inoDucTO u 93 ক cational works in Assamese, and would readily publish more, so that the change might be introduced at once." | The Assamese people owe a deep debt of gratitude to the American Missionaries for rescuing the Assamese language from this dying state. About 1833 they translated into Assamese the whole Bible. In 1837 the Rev. Mr. Brown referred to in the above extract published the first Assamese Grammar. In 1844 Kashi Nath Tamuli Phukan and Radhanath Bar Barua wrote an Assam Buranji in Assamese. In 1846 the American Missionaries started at sibsagar an Assamese monthly, "Arunodaya." Ananda Ran Dhekial Phukan himself published his "Asamiya Larar Mitra” in 1848. In 1868 the Rev. Mr. Bronson compiled and published the first Assamese Dictionary. Eventually in 1872 Assamese was recog- nised and introduced by Government as the court language and medium of instruction in the public schools. About this time Hem Candra Barua, Rai Bahadur Gunabhiram Barua and Dinanath Bez Barua wrote several books including history, grammar, dictionary. etc., and gave a great impetus to their followers including Satyanath Bara, Ratneswar Mahanta. Lambodar Bara, Kaliram Barua, Bholanath Das, Panindranath Gogoi, Baladev Mahanta, Haliram Medhi, Hem Candra Goswami and several others. The greatest contribution was made by the late Hemchandra Barua, Rai Bahadur Gunabhiram Barua and the late Satyanath Bara. The living writers are known to the Assamese public. Srijut L. N. Bez Barua is the most prominent and powerful, Rai Bahadur P. N. Gohain Barua prolific and Rai Bahadur R. K. Handique very earnest among them,
