Editing Firsts in Assamese History

{{Short description|Pioneering milestones in Assam's cultural, literary and political history}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox
| title       = Firsts in Assamese History & Culture
| label1      = State
| data1       = [[Assam]]
| label2      = Country
| data2       = [[India]]
| label3      = Region
| data3       = [[Northeast India]]
| label4      = Language
| data4       = Assamese (Axomiya)
| label5      = Related topics
| data5       = Assamese literature, Assamese cinema, Assam Sahitya Sabha
}}

'''Firsts in Assamese History''' documents the pioneering achievements in the literary, cultural, political, and social domains of the northeastern Indian state of [[Assam]].

== Culture and Cinema ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! 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 [[Sivasagar|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 (1935 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 ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! 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) ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! 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]]
|}

== See also ==
* [[Assam Sahitya Sabha]]
* [[Assamese literature]]
* [[Assamese cinema]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Assam]]
[[Category:Assamese literature]]
[[Category:Indian history]]
[[Category:Firsts in India]]