Dev Anand

Dev Anand was an Actor, Director and Producer of Bollywood. He was born on Dharam Dev Pishori Anand on 26 September 1923 in Shakargarh Tehsil of Narowal District, Pakistan in Anand family, son to Advocate Pishorimal, younger and older brother to Chetan and Vijay respectively and one sister, who was subsequently married in the Kapur family, and gave birth to actor/film-maker, Shekhar Kapur, two daughters, Neelu, who was married to actor Navin Nischol, and Aruna who was the wife of Ajay/Parikshat Sahni, son of renowned Balraj Sahni. Both Neelu and Aruna have since been divorced. "Romancing with Life" is the autobiography by Dev Anand.

Career
After graduating in English Literature from the Government College, Lahore, British India left his hometown and came to Bombay in the early 1940s. He began his career in the military censor office at Churchgate, Bombay, for a salary of Rs. 165 per month. He joined his older brother Chetan as a member of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA).

He was soon offered a debut as an actor by Prabhat Talkies to star in their film Hum Ek Hain in 1946 where he stuck a friendship with Bollywood legend Guru Dutt. They had decided between themselves that if one of the two becomes successful first in film industry then they would help the other to be successful. It was a mutual understanding between them that when Dev Anand produced a film, Guru Dutt would direct it and when Guru Dutt directed a film, Dev Anand would act in it.

Ashok Kumar introduced Dev as a leading man opposite Kamini Kaushal in 'Ziddi'. Thereafter there has been no looking back for the 'evegreen' Dev Anand, who went on to star in over 110 movies, spanning from 1946 through to 2005.

He is perhaps one of the few who dreamed of starlet Snehprabha Pradhan and had his dream come true when he got to not only meet her but also act with her. His other dream was of owning a car, a Hillman, was also fulfilled.

While filming opposite Singer-actress Suraiya, the boat capsized, Dev rescued her and in true Bollywood style both fell in love and wanted to get married. This did not happen as Suraiya's grandma strongly opposed this alliance. Suraiya, who acted with Dev in half a dozen movies, remained unmarried all her life.

In 1954 Dev met Mona, whose screen name is Kalpana Kartik, and married her in 1954 in a quiet ceremony in Russia where they were on a tour to screen 'Rahee' and 'Aandhiyan'. Mona was a college beauty queen from Simla, and she starred opposite her to-be-husband in all her movies. Both became parents in 1956 when Suneil was born.

Dev is also known for introducing two of the most beautiful actresses to Bollywood, namely Zeenat Aman in 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' and Tina Munim in 'Des Pardes.

His directorial debut, the espionage drama Prem Pujari, was a flop but has developed a cult following over the years. He tasted success with his 1971 directorial effort, Hare Rama Hare Krishna which talked about the prevalent hippie culture. His find Zeenat Aman, who played the mini-skirt sporting, pot-smoking Janice, became an overnight sensation. Dev also became known as a filmmaker of trenchantly topical themes. This same year, he starred with Mumtaz in Tere Mere Sapne, an adaptation of A. J. Cronin's novel, The Citadel. The film was directed by Dev's brother, Vijay and was also successful.

In the 1970s, Raj Kapoor started playing roles of father in films like Kal Aaj Aur Kal in 1971 and Dharam Karam in 1974 and films with Dilip Kumar as lead hero were failures at box office. Some of the hurriedly made films with Dev Anand as the leading man – three each opposite Hema Malini and Zeenat Aman and Yeh Gulistaan Hamara with Sharmila Tagore became flops and posed a threat to his career as leading man. But he delivered hits again and romanced young heroines Yogita Bali and Rakhee in Banarasi Babu (1973), Hema Malini in Chhupa Rustam(1973) and Amir Ghareeb(1974),[13] Zeenat Aman in Heera Panna(1973), Warrant(1975) and Darling Darling(1977). In 1976, his brother directed a mystery flick named Bullet which though critically acclaimed was not successful at box office.

