THE FIRST POPULAR NOVEL IN THE HINDI LANGUAGE (Pierwsza popularna powiesc w jezyku hindi)

The article gives an account of the late nineteenth century work by Devakinandan Khatri that can be referred to as the first best-seller in Hindi. Although neglected by many critics and writers contemporary with Khatri and considered by them as a mere romance without any importance, Chandrakanta had made a tremendous impact on the reading public of the time. In this article, The authoress examines the reasons for the popularity of the novel, presenting different opinions dealing with this question by literary critics, readers and, finally, Khatri himself.