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Maithili Sharan Gupt Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth3 August 1886

Age78 (at time of death)

BirthplaceChirgaon, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India

ProfessionPoet

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried (at time of death)

SpouseFirst: Sarju Devi; Second: name not known; Third: name not known

FamilySon - Urmil Sharan Gupt; Brother - Siya Ram Saran Gupt

Maithili Sharan Gupt Biography

Maithili Sharan Gupt (born Mithiladhip Nandansharan Gupt; 3 August 1886 – 12 December 1964) was a leading Hindi poet celebrated for his nationalist themes,

Early life and background

Maithili Sharan Gupt was born Mithiladhip Nandansharan Gupt on 3 August 1886 in Chirgaon, near Jhansi in what was then the United Provinces of British India. He came from the Kankane clan of the Gahoi Baniya community. His parents were Seth Ramcharan Kankane, known by the pen name Kanaklata, and Kashi Bai. Family hardships before his birth had diminished their earlier wealth.

Gupt received his schooling at MacDonald High School in Jhansi but his father arranged for substantial home tuition as well. At home he learned Hindi, Bengali and Sanskrit under teachers such as Ram Swarup Shastri and Durga Dutt Pant. Early influences included the poet Munshi Ajmeri ‘Prem’; Gupt began contributing poems to magazines and developed his craft under the mentorship of Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, who guided him in writing in the Khadi Boli dialect of Hindi.

Career

Gupt emerged as a major literary figure in the first half of the 20th century. His first significant collection, Rang mein Bhang, was published in 1910 by the Indian Press in Prayagraj (then Allahabad). He wrote extensively in Khadi Boli, favouring simple language and strong Hindi-origin words to reach a broad readership.

His body of work spans historical and mythological narratives, social themes including women’s issues, devotional and spiritual material, and patriotic verse. Notable publications mentioned in his oeuvre include Jayadrath Vadh (1910), which draws on an episode from the Mahabharata; Saket (1931), which centres on the character Urmila from the Ramayana; and other books such as Plassey ka Yuddha, Yashodhara, Bharat-Bharati, Manushyata and Panchavati. Gupt’s poems are often composed as non-rhyming couplets in Khadi Boli, using alliteration and consonant-vowel interplay to create rhythm rather than conventional rhyme.

In 1920 he established Sahitya Sadan Press, which became the authorised publisher and distributor for his works as well as those of close literary associates, including his younger brother Siya Ram Saran Gupt and Mahadevi Varma. He regularly participated in literary gatherings with contemporaries such as Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi and Jaishankar Prasad.

Public profile

Gupt’s poetry carried a strong nationalist tone and brought him to the attention of leaders of the Indian independence movement. He met several prominent figures, including Mahatma Gandhi (whom he met in 1918 and who later praised his work), Dr Rajendra Prasad (1926) and Jawaharlal Nehru (1929). In 1936 Gandhi conferred on him the title Rashtra Kavi (National Poet) at a ceremony in Kashi (now Varanasi).

His writing and public standing led to a series of honours: early recognition included a cash prize from the Hindustan Academy, Allahabad. Over the years he received multiple distinctions such as the Sudhakar Medal from Nagari Pracharini Sabha (1941), an award from Lucknow University (1942), literary honours in Calcutta and Karachi in the mid-1940s, an honorary D.Litt. from Agra University (1948), and later an honorary D.Litt. from Banaras Hindu University (1960). He was appointed an honorary professor at BHU in 1954 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954.

Politics and public service

Gupt combined literary life with public engagement. He participated in the independence movement and was imprisoned at least once; in April 1941 he was held in Agra Jail, where he met Acharya Narendra Dev. After independence, he served in the Rajya Sabha. He was first appointed to the upper house on 12 March 1952 and received a second appointment in 1958; he left the Rajya Sabha on 12 March 1963.

Personal life

Gupt married three times. His first wife, Sarju Devi, died in 1903. His second wife died on 15 September 1914. The name of his third wife is not recorded in the available material. He had one son, Urmil Sharan Gupt. His father died in October 1903 and his mother in 1904. A brother, Siya Ram Saran Gupt, survived him.

Gupt maintained certain personal routines and preferences: he enjoyed Bundelkhandi cuisine and travelled with a personal cook named Girdhari; he preferred to have his dinner before 6 pm. He was known by nicknames such as Dadda during his lifetime.

Later years and legacy

Maithili Sharan Gupt continued to be celebrated for making high literary themes accessible in a popular dialect of Hindi and for his patriotic voice. His work influenced Hindi letters and remained part of public and literary discussions long after their publication. He died of natural causes on 12 December 1964 in Chirgaon, Jhansi, at the age of 78.

Latest updates

No new works or activities are recorded beyond his death in 1964 in the supplied material.
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Recent Work

Saket

A 1931 poetic work focusing on Urmila from the Ramayana, exploring her emotions and sacrifices.

1931
Rang mein Bhang

His first significant collection, published in 1910 by the Indian Press in Prayagraj.

1910
Jayadrath Vadh

A 1910 dramatic poem based on an episode from the Mahabharata.

1910
Yashodhara

One of his noted books addressing historical or mythological themes.

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Career Highlights

  1. Declared Rashtra Kavi (National Poet) by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936
  2. Appointed to the Rajya Sabha in 1952 and reappointed in 1958
  3. Received the Padma Bhushan and honorary academic distinctions
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Maithili Sharan Gupt born?

3 August 1886

What is Maithili Sharan Gupt known for?

Poet

What is Maithili Sharan Gupt’s marital status?

Married (at time of death)

Who is Maithili Sharan Gupt married to?

First: Sarju Devi; Second: name not known; Third: name not known