The presence of his discoveries in the 70’s— the Zeenat and later, the Tina Munim in films and his good chemistry with beautiful young stars like Rakhee, Parveen Babi, Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman in various films boosted Dev's image as the evergreen star even though he was well into his fifties.

Though Dev Anand’s demand as the lead hero had not decreased even in the 1980s, he decided that it was the right time to introduce his son Suneil Anand in films as the hero. He launched his son in the Kramer vs. Kramer inspired Anand Aur Anand (1984), which was produced and directed by Dev Anand himself and had music by R.D.Burman. He expected the film to do well but the film was a box office disaster and Suneil Anand decided to not act in films any more.

But the of films with Dev Anand as the lead hero Hum Naujawan (1985), Lashkar (1989) and Awwal Number(1990), where Dev Anand costarred with Aamir Khan were average grossers and appreciated by critics. He was already sixty year old in 1983 when he acted with Padmini Kolhapure in Swami Dada but did not look old. In 1989, his directorial venture the critically acclaimed Sachché Ka Bolbala was released but it was a commercial failure.

Since the 1990s except for Awwal Number, rest of the eight films directed by him were box office failures. But Sau Crore (1991) and Censor (2000) were critically acclaimed.

He has directed 19 films and produced 31 films of which 7 directorial ventures and 18 films respectively were commercially successful at the box office. He wrote the story for 13 of his films. Critics say his directorial ventures have always been ahead of its time. Dev Anand's films are well known for their hit songs. He is known to have been an active participant in the music sessions of a number of his films. His association with music composers Shankar-Jaikishen, O. P. Nayyar, Kalyanji-Anandji, Sachin Dev Burman and his son Rahul Dev Burman, lyricists Hasrat Jaipuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Neeraj, Shailendra, Anand Bakshi, and playback singers Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar produced some very popular songs. S.D Burman, R.D Burman, Rafi and Kishore Kumar were his special friends.

In September 2007, Dev's own autobiography "Romancing with Life" was released at a birthday party with the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. In February 2011, his 1961 black and white film Hum Dono was digitised and colourised and released.

Dev Anand is credited with giving actors like Jackie Shroff in Swami Dada, Tabu in Hum Naujawan and Richa Sharma a break into the film industry, discovered Zeenat Amaan, Tina Munim and encouraging music composer Rajesh Roshan. Amit Khanna started his career with Navketan as executive producer in 1971 and had been secretary to Dev Anand in 70's. He adds, "The uniqueness of Navketan today is that it's the only film company in the world still run by the one who started it."

Romance with Suraiya
"Yes. I loved Suraiya. I am not shying away from this fact. I want to tell everything what happened during those days in my autobiography. It was a very important chapter of my life as I was growing. I was young and in love for the first time," Dev Anand.

When Dev Anand got a few offers to star opposite singer-actress Suraiya in woman oriented films, as the male lead. Dev Anand considered himself to be lucky to get a chance to star opposite such an established actress and accepted the offers. While shooting these films, he became romantically involved with Suraiya. The two of them were paired in seven films together - Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949), Shair (1949), Afsar (1950), Nili (1950), Do Sitare (1951) and Sanam (1951), which were all successful at the box office. She fell in love with him during the shooting of the song Kinare kinare chale jayen ge from the film Vidya, where unfortunately during shooting, a boat capsized and Dev Anand saved Suraiya from drowning. On the sets of the film Jeet, Dev Anand finally proposed to Suraiya and gave her a diamond ring worth Rs 3,000. The two wanted to tie the knot but became victims of religious bigotry as Suraiya's maternal grandmother opposed the relationship as they were Muslim and Dev Anand Hindu. While Dev eventually overcame the trauma of a broken relationship and moved on, Suraiya decided not to get married.

On Suraiya Dev Anand said, "It was my first and only serious love affair. I was very young and callow at the time. As a teenager, I had been infatuated by a girl at the Government College, Lahore. She was our history professor’s daughter. But it was only from a distance, I barely spoke to her, and our so-called romance went nowhere. I suppose it happens to everybody at that age. But Suraiya was another story. She was one of my early co-stars. I was thoroughly smitten by her. So much so that I wanted desperately to marry her. And she was responding in equal measure."

