Ramchandra Bhikaji Gunjikar

Who is Ramchandra Bhikaji Gunjikar?

Ramchandra Bhikaji Gunjikar was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India.

He was born on April 10, 1843 in the town of Jamboti in Belgaum District.

He graduated in 1864 from Elphinstone High School in Mumbai, and started teaching in the same school three years later. In 1888, he assumed the headmaster's position in the Anglo-vernacular High School in Hubli, and moved on four years later to be an assistant deputy educational inspector for Belagaum district.

In 1867, Gunjikar became the first editor of the monthly Wiwidha Dnyan Wistar which was founded with the objective of disseminating information on varied topics, including sciences, biographies, literary criticisms, and philosophical/ethical ideas. He stayed in that position for seven years to turn the magazine into a prestigious monthly. His proficiency in Sanskrit, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Bengali, and English languages helped him in his editorial and literary works. His articles included ones on Marathi poetry, Marathi grammar, and Marathi as a language. He also invented a Marathi shorthand script.

Gunjikar became the first historic novelist in Marathi leterature when he wrote the novel Mochangad in 1871.