Kauromal Chandanmal Khilnani
Deewan Kauromal Chandanmal Khilnani was an educationational, scholar and writer. He was one of the first major prose writer during the British Raj in India. He served as the first principal of the Training College for Men Hyderabad, Sindh, British India, City Magistrate, Deputy Collector, Municipal Commissioner and Health Officer. He authored more than 60 books in Sindhi language. He wrote extensively on the panchayat system, health, agriculture, and folklore.
Childhood and education
Kauromal was born on 5 October 1844 in Bhirya, District Naushehro Feroz, Sindh, British India. At his birth he was named 'Pritam', but because none of the children had survived earlier, the women folk felt superstitious and instead of sugar candy and sugar lump they distributed pepper on his birth. And relatives also changed his name to 'Kauro', meaning bitter. He studied Sindhi and Persian in the private school of Akhund Qazi Muhammad Suleman at village Darya Khan Jalbani. He studied there from 1849 to 1855. When first primary school was opened in his hometown in 1855, he got admission there. He was a very intelligent student and mastered Sindhi and Persian language at a very early age. The Education Inspector of Sindh appointed him as a 'Boy Translator' for which he was given a scholarship of Rs 25/-. He then studied at Karachi. He was one of the four Sindhi students who went to Bombay for matriculation examination of the University of Bombay.Career
He started his career as a clerk in the office of the Commissioner of Karachi. He then served as a junior school teacher at Hyderabad and Sukkur. Afterwards, he served as Head Master of these schools. He also served as a Sindhi translator.After qualifying Revenue and Judicial examinations, he was appointed as City Magistrate of Shikarpur and then City Magistrate of Hyderabad. He also served as Deputy Collector of Rohri and Hala subdivisions for seven years. He then joined the education department and served as the founding principal of the Training College for Men Hyderabad. In the year 1866, he got school opened in Bhiriya Sindh from Govt side. He also served as Municipal Commissioner and Health officer of Hyderabad. He retired in 1899.
After retirement, he remained member of the Sindh Education Department's Text Books Committee for many years. He also served as the as an Examiner for vernacular languages for the convenience of the Englishmen.
Books
Deewan Kauromal Chandanmal is known as the father of Sindhi prose. He has written many essays on various topics in a simple and effective style. His 44 essays written up to 1907 were compiled by his son Manohar Das Khilnani and published by Sahitya Akademi, Delhi in 1960. He had mastery on Sindhi, Arabic, Persian, English, Sanskrit, Hindi and Bengali languages. He translated many books from Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit and English into Sindhi. He was among the first who introduced terminology of Geometry and Chemistry into Sindhi. He also produced original work like Mahatmaoon ja Darshan, Arya Naari Charitra, Bhishma Pitamaha and Bhaktan joon Sakhiyun. An incomplete alphabetical list of his books is presented below:,| S.No. | Name of the Book | Name of the Book in Sindhi | Year of Publication | Comments |
| Arya Nari Charitra | آريہ ناري چتر | 1905 | Biographies of noted Indian women | |
| Aghaz Ilim-e-Hikmat | آغاز علم حڪمت | |||