Later Dev Anand married with Kalpana Kartik.

Political activism
Not easily intimidated, Dev Anand, Shatrughan Sinha, Inder Sen Johar, Kishore Kumar were amongst the few that actually stood up against the authoritarian regime of Indira Gandhi during the Emergency, while many in the opposition preferred to flee India to escape Mrs. Gandhi's wrath. He led a group of film personalities who stood up against the Internal Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. He actively campaigned against her with his supporters in Indian parliamentary elections in 1977. He also formed a party called the National Party of India, which he later disbanded.

Death
On 4 December 2011 Dev Anand died in a hotel in London at the age of 88 due to a cardiac arrest. He was reportedly in London for a medical check up.Condolences poured in from all corners of the Indian film industry, with most of them remembering his positive attitude towards life.

Achievements

• DEV ANAND won two FILMFARE AWARDS for ‘BEST ACTOR’–in 1958 for his performance in the film “Kala Paani”, and in 1966 for his performance in Navketan International’s “Guide”.
• In 1993, DEV ANAND received the FILMFARE ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.
• In 1996 he received the SCREEN VIDEOCON ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.
• In 1997 he was given the MUMBAI ACADEMY OF MOVING IMAGES Award for his outstanding services to the Indian Film Industry.
• In 1998, he was given a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the Ujala Anandlok Film Awards Committee in Calcutta.
• In 1999, he received the Sansui ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his immense contribution to Indian Cinema, in New Delhi.
• In the year 2000, he was awarded the Film Goers ‘Mega Movie Maestro of the Millennium’ Award in Mumbai.
• In July 2000, in New York City, DEV ANAND was honored by an Award at the hands of the then First Lady of the United States of America–Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton–for his outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema.
• DEV ANAND was awarded the Indo-American Association ‘Star of the Millenium’ Award in the Silicon Valley, California.
• The PRESIDENT OF INDIA honored DEV ANAND with the prestigious ‘PADMA BHUSHAN’ Award on India’s Republic Day– August 15, 2001.
• Donna Ferrar–Member New York State Assembly honored and issued a New York State Assembly Citation to DEV ANAND for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Cinematic Arts, Worthy of the Esteem and Gratitude of the Great State of New York’ on May 1, 2001.
• In April 2003, the IFFA Awards Committee in Johannesburg, South Africa gave DEV ANAND a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.
• The Dadabhai Naoroji Millennium Award – 2003 was conferred on DEV ANAND in Mumbai for his ‘Lifetime Magnificent Achievements and Devotions and Dedication to the Indian Film Industry’.
• Mr. DEV ANAND has earned a place in the LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS making him the only person in the world who has been playing a hero in films for 58 years.
• Most recently, on September 26, 2003, the Thespian DEV ANAND was Honored by the County of Los Angeles, and Member of Congress, Mr. Bob Filner in Los Angeles, U.S.A., ‘In Recognition of Your Achievements in Indian Cinema’.
• On 29th December 2003, the EVERGREEN BOLLYWOOD HERO ‘DEV ANAND’ was conferred with the prestigious ‘DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD’ for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. The award was given to him by the PRESIDENT OF INDIA, MR. A P J ABDUL KALAM.
• On 17th January 2004, Indo- American Society felicitates Dev Anand
• In 2004, he was honoured with the Living Legend Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in recognition of his contribution to the Indian entertainment industry.
• In 2005, he was honoured with the “Sony Golden Glory Award”
• In 2005, he was honoured with a “Special National Film Award” by the Government of Nepal at Nepal’s first National Film Festival. He got this honour for his contribution to its film industry.
• In January of 2006, he was conferred with “ANR Award” by the Akkineni International Foundation.
• He is a recipient of the “Glory of India Award” by IIAF, London.
• In october of 2007, he was conferred with the “Punjab Ratan” (Jewel of Punjab) Award by the World Punjabi Organisation (European Division) for his outstanding contribution in the field of art and entertainment. 
•  2008 – Lifetime Achievement Award by Ramya Cultural Academy in association with Vinmusiclub.
• 2008 – Lifetime Achievement Award by Rotary Club of Bombay.
• 2008 – Awarded at the IIJS Solitaire Awards.
• 2009 – Outstanding contribution to Indian cinema at the Max Stardust Awards.
• 2010 – Phalke Ratna Award by Dadasaheb Phalke Academy.
• 2010 – Rashtriya Gaurav Award.
• 2011 – Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
• 2011 – NDTV Indian of the Year's Lifetime Achievement Award with Rahul Dravid.
• In 2008 he was guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Provost of Highland Council in Inverness, Scotland to celebrate 10 years since he first worked in the Scottish Highlands. He spent several days in the area, en route to Cannes, as a guest of the Highlands and Islands Film Commission.

