Rai Bahadur RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Eco ...

Surya Kumar Bhuyan

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(1892–1964) was a writer, historian, educator, social activist, storyteller, essayist, professor and a poet from

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

. He has written many books on ancient history, stories, essays, biographies, etc. in the world of

Assamese literature Assamese literature ( as, অসমীয়া সাহিত্য, translit=ɔxɔmiya xaɦitjɔ}) is the entire corpus of poetry, novels, short stories, plays, documents and other writings in the Assamese language. It also includes the liter ...

. He presided over the

Asam Sahitya Sabha The Asam Sahitya Sabha (; Literary Society of Assam) is a non Government, non profit, literary organisation of Assam. It was founded in December 1917 in Assam, India to promote the culture of Assam and Assamese literature. A branch of the organi ...

(

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

) held at

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a Indian state, state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the list of most populous cities in ...

. He was the elected member of

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...

during 1952–53, and was awarded the

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

in 1956.

Life history and achievements

Bhuyan was born on 27 January 1892 to Rabilal Bhuyan and Bhubaneshwari Bhuyan at Fauzdaripatty, in

Nagaon district Nagaon is an administrative district in the Indian state of Assam. At the time of the 2011 census it was the most populous district in Assam, before Hojai district was split from it in 2016. History Batadrowa gave birth to the Vaishnavite ...

, Assam. His mother died when he was young. His father's two brothers, Kankalal Bhuyan and Matilal Bhuyan, as well as Bhubaneshwari Bhuyan, died during the black fever of the late nineteenth century. Surya Kumar Bhuyan was raised by his grandmothers, Pahita and Labita. His father was the Chief District Magistrate of Nagaon district. He began his education at Nagaon but in 1904, moved to

. He graduated from the Shillong Government School in 1909. In 1913, he completed his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in the

Presidency College, Calcutta Presidency University, Kolkata (formerly known as Presidency College, Kolkata) is a second major public state aided research university located in College Street, Kolkata. Considered as one of best colleges when Presidency College was affili ...

, and in 1916, completed his master's degree English in the

Calcutta University The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, C ...

. He started his career as a teacher in Jorhat Mission School. In 1918, he was appointed as a lecturer in Cotton College at Guwahati. In 1936, Bhuyan went to England to work on his PhD at the London School of Oriental and African Studies. Bhuyan became the first Assamese to be the Principal of the

Cotton College, Guwahati Cotton University (formerly known as ''Cotton College'') is a public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established in 2017 by the provisions of an Act from the Assam Legislative Assembly which merged Cotton College Sta ...

. After which, Bhuyan began to resuscitate the Buranjis and formulate a distinct past for Assam, against its inclusion within the framework of the Indian state. In this, he continued the work of Sir Edward Gait, collecting historical manuscripts from old families and converting them into a readable format. Bhuyan served as the second President of the Governing Body of

Nowgong College Nowgong College is an autonomous college affiliated to Gauhati University. Established in 1944, it is one of the oldest co-educational colleges of Assam, situated in the city of Nagaon. It was initially established with the permission of the Un ...

. He retired as the DPI Assam and took charge as the

Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...

Gauhati University Gauhati University, also known as GU, is a collegiate public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established on 26 January 1948 under the provisions of an Act enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly. It is the oldest ...

Personal life

Surya Kumar Bhuyan married Laksheshwari Bhuyan on 14 February 1917. They had six children.

Literary works

Surya Kumar Bhuyan compiled, collated, and edited a number of books and articles in the

Assamese language Assamese (), also Asamiya ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language, and it serves as a ''lingua franca'' of the wider region. The easternmost Indo-Iranian language, ...

. He also wrote a few books in English and

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, which include:

Historical books

* Assam Buranji by Harakanta Barua; 1930 * Kamrupar Buranji (কামৰূপৰ বুৰঞ্জী; 1930) * Deodhai Assam Buranji (দেওধাই অসম বুৰঞ্জী; 1932) * Assamar Padya Buranji (অসমৰ পদ্য বুৰঞ্জী; 1933) * Padshah Buranji (পাদছাহ বুৰঞ্জী; 1935, 2009) * Kachari Buranji (কছাৰী বুৰঞ্জী; 1936) * Jayantia Buranji (জয়ন্তীয়া বুৰঞ্জী;1937) * Tripura Buranji (ত্ৰিপুৰা বুৰঞ্জী; 1938) * Assam Buranji,S.M with an Analysis in English.1945 * Konwar Bidroh (কোঁৱৰ বিদ্ৰোহ; 1948) * Mirjumlar Asom Akramon (মিৰজুমলাৰ অসম আক্ৰমণ; 1956) * Satsari Assam Buranji (সাতসৰী অসম বুৰঞ্জী; 1960,2009)

