Editing Premchand (section)

=== Last days ===
{{Progressive Writers' Movement}}
After leaving Bombay, Premchand wanted to settle in [[Allahabad]], where his sons Sripat Rai and Amrit Kumar Rai were studying. He also planned to publish ''Hans'' from there. However, owing to his financial situation and ill health, he had to hand over ''Hans'' to the Indian Literary Counsel and move to Banaras.<ref>{{Harvnb | Sigi | 2006 | p = 76 }}</ref>

Premchand was elected as the first President   of the [[Progressive Writers' Association]] in Lucknow in 1936.<ref name="MichaelArbolina2008"/><ref name=FLDEC2011>{{cite magazine|last=Mahaprashasta |first=Ajoy Ashirwad|title=Writers for change|url=http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2826/stories/20111230282608900.htm|access-date=8 January 2013|magazine=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|volume=28|issue=26 |date=30 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110202606/http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2826/stories/20111230282608900.htm|archive-date=10 January 2012}}</ref> He died on 8 October 1936, after several days of sickness and while still in office.

''[[Godaan]]'' (''The Gift of a Cow'', 1936), Premchand's last completed work, is generally accepted as his best novel and is considered one of the finest Hindi novels.<ref>{{cite web|last=Deepak|first=Sunil|url=http://www.kalpana.it/eng/writer/indian_writers/phanishwarnath_renu.htm|title=Phanishwar Nath Renu|website=Kalpana.it|access-date=25 August 2021|archive-date=13 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313043341/http://www.kalpana.it/eng/writer/indian_writers/phanishwarnath_renu.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The protagonist, Hori, a poor peasant, desperately longs for a cow, a symbol of wealth and prestige in rural India. According to Siegfried Schulz, "''Godān'' is a well-structured and well-balanced novel which amply fulfils the literary requirements postulated by Western literary standards."<ref>{{Harvnb | Schulz | 1981 | pp = 39–40}}</ref> Unlike other contemporary renowned authors such as [[Rabindranath Tagore]], Premchand was not appreciated much outside India. Schulz believes that the reason for this was the absence of good translations of his work. Also, unlike Tagore and [[Muhammad Iqbal|Iqbal]], Premchand never travelled outside India, studied abroad or mingled with renowned foreign literary figures.<ref>{{Harvnb | Schulz | 1981 | p = 41}}</ref>

In 1936, Premchand also published "Kafan" ("[[Shroud]]"), in which a poor man collects money for the funeral rites of his dead wife but spends it on food and drink. Premchand's last published story was "Cricket Match", which appeared in ''Zamana'' in 1938, after his death.<ref>{{Harvnb | Sigi | 2006 | p = 87 }}</ref>