The first modern Hindi novel was titled 'Pariksha Guru’. It was written by Srinivas Das and published in 1882.
The characteristics of this novel are as follows
(i) The novel cautioned young men of well-to-do families against the dangerous influences of bad company and consequent loose morals.
(ii) ‘Pariksha Guru’ reflects the inner and outer world of the newly emerging middle class. The characters in the novel are caught in the difficulty of adapting to colonised society and at the same time preserving their own cultural identity.
(iii) The novel tries to teach the reader the right way to live and expects all sensible men to be worldly wise and practical, to remain rooted in the values of their tradition and culture and to live with dignity and honour.