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Akbar the Great

Akbar the Great or Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, was the third emperor of the Mughal Empire, after Babur and Humayun. He was the son of Nasiruddin Humayun and succeeded him as the emperor in the year 1556, when he was only 13 years old. One of the most successful emperors of the Mughal Empire, Akbar also made significant contribution in the field of art. Apart from commencing a large collection of literature, he also commissioned a number of splendid buildings during his reign.

Akbar reigned from 1556 to 1605 and who extended Mughal power over most of the Indian subcontinent. In order to preserve the unity of his empire, Akbar adopted programs that won the loyalty of the non-Muslim populations of his realm. He reformed and strengthened his central administration and also centralized his financial system and reorganized tax-collection processes. Although he never renounced Islam, he took an active interest in other religions, persuading Hindus, Parsis, and Christians, as well as Muslims, to engage in religious discussion before him. Illiterate himself, he encouraged scholars, poets, painters, and musicians, making his court a centre of culture.

Early Life
Shahzade (son of the emperor) Akbar was born on 14 October 1542 (the fourth day of Rajab, 949 AH), at the Rajput Fortress of Umerkot in Sindh (in modern day Pakistan), where Emperor Humayun and his recently wedded wife, Hamida Banu Begum of Paat village were taking refuge. At birth Akbar was named Badruddin, because he was born on the night of a badr (full moon). After the capture of Kabul by Humayun, Badruddin's circumcision ceremony was held and his date of birth and name were changed to throw off evil sorcerers and he was re-named Jalal-ud-din Muhammad by Humayun, a name which he had heard in his dream at Lahore.

The reign of Akbar the Great (1556 to 1605)
In 1556 when he succeeded his father Humayun. That year, a formidable anti-Mughal coalition, consisting mainly of Afghanis, tried to recapture northern India but lost its battle against the Mughals at Panipat. Mughal control over northern India was finally established.

Akbar pursued a policy of vigorous expansion until his empire reached the greater part of the sub-continent north of the Godavari, writes Hambly. Akbar proved himself as sophisticated a commander and leader as any of his ancestors. Akbar's far-sighted policies also included the employment of talented Hindus in senior administrative positions in a regime that previously had been exclusively Muslim.

In 1566, an attempt was made on Akbar's life. An assassin, posted on the roof of Khair al-Manzel, a madrasah built by Maham Anka near the Purana Qala, shot an arrow at the emperor as he rode back into Delhi. The arrow wounded Akbar's shoulder. This incident changed Akbar's method of rule, notes Hambly. Akbar now took into his own hands the supervision of the entire administration of the empire.

Akbar first attacked Malwa, a state of strategic and economic importance commanding the route through the Vindhya Range to the Deccan plateau and containing rich agricultural land; it fell to him in 1561.

