Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha


Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha, born in Rohida village of Sirohi District, was a historian from the Indian state of Rajasthan. A prolific author, he wrote several books on the history of Rajasthan and other historical subjects. Subsequent historians from Rajasthan have referred to him as Guruvara Mahamahopadhyaya. Ojha regarded Kaviraj Shyamaldas as his guru and worked under him as assistant secretary of the historical department, Udaipur

Early life and education

Dr. Ojha was born in a Audichya Brahmins family, his father's name was Hirachand Ojha. His primary education was completed at his home and then he moved to Bombay for further education, where he learnt about Scripts, Archaeology and History. Thereafter, he came to Udaipur, where Maharana Fateh Singh appointed him as Head of State Archaeological Department.
In 1908, Dr. Ojha was appointed as Head of Rajputana Museum, Ajmer. He worked on this post for 38 years.

Authorship

In 1894, Dr. Ojha published his Bharatiya Prachin Lipimala, a revised edition was published in 1918. Dr. Ojha penned Solankiyon ka Itihasa in 1907 and Sirohi Rajya ka Itihasa in 1911. In 1926, Ojha published the first book of his History of Rajputana series. Histories of the princely states of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Dungarpur, Banswara released over a twelve-year period. Ojha also wrote a biography of James Tod titled Supraprasiddha itihaskara Karnala James Tod ka jivan charitra. A 1928 lecture series at the Hindustani Akademi, Allahabad was published as Madhyakalina Bharatiya Sanskriti and later translated into Urdu.

Honours and awards

  • Rai Bahadur in 1914.
  • In 1927, the All India Hindi Sahitya Sammelan conferred the honorary degree of Mahamahopadhayaya on Ojha. In celebration of his seventieth birthday, the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Allahabad brought out and presented to Ojha a felicitation volume titled Bharatiya Anushilana Grantha.
  • Sahitya Vachaspati in 1937.

Books on history of Rajasthan and constituent kingdoms

  • Banswara Rajya ka Itihasa. First published 1937. Publisher: Rajasthani Granthaghar, Jodhpur 1998.
  • Bikaner Rajya Ka Itihasa, First published 1937. Publisher: Rajasthani Granthaghar, Jodhpur 2007. .
  • Dungarpur Rajya ka Itihasa. First published 1936. Publisher: Rajasthani Granthaghar, Jodhpur 2000..
  • Jodhpur Rajya ka Itihasa. Publisher: Vaidika Yantralaya, Ajmer 1938.
  • Marwar Rajya ka Itihasa,1938.
  • Pratapgarh Rajya ka Itihasa. Publisher: Rajasthani Granthaghar, Jodhpur 2000..
  • Rajputane ka Itihas, Publisher: Vaidika Yantralaya, Ajmer 1927.
  • Sirohi Rajya ka Itihasa, 1911.
  • Solankiyon ka Pracin Itihas. First published 1907. Publisher: Sabda Mahima Prakasan, Jaipur, 1995.
  • Udaipur Rajya ka Itihasa. Publisher: Rajasthani Granthaghar, Jodhpur 1999–2006. .
  • Vir-Siromani Maharana Pratapsimha:Sacitra First published 1928. Publisher Rajasthani Granthaghar, Jodhpur 1998..Bharatiya Pracheen Lipimala Publisher: Publication Scheme, Jaipur 2008

Books on other subjects

  • Asokakalina dharmika abhilekha. G.H. Ojha and Shyam Sunder Das; Prastavana, V.K. Mathura. Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, Delhi 2002..
  • Bharatiya Prachin Lipimala. First published 1894. Publisher of 3rd edition Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi 1971.
  • Bharatiya Sahitya ki Ruparekha. Publisher: Bharatiya Granthaghar, Lucknow 1956.
  • Madhyakalina Bharatiya Sanskriti. Publisher: Hindustani Akademi, Allahabad, 1945.
  • Quarun-i Vusta men Hindustani Tahzib, sanah 600 se sanah 1100 tak Translated by Prem Chand. Publisher: Hindustani Akademi, Allahabad.
  • Nagari Anka aur Akshara. G.H. Ojha, Keshavdev Mishra. Tenth edition 1949. Publisher: Hindi Sahitya Sammelana, Prayaga 2006.
  • Prachin Bharatiya Abhilekha. Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, Delhi 2006..
  • Suprasiddha itihaskara Karnala James Tod ka jivana charitra. Publisher: Rajasthani Granthaghar, Jodhpur 2002.
  • Ojha Nibandh Sangrah by publisher: Shabd Mahima Prakashan, Jaipur 2010..

Commemorative volume

  • Bharatiya anushilana grantha . Publisher: Hindi Sahitya Sammelana, Prayaga 1933.

Collected works

  • Ojha Nibandha Sangraha. Publisher: Udayapura Sahitya Samsthan, Rajasthan Visva Vidyapith, 1954.

Edited books

  • Muhonata Nainasi ki khyata. Hindi translation by Ramanarayan Dugar. In 2 volumes. Editor Volume 2: G.H. Ojha. Publisher: Nagaripracharini Sabha, Kashi 1934.
  • Prachina Mudra by Rakhal Das Banerji, translated by Ramchandra Varma. Editor G.H. Ojha. Publisher: Nagaripracharini Sabha, Varanasi 1992.
  • Prithvirajavijaya. Edited by G. H. Ojha and Chandradhar Sharma Guleri. First published 1941. Publisher: Rajasthani Granthaghar, Jodhpur 1997.

Edited commemorative volume

Catalogue of publications

  • Mahamahopadhyaya Raibahadur Pandit Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha Sangraha Suchee. Principal Editor Dharmapala Sharma; Editors Ishvarsingh Ranawat, Mohabbatsingh Rathore. Publisher: Pratap Shodha Prathishtan, Udaipur 2008.