Niharranjan Ray

Niharranjan Ray নীহাররঞ্জন রায়
Born	January 14, 1903(1903-01-14) Mymensingh, Bengal, British India
Died	August 30, 1981(1981-08-30) (aged 78) Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Nationality	Indian
Ethnicity	Bengali Hindu
Occupation	Historian
Religion	Hinduism

Niharranjan Ray (Bengali: নীহাররঞ্জন রায়) (14 January 1903 – 30 August 1981) was an Indian 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.^[1]

Major works

His magnum opus in Bengali, 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^[1]:

• 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 Puraskar 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.^[1] He was the General Secreatary of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta from 1949 to 1950.^[2]

Personal life

He married Manika (1904–1999). They had two sons and one daughter.^[1]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Ray, Niharranjan (1993). Bangalir Itihas: Adiparba, Kolkata: Dey's, ISBN 81-7079-270-3, pp.761-3
2. ^ Chakrabarty, Ramakanta (ed.) (2008). Time Past and Time Present, Kolkata: The Asiatic Society, p.28

Persondata
Name	Ray, Niharranjan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	14 January 1903
Place of birth	Mymensingh, Bengal, British India
Date of death	30 August 1981
Place of death	Kolkata, West Bengal, India