Toward the zealously independent Hindu Rajputs (warrior ruling class) inhabiting rugged, hilly Rajasthan, Akbar adopted a policy of conciliation and conquest. Successive Muslim rulers had found the Rajputs dangerous, however weakened by disunity. But in 1562, when Raja Bihari Mal of Amber (now Jaipur), threatened by a succession dispute, offered Akbar his daughter in marriage, Akbar accepted the offer. The Raja acknowledged Akbar's suzerainty, and his sons prospered in Akbar's service. Akbar followed the same feudal policy toward the other Rajput chiefs. They were allowed to hold their ancestral territories, provided that they acknowledged Akbar as emperor, paid tribute, supplied troops when required, and concluded a marriage alliance with him. The emperor's service was also opened to them and their sons, which offered financial rewards as well as honour.

However, Akbar showed no mercy to those who refused to acknowledge his supremacy. When, after protracted fighting in Mewar, Akbar captured the historic fortress of Chitor in 1568, he massacred its inhabitants. Even though Mewar did not submit, the fall of Chitor prompted other Rajput rajas to accept Akbar as emperor in 1570 and to conclude marriage alliances with him, although the state of Marwar held out until 1583.

One of the notable features of Akbar's government was the extent of Hindu, and particularly Rajput, participation. Rajput princes attained the highest ranks, as generals and as provincial governors, in the Mughal service. Discrimination against non-Muslims was reduced by abolishing the taxation of pilgrims and the tax payable by non-Muslims in lieu of military service. Yet Akbar was far more successful than any previous Muslim ruler in winning the cooperation of Hindus at all levels in his administration. The further expansion of his territories gave them fresh opportunities.

In 1573 Akbar conquered Gujarat, an area with many ports that dominated India's trade with western Asia, and then turned east toward Bengal. A rich country with a distinctive culture, Bengal was difficult to rule from Delhi because of its network of rivers, always apt to flood during the summer monsoon. Its Afghan ruler, declining to follow his father's example and acknowledge Mughal suzerainty, was forced to submit in 1575. When he rebelled and was defeated and killed in 1576, Akbar annexed Bengal.

Toward the end of his reign, Akbar embarked on a fresh round of conquests. Kashmir was subjugated in 1586, Sind in 1591, and Kandahr (Afghanistan) in 1595. Mughal troops now moved south of the Vindhya Range into the Deccan in peninsular India. By 1601 Khandesh, Berar, and part of Ahmadnagar were added to Akbar's empire. His last years were troubled by the rebellious behaviour of his son, Prince Salm, who was eager for power.

Administrative reform
Previous Indian governments had been weakened by the disintegrating tendencies characteristic of pre-modern states—the tendency of armies to split up into the private forces of individual commanders and the tendency of provincial governors to become hereditary local rulers. Akbar combatted these trends by instituting comprehensive reforms that involved two fundamental changes. First, every officer was, at least in principle, appointed and promoted by the emperor instead of his immediate superior. Second, the traditional distinction between the nobility of the sword and that of the pen was abolished: civil administrators were assigned military ranks, thus becoming as dependent on the emperor as army officers.

These ranks were systematically graded from commanders of 10 persons to commanders of 5,000 persons, with higher ranks being allotted to Mughal princes. Officers were paid either in cash from the emperor's treasury or, more frequently, by the assignment of lands from which they had to collect the revenue, retaining the amount of their salary and remitting the balance to the treasury. Such lands seem to have been transferred frequently from one officer to another; this increased the officers' dependence on the emperor, but it may also have encouraged them to squeeze as much as they could from the peasants with whom their connection might be transitory. Politically, the greatest merit of the system was that it enabled the emperor to offer attractive careers to the able, ambitious, and influential. In this way, Akbar was able to enlist the loyal services of many Rajput princes.

Akbar's reforms required a centralized financial system, and thus by the side of each provincial governor (sbadr, later called nawab) was placed a civil administrator (dwn, or divan) who supervised revenue collection, prepared accounts, and reported directly to the emperor. As a further safeguard against abuses, Akbar reorganized the existing network of newswriters, whose duty it was to send regular reports of important events to the emperor. Akbar also seems to have instituted more efficient revenue assessment and collection in an effort to safeguard the peasants from excessive demands and the state from loss of money. But such efficiency could only have been enforced in the areas directly administered by the central government. This excluded the lands under tributary rulers such as the Rajputs and also the lands assigned for the maintenance of Mughal officers.

