A major work on the history of Hindi/Urdu. Rai criticizes the excessive Persianization of the late Urdu writers as well as some of the Sanskritizing policies, both of which led to the final splitting of the two languages.

A very wide range of Middle and New Indian texts is included, often with transliteration but no translation, the book being intended for the Indian reader. Hence, there is your opportunity to use your Shakespear dictionary (I posted it with this book in mind and not out of sheer antiquarian fancy).

Incidentally, Amrit Rai was the son of Munshi Premchand, the towering figure of modern Hindi (and Urdu!) literature. Accordingly, Premchand is on the picture above.

PS Unlike me, Rai does not blame the British.

Hindi-Urdu