The emergence of the novel in Hindi relates to Pariksha Guru (The Tutelage of Trial) by Shrinivasdas published in 1882 which is considered as the first novel written in Hindi (McGregor 19). The novel draws a story of the extravagant life-style of the traditional Hindu elites, the wealthy Hindu bankers and traders in the 19th Century Delhi. This merchant community story has connection with the urban Modernity. This paper attempts to explore the question of modernity focusing on the problem of being modern, the role of newspaper as the characteristic of modernity as well as the influence of the Western culture in the novel.
