Shardha Ram Phillauri
Shardha Ram Phillauri (September 1837 – 24 June 1881) was a Hindu social reformer, and writer best remembered for his contributions to Hindi and Punjabi literature. He has been called the "father of modern Punjabi prose." Born in Phillaur, Phillauri visited cities across Punjab and died in Lahore in 1881. Biography. Shardha Ram was born in 1837 to a Brahmin family in the town of Phillaur, Jalandhar. His father, Jai Dyalu, was an astrologer. Their gotra was Moudgil. He did not have any formal education as such. By age ten, he had studied Hindi, Sanskrit, Persian, astrology, and  music. Later, he was also a missionary of traditional Hinduism (Sanatana dharma). In his books, Shardha Ram documented Punjabi culture and language. Shardha Ram gave forceful lectures on the Mahabharata, and because of this was charged with conducting propaganda against the British government in 1865. As a result, he was exiled temporarily from his home town, Phillaur. Sharda Ram often visited Amritsar and adjoining Lahore, especially in connection with astrology. During this time, he earned a reputation as an astrologer and wrote several books in Hindi. Shardha Ram has recently been acknowledged as having written the first novel in Hindi . His novel "Bhagyawati", believed to have been written mainly in Amritsar, was first published in 1888, after Shardha Ram's death. The novel's portrayal of women and women's rights was progressive for its day. Sharda Ram has written the famous and widely sung aarti "Om Jai Jagdish Hare." Shardha Ram died on 24 June 1881 at Lahore.