Biographical works in Assamese

* Gopal Krishna Gokhale (গোপাল কৃষ্ণ গোখলে; 1916) (Incorporated in jivani sahitya) * Ahomar Din (আহোমৰ দিন; 1918) * Rabindranath Tagore (ৰবীন্দ্ৰ নাথ ঠাকুৰ; 1920,2007) (Incorporated in Jivani Sahitya) * Anundoram Borooah,Sanskritist (আনন্দৰাম বৰুৱা; 1920,1924,1956,2007) * Jonaki, lives of eminent men (জোনাকী; 1928,1938,2007) * Chaneki,lives of eminent women (চানেকী; 1928,2006) * Asam Jiyari, Assamese women of history (অসম জীয়ৰী; 1935,2007) * Swargadew Rajeswar Singha (ৰাজেশ্বৰ সিংহ; 1751-1769,1975,2005) * Ramoni Gabharu (ৰমনী গাভৰু; 1951) * Swargadeu Godadhor Singha (স্বৰ্গদেউ গদাধৰ সিংহ) * Anandaram Dhekial Phukan (আনন্দৰাম ঢেকীয়াল ফুকন) * Jagannath Barua (জগন্নাথ বৰুৱা) * Sir Edward Gait (চাৰ এডৱাৰ্ড গেইট) etc.

Creative works in Assamese

* Nirmali (নিৰ্মালি; 1918) (collection of poems) (Incorporated in Kavita Sangraha) * Panchami (পঞ্চমী; 1927) (short story collection) * Tripadi (ত্ৰিপদী; 1959,2010) (collection of articles written on literature) * Jaimati Upakhyan (জয়মতী উপাখ্যান;1920,1954) (Poem)

Books in English

* An Assamese Nur Jahan, Queen Phuleswari Devi (1926) * Tungkhungia Buranji (1932) * Assamese Historical Literature * Kartuya * An Account of Assam * Preliminary Report on the Agency Records of the Assam Government, 1823-1874 * Lachit Barphukan and his times * Annals of the Delhi Badshahate, 1947 * Anglo Assamese Relations (Thesis approved for the Ph D Degree of London University) ( 1949,1999,2008) * Seven Hindrances (1953) (Incorporated in some Literary Reminiscences) * Atan Buragohain and his times (1937) * Studies in the Literature of Assam (1937, 1956,1962,1986) * Catalogue of Historical writings (1955) * Report and Conspectus of the Assam Research Society * Early British Relations with Assam.1928 * Printed in Assam Secretariat Office file.1930-31 * Bulletins of the Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies in Assam, Nos I,II and III,V,1932-36 * Assamese Literature : Ancient and Modern.Printed in Assam Secretariat Office file.1936 Incorporated in studies in literature of Assam * Dr. Francis Hamiltons's Account of Assam. 1940 * Military System of the Assamese People. Prativa Devi Memorial Lectures, Fourth Series.1941,2010 * Some Literary Reminiscences. 1954,2010 * Quintessence of Experience. 1986,2010 * Studies in the History of Assam. 1986,2009 * London Memories. 1979 * An Assamese Miscellany.2012 * Recollection and Reflection. 2010 * Men I Have Met.1962, 2010 * Copper Plate and stone Inscriptions of Ancient and Medieval Assam.2010 * Two German Articles on Assam Edited. 2010 * Assam in the Eighteenth Century Edited.2012 * Two Years in Parliament. 2010

Books in Bengali

* Bangla Vashai Oxomor Itihaas (বাংলা ভাষায় আসামেৰ ইতিহাস) * Obosane Ahom Rajotwo (অবসানে আহোম ৰাজত্ব) * Kabyoroshik Boiganiker Atmochorit (কাব্যৰসিক বৈজ্ঞানিকেৰে আত্মচৰিত) * Europot Oxomor Jyotish Sutro (য়ুৰোপত অসমৰ জ্যোতিষ সূত্ৰ)

Awards

award, the fourth-highest civilian award from the

in the field of Literature and Education in

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

. * Rai Bahadur, the title honored by the ruling British government in 1933. *Member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(MBE) in the

1946 Birthday Honours The 1946 King's Birthday Honours, celebrating the official birthday of King George VI, were announced on 13 June 1946 for the United Kingdom and British Empire. The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new h ...

Death

Dr. Surya Kumar Bhuyan died on 5 July 1964 at the American Baptist Mission Hospital in Chhatribari of

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. At the time of demise, he left his wife Laksheshwari Bhuyan, three sons and three daughters and a few grandchildren.

References

External links

Some poems of the author
(in Assamese) at xophura.net. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhuyan, Surya Kumar 1890s births 1964 deaths Asom Sahitya Sabha Presidents Assamese-language poets People from Nagaon district Presidency University, Kolkata alumni Rajya Sabha members from Assam Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education Members of the Order of the British Empire University of Calcutta alumni Scholars from Assam Writers from Northeast India 20th-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian historians Poets from Assam