Yet, notwithstanding Akbar's reforms, travelers' accounts indicate that the Indian peasants remained impoverished. The official elite, on the other hand, enjoyed great wealth; liberal patronage was given to painters, poets, musicians, and scholars, and luxury industries flourished. Akbar also supported state workshops for the production of high-quality textiles and ornaments.

Political government
Akbar's system of central government was based on the system that had evolved since the Delhi Sultanate, but the functions of various departments were carefully reorganized by laying down detailed regulations for their functioning:

• The revenue department was headed by a wazir, responsible for all finances and management of jagir and inam lands.
• The head of the military was called the mir bakshi, appointed from among the leading nobles of the court. The mir bakshi was in charge of intelligence gathering, and also made recommendations to the emperor for military appointments and promotions.
• The mir saman was in charge of the imperial household, including the harems, and supervised the functioning of the court and royal bodyguard.
• The judiciary was a separate organization headed by a chief qazi, who was also responsible for religious endowments.

Akbar departed from the policy of his predecessors in his treatment of the territories he conquered. Previous Mughals extracted a large tribute from these rulers and then leave them to administer their dominions autonomously; Akbar integrated them into his administration, providing them the opportunity to serve as military rulers. He thus simultaneously controlled their power while increasing their prestige as a part of the imperial ruling class. Some of these rulers went on to become the navaratnas in Akbar's court.

Taxation
Akbar set about reforming the administration of his empire's land revenue by adopting a system that had been used by Sher Shah Suri. A cultivated area where crops grew well was measured and taxed through fixed rates based on the area's crop and productivity. However, this placed hardship on the peasantry because tax rates were fixed on the basis of prices prevailing in the imperial court, which were often higher than those in the countryside. Akbar changed to a decentralised system of annual assessment, but this resulted in corruption among local officials and was abandoned in 1580, to be replaced by a system called the dahsala. Under the new system, revenue was calculated as one-third of the average produce of the previous ten years, to be paid to the state in cash. This system was later refined, taking into account local prices, and grouping areas with similar productivity into assessment circles. Remission was given to peasants when the harvest failed during times of flood or drought. Akbar's dahsala system is credited to Raja Todar Mal, who also served as a revenue officer under Sher Shah Suri, and the structure of the revenue administration was set out by the latter in a detailed memorandum submitted to the emperor in 1582-83.

Other local methods of assessment continued in some areas. Land which was fallow or uncultivated was charged at concessional rates. Akbar also actively encouraged the improvement and extension of agriculture. The village continued to remain the primary unit of revenue assessment. Zamindars of every area were required to provide loans and agricultural implements in times of need, to encourage farmers to plough as much land as possible and to sow seeds of superior quality. In turn, the zamindars were given a hereditary right to collect a share of the produce. Peasants had a hereditary right to cultivate the land as long as they paid the land revenue. While the revenue assessment system showed concern for the small peasantry, it also maintained a level of distrust towards the revenue officials. Revenue officials were guaranteed only three-quarters of their salary, with the remaining quarter dependent on their full realisation of the revenue assessed.

Finance and army
The mainstay of the imperial treasury, as always in India, was the land revenue, or Crown rent, the State's share of the produce, paid in either kind or cash.  The land revenue in 1600 is estimated to have amounted to about nineteen million pounds sterling, and the customs and miscellaneous revenue to about as much again, but the figures are open to doubt.  Many taxes were remitted by Todar Mall.

The army was chiefly a cavrly militia raised by the Mansabdars and Jagirdars, who were much addicted to making false returns.  Akbar tried to correct such abuses, but with only partial success.  The standing, or permnanently enrolled, army was small, twenty-five thousand menin the latter part of the reign, of whom about half were troopers, the rest being gunners and infantry.  The practice of enslaving prisoners of war was firbidden in 1563.