| Andera Aakhani | انديرا آکاڻي | Translation | ||
| Aqleedas, Book I, II & III | اقليدس | 1868 | Books on Geometry | |
| Ba Mundiyoon | ٻه منڊيون | 1915 | Translation of the Bankim Chandera Chatterjee's Bengali novel | |
| Baraniyoon Aakhaniyoon | ٻاراڻيون آکاڻيون | 1891 | Short stories for toddlers | |
| Barana Bhajan aeen Pararthna | ٻاراڻا ڀڄن ۽ پرارٿنا | 1909 | ||
| Barana Geet | ٻاراڻا گيت | 1891 | ||
| Bhagat Jevniyoon | ڀڳت جيونيون | 1908 | ||
| Bhagatan jon Sakhiyoon | ڀڳتن جون ساکيون | 1908 | ||
| Bhalmansi Aeen Painchaityoon Chho Phityoon Aahin | ڀلمانسي ۽ پئنچاتون ڇو ڦِٽيون آهن؟ | 1907 | Articles | |
| Bhajan Malha | ڀڄن مالا | |||
| Chander Mukhi | چندر مکي | 1918 | Translation of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Bengali novel Krishnakanta's Will | |
| Chetan Dev jo Jeevan Chariter | چيتن ديوَ جو جيوَن چـريــتـر | 1912 | ||
| Coulombs Ji Tareekh | ڪولمبس جي تاريخ | 1868 | Translation | |
| Dadu Sant jo Jeevan Chariter | دادو سنت جو جيوَن چريتر | 1914 | ||
| Hari Darshan | هري درشن | 1930 | Translation of some philosophical lectures of Devendranath Tagore | |
| Hind Jo Sair | ھند جو سير | 1939 | Travel | |
| Hindustan Ji Tareekha | هندستان جي تاريخ | |||
| Ilim-e-Keemia | علم ڪيميا | 1892 | Translation | |
| Jeevan Indri Shaster | جيوَن اِندري شاستر | 1900 | ||
| Khaiti | کيتي | 1897 | ||
| Khaiti | کيتي | 1901 | ||
| Kheera jo Kheer Pania jo Pani | کير جو کير، پاڻيءَ جو پاڻي | 1915 | Translation of Adarsh Noonha's Bengali Novel | |
| Lakhay Jo Kitab | ليکي جو ڪتاب | |||
| Mahatma Pavan Ahari Baba | مهاتما پون آهاري بابا | written in 1915, published in 1937 | ||
| Mahamari, Tihin man kahri mat sari | مهامَري، تنهن مان ڪهڙي مت سَري | 1897 | ||
| Mahatmaun ja Darshana | مهاتمائن جا درشن | 1907 | ||
| Nari Nirog Jeevan | ناري نروڳ جيون | 1943 | ||
| Naw Sanihta | نؤ سنيهتا | 1905 | ||
| Nidoro Haru | ندورو هار | 1916 | Translation from Bengali | |
| Padarath Sikhya | پدارٿ سکيا | 1900 | ||
| Pako Pahu | پڪو پھ | 1862 | A book on the importance of female education | |
| Phool Mala | ڦول مالا | 1902 | ||
| Qiso Makh Aeen Koreearay Jo | قصو مک ۽ ڪوريئڙي جو | |||
| Purani Shaster | پراڻي شاستر | 1891 | Translation of A Treatise on Biology | |
| Radha Rani | راڌا راڻـي | 1914 | Translation of Bankam Chandra Chatterjee's Radha Rani novel from Bengali language. | |
| Raj Rashi Bheesham Patamah jo Jeevan Chariter | راج رشي ڀيشم پتامهه جو جيوَن چريتر | 1914 | ||
| Raja Ram Mohan Rai jo Jevan Chariter | راجا رام موهن راءِ جو جيوَن چريتر | 1907 | ||
| Ratnavali | رتناولي | 1888 | Translation of famous Sanskrit drama Ratnavali | |
| Ravti | ريوتي | 1905 | ||
| Rohni | روهني | written in 1915, published in 1937 | Novel | |
| Saameea Ja Sulooka | ساميءَ جا سلوڪ | 1885 & 1892 | Compilation of the poetry of Sufi poet Sami | |
| Sang jo Parsang | سنگ جو پرسنگ | 1899 | ||
| Sanitary Primer | سينيٽري پرائمر | |||
| Sant Jaidev jo Jeevan Chariter | سنت جئديو جو جيوَن چريتر | 1906 | ||
| Sant Namdev jo Jeevan Chariter | سنت نامديوَ جو جيوَن چريتر | 1908 | ||
| Satela jay tukan diyaran Babat | سيتلا جي ٽڪن ڏيارڻ بابت | 1887 | ||
| Sindhi Gujharatoon | سنڌي ڳجھارتون | 1888 | ||
| Sindhi Pahaka | سنڌي پھاڪا | 1888 | ||
| Sindhi Text Books for Class IV, V, VI and VII | سنڌي درسي ڪتاب | 1873–1876 | Texts books for schools | |
| Tahaka tay Tahaka | ٽهڪ تي ٽهڪ | 1906 | A book of Humour | |
| Zahida Rabia Basery | زاھدہ رابعہ بصري |