About the Book: This modern Assamese biography chronicles the life of Ananda Ram Dhekial Phookan (1829–59), a pivotal figure in early colonial Assam who championed the establishment of Assamese as the official language, shaping the region’s cultural identity. Despite his brief life, Ananda Ram’s scholarship and activism played a crucial role in Assam’s social and linguistic transformation during the nineteenth century. Authored by Gunabhiram Barua and translated by Banani Chakravarty, the book combines biography with a detailed history of Assam’s colonial transition, offering rich insights into the making of modern Assamese society.