Surjya kumar Bhuyan

 12^th Aug 2011

Surjya kumar Bhuyan was born in Nagaon in 1894 on January 27. His father was Rabilal Bhuyan and mother Bhubaneshwari. Surya Kumar Bhuyan completed his M.A in English from Calcutta University in 1916. Two years later, in 1918, he started his carrier as a lecturer in Cotton College. He retired as the DPI Assam and took charges as V.C. of Gauhati University. He established the Assam history and Antiquarian studies and developed into a developed institute.

Surjya kumar Bhuyan was probably the best among the collector and editor of Assamese historical materials, manuscripts etc. who gave an analytical shape of the history of Assam starting from the earliest period to the modern age. He was the first Assamese intellectual who had a wider vision of history and who tried to link up Assamese past with the greater domain of history. He realised that the only way to make world familiar with Assam was to create a bridge with the rest of the country and the world.

Dr. Bhuyan’s multicornered historio-graphical aptitude includes the creation of interest in Assamese history among the masses, proper climate for historical research in Assam and circulation of the Assamese past beyond the geographical confinement of Assam. The vow he had taken in sending the message of the Assamese past to all classes of Assam as well as beyond Assam requires special attention. Assam as a geographical unit with a distinct linguistic and cultural heritage within India was first projected and portrayed far and wide in India and abroad by Surya Kumar Bhuyan. He observes, “The most curious thing about Assam is the conspicuous ignorance about it on the part of my countrymen in India and my fellow mortals in other parts of the world.” His love for Assam has been reflected time and again in his mission to make Assam and the Assamese people familiar beyond Assam. Through his untiring efforts he was able to collect a large number of old manuscripts of the buranjis, written around five hundred years back. Prof Surya Kumar Bhuyan was appointed as the first honorary Director of DHAS.

He was a person who could prove his expertise in other languages like Bengali, English and Sanskrit. Interestingly enough, in 1911, Surya Kumar Bhuyan had won the first position in a competition of Bengali Sonnet composition in Eden Hostel, Kolkata while he was studying in the Presidency College.

The year 1936 was a hallmark of the historian’s career. In that year Bhuyan went to England to do his PhD from the London School of Oriental and African Studies that gave him golden opportunities to get acquainted with a galaxy of intellectuals and scholars of the world and he shared his experience with them. In 1937, Surya Kumar Bhuyan was invited to Rome by Prof Giuseppe Tucci to deliver lecture at Oriental Institute. In that lecture Prof Bhuyan projected the ancient, medieval and modern Assamese political history, Assamese social life, Assamese literature, music, paintings, sculpture and architecture of Assam. This was reported in the Italian daily Popolo D’ Italia. Prof Bhuyan was also invited to deliver a lecture in the Indian Civil Service Club at London to focus on the history and civilisation of Assam.

The collection of poems ‘Nirmali’ by Surya Kumar Bhuyan was published in the year 1918. He is basically a nature poet. Some of his nature-lyrics do have a searching appeal. In the poem ‘Saundajya’, nature in her twilight beauty is portrayed as a maiden against the sky. ‘Prakritir santan’ is a myth poetic description of a child who is raised in nature`s harmony. In ‘Sukhdukh’, he rejects the pessimistic view of life. He displays interest in history and antiquarian studies due to which his verse occasionally tends towards a delayed pseudo-Sanskrit style. Joymaii upakhyan (1923) is written under a pseudonym, Bhanunandan. Dr. Bhuyan is sincere in his romantic emotions which are evident in his poems like Apon sur, Utala, Tipam deka, Asam gaurov and so on. Utala possesses rapid animation. The poet is not deficient in lyrical passion. He wrote, edited and published more than twenty valuable books in both Assamese and English language. He died on the year 1964. His books are:

Biographical:

Gopal Krishna Gokhle (1961), Ahomar Din (1918), Robindra Nath Thakur (1920), Anandaram Baruah (1920), Jonaki (1928), Chneki (1928), Asom Jiyori (1935).

Historical:

Konwar Bidroh (1948), Bar Ahom and Buranjir Bani (1951), Ramoni Gabharu (1951), Catalogue of Historical writings (1955), Mirjumlar Asom Akramon (1956), Rajeswar Singha (1974), Lachit Barphukon.

Edited Histories and Historical Books:

Anglo-Assamese Relations (1951), Aton Burhagohain and His Time (1947), An Assamese Nur-Jahan (1962), Studies in the Literature of Assam (1926).

Collection of creative works:

Nirmai (1918) (collection of poems), Panchami (1927) (short story collection), Tripodi (1960) (collection of articles written on literature)