Life and Experiences of a Bengali Chemist — Two Volumes – Prafulla Chandra Ray

Title: Life and Experiences of a Bengali Chemist — Two Volumes

Author: Prafulla Chandra Ray

Publisher: The Asiatic Society

Edition & Year: 1996 Edition

Pages & Size:

• Volume I: 557 pages · 5 × 9 in · Hardcover

• Volume II: 470 pages · 5 × 9 in · Hardcover

Prafulla Chandra Ray’s Life and Experiences of a Bengali Chemist stands as a landmark in Indian scientific and cultural history. Across two substantial volumes, Ray recounts his life story — from humble beginnings in 19th-century Bengal to becoming the father of modern chemistry in India. He vividly describes his education, research breakthroughs, and the founding of Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, blending personal anecdotes with an insider’s view of the social and political transformation of his time.

Ray’s narrative moves beyond pure science, exploring questions of education, industry, and national self-reliance. He offers rich portraits of teachers, students, reformers, and fellow scientists, while candidly discussing the challenges of building a scientific temper under colonial rule. His memoir captures the spirit of Bengal’s renaissance and provides a rare, firsthand perspective on how scientific institutions took root in India.

This 1996 Asiatic Society hardcover edition preserves both volumes in a reader-friendly format (5 × 9 inches). Volume I runs to 557 pages, covering Ray’s early life, studies, and early career; Volume II, with 470 pages, continues the story through his mature years, industrial ventures, and philosophical reflections. Together, they form an inspiring document of intellectual perseverance, patriotism, and the quest for knowledge.

Essential for historians, scholars of science, and anyone interested in the interplay between culture and scientific progress, this work remains an enduring classic in Indian autobiographical and scientific literature.

• Autobiography of Prafulla Chandra Ray, the father of modern Indian chemistry

• Two-volume set: Vol. I (557 pages) and Vol. II (470 pages)

• Rich chronicle of scientific research, education, and nationalist thought in colonial Bengal

• 1996 hardcover edition by The Asiatic Society, measuring 5 × 9 in each volume

• Valuable for researchers, students, and readers interested in science, history, and biography