Firsts in Assamese History & Culture| State | Assam |
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| Country | India |
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| Region | Northeast India |
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| Language | Assamese (Axomiya) |
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| Related topics | Assamese literature, Assamese cinema, Assam Sahitya Sabha |
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Firsts in Assamese History documents the pioneering achievements in the literary, cultural, political, and social domains of the northeastern Indian state of Assam.
| Year |
Milestone |
Notes
|
| 1813 |
First printed book in Assamese — Dharma Pustak |
Published by Atmaram Sharma
|
| 1839 |
First grammar of Assamese — Grammar of Assamese Language |
Published by William Robinson
|
| 1846 |
First Assamese magazine — Orunodoi |
Published from Sibsagar
|
| 1880 |
First modern biography in Assamese — Jiban Charitra |
Written by Anandaram Dhekial Phukan
|
| 1884 |
First political association in Assam — Jorhat Sarbajanik Sabha |
Formed in Jorhat
|
| 1888 |
First children's magazine — Lora Bondhu |
Published by Karunabhiram Barua
|
| 1890 |
First Assamese novel — Bhanumati |
Written by Padmanath Gohain Barua; first historical novel
|
| 1906 |
First theatre of Assam |
Baan Theatre
|
| 1909 |
First Assamese short story — Surabhi |
Written by Lakshminath Bezbaroa
|
| 1912 |
First history of Assamese literature |
Asomiya Sahityar Buranji by Devendranath Bezbaruah
|
| 1917 |
Assam Sahitya Sabha founded |
First president: Padmanath Gohain Barua
|
| 1926 |
First private bank of Assam — The Gauhati Bank Limited |
—
|
| 1927 |
First women's magazine in Assamese — Ghor Jeuti |
Published by Kamalapriya Kakati
|
| 1930 |
First mobile theatre of Assam |
Kohinoor Opera
|
| 1935 |
First Assamese daily newspaper — Dainik Batori |
Published from Jorhat
|
| 1935 |
First Assamese film — Joymoti |
Directed by Jyoti Prasad Agarwal
|
| 1939 |
First Assamese weekly newspaper — Assam Tribune |
Launched from Dibrugarh
|
| 1941 |
Third Assamese movie — Manomoti |
Directed by Rohini Kumar Barua
|
| 1952 |
First Sahitya Akademi Award book from Assam — Bonphool |
Written by Jatindranath Duwarah
|
| 1963 |
First modern mobile theatre of Assam |
Natraj
|
| 1968 |
First Sahitya Akademi Award (woman poet) — Alkananda |
Nalini Bala Devi; also first woman Padma Shri from Assam
|
| 1972 |
First colour Assamese film — Bhaity |
Directed by Kamal Narayan Choudhary
|
| 1988 |
First national award-winning film from Assam |
Halodhia Chora Baodhan Khai; directed by Jahnu Barua
|
| 1992 |
First Assamese to win best actress (National Film Awards) |
Malay Goswami
|
Assamese Literature — Firsts[edit | edit source]
| Milestone |
Person |
Notes
|
| Father of Assamese Prose |
Bhattadeva |
His prose creation Katha-Gita
|
| First drama based on Ramayana |
Srimanta Sankardeva |
Ram Vijay
|
| First printed book (Assamese) |
Atmaram Sharma |
Dharma Pustak (1813)
|
| First grammar (Assamese) |
William Robinson |
Grammar of Assamese Language (1839)
|
| First Assamese sonnet |
Hemchandra Goswami |
Priyatamar Chithi; first sonnet book: Malach
|
| First novel on tribal life |
Rajanimanta Bordoloi |
Miri Jiori
|
| First children's novel |
Hargobind Sharma |
Paatalpuri
|
| First travelogue (Assamese) |
Birinchi Kumar Barua |
Switzerland Bhraman (1948)
|
| First translation of foreign work |
Jatindranath Duwarah |
Omar Tirtha (1925)
|
| First Jnanpith Award (Assam) |
Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya |
For Mritunjay
|
| First play broadcast over AIR |
Prafulla Chandra Barua |
Been Bairagi
|
| First play translated from Sanskrit |
Lambodhar Borah |
Sakuntala
|
| First auto-biography (Assamese) |
Lakshminath Bezbaroa |
Mur Jiwon Suworon
|
| First bibliography |
Hemchandra Goswami |
Asomiya Puthir Talika
|
| First romantic poetry |
Chandrakumar Agarwala |
Bonkuwari (published in Janaki)
|
Political and Social Firsts (Assam)[edit | edit source]
| Milestone |
Person |
Notes
|
| First female doctor of Assam |
Rajani Prabha Saikiani |
—
|
| First education minister of Assam |
Sir Syed Muhammad Saadulla |
—
|
| First finance minister of Assam |
Bishnu Ram Medhi |
—
|
| First female CM of Assam |
Syeda Anwara Taimur |
—
|
| First president of APCC |
Kuladhar Chaliha |
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee
|
| First Assamese President of INC |
Dev Kanta Barua |
1975–1977; served as Governor of Bihar
|
| First Assamese Olympic medalist |
Lovlina Borgohain |
Summer Olympics medal
|
| First barrister of Assam |
Anundoram Borooah |
—
|
| First female martyr of Assam |
Maloti Mem (AKA Mungri) |
—
|
| First railway line in Assam |
1881 |
Dibrugarh to Margherita (65 km)
|
| First CNG station of Assam |
2019 |
Inaugurated in Dibrugarh
|
