jayasi, Tulsidas, Surdas), Ritikal (Bihari, Keshavdas) and Adhunik Kal (Bharatendu, Dwivedi, Chhayavad, Premchand). Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas (Awadhi) and Surdas's Sursagar (Braj) are central. Hindi is the official language of the Union under Article 343 and is not a classical language as of November 2026. Hindi Diwas is on 14 September.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Language & Literature
At a Glance
- Also called Hindi sahitya, Khari Boli literature
- Language family Indo-European, Indo-Aryan
- Classical status Not classical, as of November 2026
- Four periods Adikal, Bhaktikal, Ritikal, Adhunik Kal
- Official status Article 343, Union official language
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Language & Literature
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows Marathi. Hindi sits among the Indo-Aryan literatures that were not given classical status, and it has a strong Bhakti and Sufi base. Previous topic: Marathi Literature. Next topic: Persian Literature.
What Are the Four Periods of Hindi Literature?
| Period | Features and key writers |
|---|---|
| Adikal (Veergatha Kal, about 1050 to 1375) | Heroic poetry and Siddha-Nath verses; Chand Bardai (Prithviraj Raso), Jagnik (Alha Khand), Amir Islam Khan from 1608; Dacca made capital Mewar Settlement with…">Khusrau (Hindavi riddles) |
| Bhaktikal (1375 to 1700), Nirguna | Jnanashrayi branch: Kabir, Ravidas, Dadu Dayal, sikhism/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance Founder Guru Nanak, born 1469 at Talwandi Teaching One God, the Name, honest work, sharing Base Kartarpur Scripture Adi…">Guru Nanak. Premashrayi (Sufi) branch: Malik Muhammad Jayasi (Padmavat, in Awadhi), Manjhan, Qutban |
| Bhaktikal, Saguna | Ramashrayi: Tulsidas (Ramcharitmanas, Vinay Patrika). Krishnashrayi: Surdas (Sursagar), Ashtachhap poets, Mirabai, Raskhan |
| Ritikal (1700 to 1900) | Court poetry of ornament and love; Keshavdas, Bihari (Satsai), Bhushan (heroic, on Shivaji), Ghananand, Padmakar |
| Adhunik Kal (from 1850) | Modern prose and poetry in Khari Boli |
Which Movements and Writers Define the Modern Period?
| Movement or writer | Details |
|---|---|
| Bharatendu Harishchandra | Father of modern Hindi; Andher Nagari; the Bharatendu Yug |
| Dwivedi Yug | Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi edited Saraswati from 1903; Maithilisharan Gupt (Bharat Bharati), Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay Hariaudh (Priyapravas) |
| Chhayavad | Jaishankar Prasad (Kamayani), Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, Sumitranandan Pant and Mahadevi Verma |
| Premchand | Godan (1936), Gaban, Sevasadan, Rangbhoomi; began in Urdu |
| Pragativad | Progressive poetry of Nagarjun, Muktibodh and others |
| Prayogvad | Agyeya led it; Tar Saptak (1943) |
| Nayi Kavita and Nayi Kahani | Post-1950s movements |
| Jnanpith (Hindi) | Pant 1968, Dinkar 1972, Agyeya 1978, Mahadevi Verma 1982, Nirmal Verma 1999, Kunwar Narayan 2005, Kedarnath Singh 2013, Vinod Kumar Shukla (announced 2025) |
| Geetanjali Shree | Ret Samadhi (Tomb of Sand), first Hindi work to win the International Booker Prize, 2022 |
What Else Should You Remember?
