Rai Bahadur Rai Bahadur (in North India) and Rao Bahadur (in South India), R.B., was a title of honour bestowed during British rule in India to individuals for outstanding service or acts of public welfare to the Empire. From 1911, the title was accompani ...

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

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

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

Assamese literature Assamese literature is the entire corpus of poetry, novels, short stories, plays, documents and other writings in the Assamese language. It also includes the literary works in the older forms of the language during its evolution to the contempor ...

. He presided over the

Asam Sahitya Sabha The Asam Sahitya Sabha (; ) 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 organisation named ''Singapor ...

(

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 ...

) held at

Shillong Shillong (, ) is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a Indian state, state in northeastern India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the list of most populous cities in India, 330th most populous city ...

. He was the elected member of

Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of the Parliament of India and functions as the institutional representation of India’s federal units — the states and union territories.https://rajyasabha.nic.in/ It is a key component o ...

during 1952–53, and was awarded the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), 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. In ...

by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

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 district 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 Bordowa was the birthplace of the ...

, 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 A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree in the

Presidency College, Calcutta Presidency University, formerly Presidency College, is a public state university located in College Street, Kolkata. Established in 1817 as the ''Hindoo College'', it was later renamed ''Presidency College'' in 1855 and functioned as a leadi ...

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

Calcutta University The University of Calcutta, informally known as Calcutta University (), is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Kolkata, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate 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 also known as CU, is a public state university (India), 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 Colleg ...

. After which, Bhuyan began to resuscitate the

Buranjis Buranjis (Ahom language: ''ancient writings'') are a class of historical chronicles and manuscripts associated with the Ahom kingdom. There were written initially in the Ahom Language and later in the Assamese language as well. The Buranjis ar ...

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 vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth countr ...

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 and is the oldest un ...

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 () or Asamiya ( ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language. It has long served as a ''lingua franca'' in parts of Northeast India."Axomiya is the major langu ...

. 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 after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

. * 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 valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(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 ...

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 (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. 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 1892 births 1964 deaths Asom Sahitya Sabha presidents Assamese-language poets People from Nagaon district Presidency University, Kolkata alumni Rajya Sabha members from Assam 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