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Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan (:Assamese ৰাধিকাৰাম ঢেকিয়াল ফুকন; 1854 – 1896) was a chemist the first PhD (1890, Heidelberg) in Chemistry from Assam, India, mentored by Robert Bunsen and Victor Meyer.[1] Family Background Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan was born in Nagaon, in Assam, India on the 12th of December 1854 (curriculum vitae); though 9th December, 1854, is recorded by his uncle and father’s biographer, Gunabhiram Barua, in “Ananadaram Dhekial Phookanar Jibon Charita”. Radhikaram was the eldest son but third child of his parents Anandaram Dhekial Phukan (1829-1859) and Mahindri Devi Phukanani (1833- ?). He had two elder sisters Raseswari Devi (1849-1852) and Padmavati Devi (1853-1927); with two younger siblings, Annadaram Dhekial Phukan (1857-?) and Chandraprabha Devi (1859-1859). Radhikaram came from a family of well established administrators, landholders and litterateurs; his father, Anandaram Dhekail Phukan was preceded by his grandfather Haliram Dhekial Phukan (1802-1838) and grand uncle Juggoram Kharghoria Phukan (1805-1838). His mother came from a well placed family in Jorhat, Assam, where his maternal grandfather Pashupati Phukan held the title of Raj Guru or the religious mentor to the King.[2] On the 2nd, February 1883, he married Matilda Emily Sale Gresham (1832-1913), unfortunately, they did not have any children (Marriage Certificate). The 21st century links family to can be mainly traced through his eldest sister Padmavati Devi. Early Education The “Gowhatty Collegiate School”, where Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan studied, is the present day Cotton Collegiate Government Higher Secondary School, in Guwahati, Assam. He was the first matriculate of Calcutta University from his family, but moved to London to study for the Indian Civil Services on June 17, 1873, before completing his graduation. In London he opted for law and enlisted at the Inns of Court: Middle Inn,[3] joined  the University of  London in 1877, and pursued law for six semesters. Though he cleared the first paper on Roman Law,[4] a prolonged period of ill health, prevented completion of the rest. The Heidelberg Phase In a surprising turn of events “this son of Anandaram Dhekial Phukan and grandson of Haliram Dhekial Phukan, finally chose to study Chemistry and joined the Institute of Chemistry at the University of Heidelberg, on October 21, 1886”.[5]   In a true testimony to the excellent German record keeping, the documents procured from Heidelberg reveal a full list the natural sciences faculty that taught him 130 years ago! Thus we encounter Robert Wilhelm Bunsen (1811-1899), Georg Hermann Quincke (1834-1924), Ernst Hugo Heinrich Pfitzer (1846-1906), Julius Wilhelm Brühl (1850-1911) Eugen Askenasy (1845-1903), Friedrich Krafft (1852-1923), Hermann  Franz Moritz Kopp (1817-1892), August Friedrich Horstmann (1842-1929), Victor Meyer (1848-1897), Ludwig Gattermann (1860-1920), Martin Möbius(1859-1946), Heinrich Rosenbusch (1836-1914), and Victor Mordechai Goldschmidt (1853-1933)  who taught Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan and remain indelible parts of our laboratories and textbooks. Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan mentored by Robert Bunsen and Victor Meyer, and was awarded the PhD degree on July 26, 1890 (Ph. D. certificate). It made him first PhD in Chemistry in India and Assam. Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan continued in Heidelberg for three years after his PhD, and published three papers as part of his habilitation. The Heidelberg-Robert Bunsen-Victor Meyer motif, was recurrent and central to Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan’s decade of chemistry from 1886-1896.[1] Publications Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan published his first paper in 1892 with F. Krafft, “Ueber einige Derivate der Sebacinsaure” (On some derivatives of sebasic acid, published in “Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft: Vol 25, 1892, 2252-2255) Currently known as “European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry”. Subsequently, working with Victor Meyer, on the Victor Meyer apparatus, he published two papers. Phookan,R.D.“Verdampfungsgeschwindigkeit von Körpern in verschiedenen Atmosphtiren”, Zeitschrift fur Anorganische Chemie Vol 2 (1892)7-17 followed by Phookan,R.D.“Verdampfungsgeschwindigkeit von Körpern in verschiedenen Atmosphtiren, Abhandlung II” , Zeitschrift fur Anorganische Chemie, Vol. 5 (1894) 69-74. The August 31, 1893 announcement of the British Association Meeting, held in Nottingham, states that “Dr. Phookan has promised a description of his recent researches on the “On the evaporation rate of bodies in different atmospheres.”[1], [6] Return to India Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan returned to India in March, 1895, and met Alexander Pedler, CIE FRS, the Principal, Presidency College and Sir Alfred Woodley Croft, Vice Chancellor, Calcutta University, seeking possible avenues of employment. Apparently, a position was offered to him for Rs. 250 a month, which was insufficient in Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan’s opinion to provide for a family.[7] Sarat Chandra Mitra wrote in his paper, Original Scientific Research in Bengal, in 1896, “ Dr. Phookan came out to India in the beginning of the year 1895, but, alas! he was not destined to live long and promote the cause of original scientific research in this country. It is with deep regret we have learnt that Dr.R.D.Phookan died about two months ago in Oudh. Possessed of high scientific attainments, he had a bright future before him, and, had he been spared, would have done much to enrich science by original contributions; but, by his untimely death, a career of great promise has been cut off in very prime of manhood”.[8] For the first time, a hitherto missing chapter in the history of Chemistry and Science in India, has been recorded. Consequently, it has also successfully addressed the context in which it first attracted public attention; of his being the first PhD in Chemistry from Assam and India.

[1] Ramesh Chandra Deka, Gaurangi Maitra and Ranjit Kumar Dev Goswami (2019) Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan: A Chemist from Assam. Indian Journal of History of Science,( New Delhi, India), 54.1 (2019) 93-103. [2] Barua, Gunabhiram “Ananadaram Dhekial Phookanar Jibon Charita” CP Saikia, Secretary Publication Board, Assam, Guwahati, 1971,pp 1-178; p,127,154,54. [3] Strugess II, 589 – South Asians at the Inns of Court: Middle Temple, 1863-1944. Compiled by Renu Paul, in consultations with Mitra Sharafi. [4] The Weekly Notes, Saturday, November 6, 1880, published for the Council of Law for England and Wales, p 531. [5] Deka, R.C. & Maitra, G. ‘Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan- ‘A 19th Century Assamese Chemist from Heidelberg’, Meghalaya Guardian,, 329,December,09, 2016, p.4 [6] Clowes, F.“British Association Meeting” Nature1244,vol. 48,(1893)p 419-420 [7] Bhuyan J. (ed), Jnanadabiram Barooah Rachanabali,( Assam Sahitya Sabha,Jorhat, Assam, 1981) pp. pp 1-793.p,239. [8] Mitra, S.C. “Original Scientific Research in Bengal” Calcutta Review, Volume CII, Issue 206, Art VII,1896, pp 324-366.p 351.