- Alternate names: Hindi literature draws on Braj Bhasha, Awadhi and Khari Boli, which are its major literary dialects
- Kabir: Kabir’s Bijak, Sakhi, Sabad and Ramaini are the base of the Nirguna Bhakti tradition
- Tulsidas: He composed the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi in the 16th century at Ayodhya and Varanasi, making the Ramayana a household text
- Surdas: Surdas of Braj sang of Krishna’s childhood in the Sursagar and is among the Ashtachhap, the eight poets of Vallabhacharya’s sect
- Jayasi: Jayasi’s Padmavat of 1540 is a Sufi allegory about Padmini and Alauddin Khalji, written in Awadhi
- Amir Khusrau: He used Hindavi in riddles and songs, and is considered an early writer of Khari Boli
- Fort William College: Lallu Lal and Sadal Mishra wrote Hindi prose at Fort William College, Calcutta
- First newspaper: Udant Martand, started in 1826 at Calcutta, was the first Hindi newspaper
- Dwivedi Yug: Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi cleaned the language through the journal Saraswati, and shifted poetry from Braj to Khari Boli, which settled the standard literary form
- Kamayani: Prasad’s Kamayani (1936) is a symbolic epic on Manu and Shraddha, regarded as the finest long poem of Chhayavad
- Dinkar: Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, the national poet of the freedom age, wrote Rashmirathi and Urvashi, and Urvashi won the Jnanpith in 1972
- Hindi Diwas: 14 September marks the Constituent Assembly decision of 1949 to adopt Hindi in Devanagari as the Union official language
- Constitution: Article 343 makes Hindi the Union official language, and Article 351 directs the Union to promote and develop Hindi
- Official Languages Act: The Official Languages Act, 1963 allowed English to continue as an associate official language
- Hindi cinema: Hindi film songs and screenplays carry Hindi literature to large audiences, such as lyrics by Gulzar and Sahir Ludhianvi
- Women writers: Mahadevi Verma, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Mannu Bhandari, Krishna Sobti and Geetanjali Shree
- Related: The saints are covered in basavanna/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance Kabir Nirguna, Varanasi, Bijak Ramanuja Vishishtadvaita, Srirangam Chaitanya Krishna bhakti, Bengal Meera Bai Krishna devotee, Rajasthan Basavanna Lingayat, Karnataka,…">Saints of Nayanars Two streams Saguna and Nirguna Language Regional…">Bhakti Movement (Kabir, Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Meera Bai, Basavanna)
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Periods: Which poet belongs to which Kal and branch
- Bhakti branches: Nirguna versus Saguna and Premashrayi
- Movements: Chhayavad poets and Prayogvad
- Constitution: Articles 343 and 351
- Common errors: calling Padmavat a work of Tulsidas or placing Bihari in the Bhaktikal
As an analytical point, Hindi literature is a layered tradition that borrowed from Braj, Awadhi, Persian and Sanskrit, and from Bhakti, Sufi and reformist currents. Its present role as an official language needs balance with the many other Indian languages.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Factual Periods and poets
- Constitution Articles 343, 351
- Syncretism Bhakti and Sufi
What Came Next?
Next comes Persian literature, which shaped the court culture of medieval India. Next topic: Persian Literature.
Key People and Terms
- Adikal Early period
- Bhaktikal Devotional period
- Ritikal Court-poetry period
- Chhayavad Romantic mystic school
- Dohas Couplets
- Khari Boli Standard dialect
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Four periods: Adi, Bhakti, Riti, Adhunik.
- Ramcharitmanas: Tulsidas, Awadhi.
- Chhayavad: Prasad, Nirala, Pant, Mahadevi.
- Hindi Diwas: 14 September.
- Not a classical language.
Do Not Confuse With
- Nirguna and Saguna Formless versus form devotion
- Bhaktikal and Ritikal Devotion versus ornament
- Hindi and Hindustani Standard literary form versus mixed spoken form
Memory Hook
Adi fights, Bhakti prays, Riti decorates, Adhunik reforms.
Mains Angle
Questions link Hindi to language policy and syncretism. These points give a frame.
- Composite culture Bhakti and Sufi strands
- Language policy Hindi and other languages
- Reach Cinema, media, diaspora
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the evolution of Hindi literature and its role in the composite culture of India.”
How to Answer
- Periods Four phases.
- Syncretism Kabir, Jayasi.
- Modernisation Prose and reform.
- Policy Balance with other languages.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hindi literature?
Hindi literature is the writing in Hindi and its dialects such as Braj and Awadhi, divided into Adikal, Bhaktikal, Ritikal and Adhunik Kal. It includes the works of Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas, Jayasi, Bihari, Bharatendu, the Chhayavad poets and Premchand.
Who wrote the Ramcharitmanas?
Tulsidas, the Saguna Bhakti poet of the 16th century, wrote the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi. It retells the Ramayana in dohas and chaupais and made the story of Rama popular among ordinary people in north India. The Vinay Patrika and Kavitavali are also his works.
Which language family does Hindi belong to?
Hindi belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family, in the Western Hindi group that grew from Sauraseni Apabhramsha. Its standard form, Khari Boli, is written in Devanagari. It has borrowed words from Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic and English.
What is the classical language status of Hindi?
Hindi does not have classical language status. The eleven classical languages as of November 2026 are Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali. Hindi is the official language of the Union under Article 343 of the Constitution.
Why is Hindi literature important for UPSC?
Prelims asks about the four periods, Bhakti branches, Chhayavad poets, Premchand's works and Jnanpith winners. Mains uses Hindi for composite culture, language policy under Articles 343 and 351, and the role of print and cinema in spreading literature.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Padmavat was composed by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.
In Awadhi, 1540.
2 Jaishankar Prasad is a Chhayavad poet.
Wrote Kamayani.
3 Bihari's Satsai belongs to the Bhaktikal.
It belongs to the Ritikal.
4 Article 343 relates to the Union official language.
Hindi in Devanagari.
Related Topics
Browse the full Art & Culture index