Niharranjan Ray
Encyclopedia
Niharranjan Ray (14 January 1903 – 30 August 1981) was an India
n historian, well-known for his works on history of art and Buddhism. he was born at Kayetgram village of Mymensingh District
in Bengal province of British India (in the present-day Bangladesh
). He completed his initial studies from the Mrityunjaya School and Anandamohan College in Mymensingh. In 1924, he passed his B.A. examination in History from Murari Chand College
, Sylhet
. In 1926, he stood first in the M.A. examination in Ancient Indian History and Culture from Calcutta University. He received the Mrinalini Gold Medal in the same year for his Political History of Northern India, AD 600-900. In 1928, he received the Premchand Roychand studentship. In 1935, he passed his diploma in Librarianship from the London University College. He was appointed the Chief Librarian in the Central Library of Calcutta University in 1936. He participated in the Quit India movement
and was imprisoned from 1943 to 1944. In 1946, he was appointed Bagishwari Professor of Fine Arts in Calcutta University and retired from the post in 1965. In 1965, he became the first director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study
, Shimla
and remained in office till 1970. He was a member of the Third Pay Ccommission from 1970 to 1973.
, Bangalir Itihas: Adiparba (History of the Bengali People: Early Period) was initially published in 1949. Later, an enlarged and revised edition was published by the Saksharata Prakashan in two volumes in 1980. His other significant works include:
from the Government of West Bengal
for his Bangalir Itihas: Adiparba in 1950. he received the Padma Bhushan
award in 1969.
In the same year, he received the Sahitya Akademi award
for his An Artist in Life. He was the General Secreatary of the Asiatic Society
, Calcutta from 1949 to 1950.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n historian, well-known for his works on history of art and Buddhism. he was born at Kayetgram village of Mymensingh District
Mymensingh District
Mymensingh is one of the districts of Dhaka division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya state of India and Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur district, on the east by districts of Netrokona and Kishoreganj, and on the west by districts of Sherpur, Jamalpur and Tangail...
in Bengal province of British India (in the present-day Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
). He completed his initial studies from the Mrityunjaya School and Anandamohan College in Mymensingh. In 1924, he passed his B.A. examination in History from Murari Chand College
Murari Chand College
Murari Chand University College was the first college in Sylhet. It was established in 1892. Since then it has been playing important role in the education, cultural, and political spheres of greater Sylhet.- History :...
, Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
. In 1926, he stood first in the M.A. examination in Ancient Indian History and Culture from Calcutta University. He received the Mrinalini Gold Medal in the same year for his Political History of Northern India, AD 600-900. In 1928, he received the Premchand Roychand studentship. In 1935, he passed his diploma in Librarianship from the London University College. He was appointed the Chief Librarian in the Central Library of Calcutta University in 1936. He participated in the Quit India movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
and was imprisoned from 1943 to 1944. In 1946, he was appointed Bagishwari Professor of Fine Arts in Calcutta University and retired from the post in 1965. In 1965, he became the first director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study
Indian Institute of Advanced Study
The Indian Institute of Advanced Study is a prestigious research institute based in Shimla, India. It was set up by the Ministry of Education, Government of India in 1964 and it started functioning from October 20, 1965....
, Shimla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
and remained in office till 1970. He was a member of the Third Pay Ccommission from 1970 to 1973.
Major works
His magnum opus in BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Bangalir Itihas: Adiparba (History of the Bengali People: Early Period) was initially published in 1949. Later, an enlarged and revised edition was published by the Saksharata Prakashan in two volumes in 1980. His other significant works include:
- Brahmanical Gods of Burma (1932)
- Sanskrit Buddhism in Burma (1936)
- Rabindra Sahityer Bhumika (An introduction to the works of Rabindranath Tagore) (1940)
- Theravada Buddhism in Burma (1946)
- An Introduction to the Study of Theravada Buddhism in Burma (1946)
- Maurya and Sunga Art (1947) (a revised and enlarged edition of the work was published in 1976 as Maurya and Post-Maurya Art)
- Art in Burma (1954)
- An Artist in Life; A Commentary on the Life and Works of Rabindranath Tagore (1967)
- Nationalism in India (1972)
- Idea and Image in Indian Art (1973)
- An Approach to Indian Art (1974)
- Mughal Court Painting: A Study in Social and Formal Analysis (1974)
- The Sikh Gurus and the Sikh Society (1975)
- Eastern Indian Bronzes (1986)
Awards and honors
He was the first recipient of the Rabindra PuraskarRabindra Puraskar
The Rabindra Puraskar or the Rabindra Smriti Puraskar is the highest honorary literary award given in the Indian state of West Bengal. This award is administered by the Government of West Bengal under the aegis of the Paschimbanga Bangla Academy , Kolkata.The award is given for creative...
from the Government of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
for his Bangalir Itihas: Adiparba in 1950. he received the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
award in 1969.
In the same year, he received the Sahitya Akademi award
Sahitya Akademi Award to Bengali Writers
Sahitya Akademi Award is given by the Sahitya Akademi, India’s national academy of letters to one writer every year in each of the languages recognized by it as well as for translations. This is the second highest literary award of India, after Jnanpith Award...
for his An Artist in Life. He was the General Secreatary of the Asiatic Society
Asiatic Society
The Asiatic Society was founded by Sir William Jones on January 15, 1784 in a meeting presided over by Sir Robert Chambers, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at the Fort William in Calcutta, then capital of the British Raj, to enhance and further the cause of Oriental research. At the time of...
, Calcutta from 1949 to 1950.