The Landlord's Burden

Originally by Munshi Premchand

Reimagined from the vantage point of Hukum Singh

"He owned the land. The land owned him."

Rangbhoomi tells the story of a blind beggar's resistance against industrialization. But what about the landlord caught between the old feudal world and the new industrial one? Hukum Singh is neither hero nor villain — he is a man watching his entire way of life dissolve.

Pages

340

Print Price

$22.99

Kindle Price

$8.99

Genre

Literary Fiction

Why This Vantage Point

Premchand's most politically complex novel gains new dimensions when told from the oppressor's perspective. In an era of rapid economic change in India, the story of a traditional power structure crumbling resonates deeply.

Read an Excerpt

The Original

"The arena of life is vast, and every man must play his part upon it."

— Munshi Premchand, Rangbhoomi

The Reimagined — Hukum Singh's Voice

My grandfather built this house with his hands. My father filled it with tenants who touched his feet. I inherited both the house and the feet-touching, and for years I believed this was the natural order — as fixed as the sun's path. Then the factory men came with their papers and their promises, and I watched my tenants' eyes change. Not rebellion — something worse. Calculation. They were doing the arithmetic of loyalty, and I was losing.

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