Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray
Date of Birth:- 2nd August, 1861
Place of Birth:- Raruli village, Jessore (Undivided Bengal)
Details of family:- The Rays of Bodhkhana in Jessore have been recognized as an affluent and enthusiastic family since the seventeenth century. Sri Maniklal Ray, a collector in Krishnanagar and later Jessore, is one of their notable descendants. His son, Ananda Lal Ray, was a record keeper in Jessore, while Ananda’s son, Harish Chandra, was a kind-hearted social reformer and efficient employee of the British East India Company, earning accolades for his work. On August 2, 1861, Prafulla Chandra was born to Harish Chandra and Bhubanmohini Devi in Raruli village, Jessore. Prafulla, the third child in a family of three brothers and two sisters, was affectionately known as Fulu by the villagers.
Academics:-
Prafulla’s schooling started with his two elder brothers at their father’s school from 1866-1870. In late 1870, he moved to Calcutta and attended Hare School, but due to frequent illness from dysentery and insomnia, he returned to his village to recover. He switched to Albert School in Calcutta and managed to pass Matriculation in 1879 despite his health challenges. Prafulla entered college at 18, earning a B.A. in Chemistry in 1881. In 1882, he received a Gilchrist scholarship and went to Edinburgh University, where he obtained a B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1885 and a D.Sc. in 1887, along with several awards including the Hope Prize and Faraday Gold Medal.
Professional Trajectory:-
Prafulla Chandra joined Presidency College, Calcutta as an Assistant Professor in 1889 and worked there until 1916, mentoring notable students like S N Bose and Meghnad Saha. He became the Palit Professor in Chemistry at Calcutta University upon the request of Sir Asutosh Mukherjee and remained there until his death. His research contributions began in 1888 with a paper on copper-magnesium sulphates and included over 100 publications throughout his life. He is best known for discovering Mercurours nitrite in 1895, which earned him international acclaim in inorganic chemistry. His first Ph.D. student was Sri Jatindranath Sen in 1899. Chandra also traveled to Europe to present his research and met prominent scientists.
Author and Entrepreneur:- Prafulla Chandra Ray was a prominent scientist and researcher known for his extraordinary writing skills. He authored several influential essays and books, including “India Before and After Mutiny,” “Problem of Scientific Education in India,” and “History of Hindu Chemistry,” the latter of which was published in two volumes in 1902 and 1909. Ray emphasized the importance of scientific education in the mother language, writing his first chemistry book in Bengali in 1906. He became the President of the National Education Society in 1907 and published works that fused modern chemistry with Ayurveda. His last book, “Atmacharita,” was released in 1937. Ray founded Bengal Chemical Works in 1892, which evolved into Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Limited in 1901, aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and promoting industrial development in Bengal and India. He is celebrated as a pioneer in the industrial renaissance of the region.
Philanthropy:- Ray was a dedicated nationalist who supported the Indian independence movement, providing shelter and food to revolutionaries in defiance of colonial rule. He was recognized by the British as a “Revolutionary in the garb of a Scientist” for his indirect assistance in manufacturing explosives. Ray established the Indian Chemical Society in 1924 and the Indian Chemical Manufacturers Association in 1938. He was a philanthropist, actively organizing relief efforts during the 1923 Bengal floods and founding the Bengal Relief Committee, which later became the Bengal Volunteer Corps. He contributed to the Chemistry Department at Calcutta University, offering scholarships and establishing awards for scientific achievement. Upon his death on June 16, 1944, thousands of students attended his funeral, reflecting his impact on the community.
Ayurveda and Ray:- Prafulla Chandra was deeply interested in ancient treatments for ailments and studied texts like Charaka and Shusruta at the age of 35, uncovering valuable insights. He established the Nagarjuna Prize to honor ancient scholars and conducted research on onion and garlic. He founded BCPL in Bengal, creating the first herbal product from the factory. His knowledge of ancient chemistry culminated in his two-volume book “History of Hindu Chemistry.” He edited the book “Rasarnava” on Rasashastra with Pandit Harischandra Kavyaratna, demonstrating his passion for Ayurveda. Among his students was Prof. (Mrs.) Asima Chatterjee, a prominent research scientist in Indian medicinal plants and a key figure in founding the CCRAS Institute in Calcutta, now the Central Ayurveda Research Institute.
Awards and accolades:- Ray was a highly recognized figure in both India and the Western world, receiving several awards, including five honorary D. Sc degrees. He was honored with the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire and served as a fellow in numerous scientific societies, such as the Asiatic Society of Bengal and the Chemical Society. On his 150th birth anniversary, he was commemorated by The Royal Society of Chemistry with a Chemical Landmark Plaque. Ray held several prominent positions, including Chief of the National Education Society and General President of the Indian Science Congress Association. He was also the founding President of the Indian Chemical Society.
Full paper link
https://journals.lww.com/jras/fulltext/2024/08001/life_and_works_of_acharya_prafulla_chandra_ray__a.19.aspx