Ain-i-Akbari and Abu-I Fazl.  The imperial regulations concerning the court and every department of the administration are recorded in detail in the unique work of Abu-I-Fazl entitled Ain-i-Akbari, or 'Institutes of Akbar', which forms part of the Akbarnama or 'History of the Reign of Akbar'.  Shaikh Abu-I Fazl, who was introduced to Akbar in 1574, was one of the most learned men ofn his age, and is still remembered counsillors, and the emperor's gradual estrangement from Islam was largely due to his intimacy with Abu-I Fazl and his equally learned and freethinking brother, Shaikh FAizi, who had come to court six years earlier.  The following lines composed by him :
  'O God, in every temple I see people that seek Thee, and in every language I hear spoken, people praise The! . . . If it be a mosque, people murmur the holy prayer, and if it be a Christian church, people ring the bell from love of Thee, Sometimes I frequent the Christian cloister, and sometimes the mosque, But it is Thou whom I search for from temple to temple.'

Religious View and Policy
Akbar, as well as his mother and other members of his family, are believed to have been Sunni Hanafi Muslims. His early days were spent in the backdrop of an atmosphere in which liberal sentiments were encouraged and religious narrow-mindednness was frowned upon. From the 15th century, a number of rulers in various parts of the country adopted a more liberal policy of religious tolerance, attempting to foster communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims. These sentiments were earlier encouraged by the teachings of popular saints like Guru Nanak, Kabir and Chaitanya, the verses of the Persian poet Hafez which advocated human sympathy and a liberal outlook, as well as the Timurid ethos of religious tolerance that persisted in the polity right from the times of Timur to Humayun, and influenced Akbar's policy of tolerance in matters of religion. Further, his childhood tutors, who included two Irani Shias, were largely above sectarian prejudices, and made a significant contribution to Akbar's later inclination towards religious tolerance.

One of Akbar's first actions after gaining actual control of the administration was the abolition of jizya, a tax which all non-Muslims were required to pay, in 1562. The tax was reinstated in 1575, a move which has been viewed as being symbolic of vigorous Islamic policy, but was again repealed in 1580. Akbar adopted the Sulh-e-Kul (or Peace to All) concept of Sufism as official policy, integrated many Hindus into high positions in the administration, and removed restrictions on non-Muslims, thereby bringing about a composite and diverse character to the nobility. As a mark of his respect for all religions, he ordered the observance of all religious festivals of different communities in the imperial court.

Akbar and Christianity
The arrival of two Jesuits in Bengal in 1576 first drew the attention of the emperor to Christianity.  He became much interested, and asked the Portuguese at Goa to send him learned theologians.  They complied gladly and dispatched three separate  missions which stayed at court respectively from 1580 to 1583, from 1590 to 1591, and from 1595 to the end of the reign, and later.  The Jesuits at one time had good hopes of converting Akbar, but the hope never fulfilled as Akbar had no real intension to change his religion. He just wanted to know about the Christianity.

Akbar and Jainism
Akbar regularly held discussions with Jain scholars and was also greatly impacted by some of their teachings. His first encounter with Jain rituals was when he saw a Jain shravika named Champa's procession after a six month long fast. Impressed by her power and devotion, he invited her guru or spiritual teacher AcharyaHiravijaya Suri to Fatehpur Sikri. Acharya accepted the invitation and began his march towards the Mughal capital from Gujarat.

Akbar was greatly impressed by the scholastic qualities and character of the Acharya. He held several debates and discussions on religion and philosophy in his courts. Arguing with Jains, Akbar remained sceptical of their rituals, and yet became convinced by their arguments for vegetarianism and end up deploring the eating of all flesh.

The Indian Supreme Court too has cited examples of co-existence of Jain and Mughal architecture. Terming Mughal emperor Akbar as "the architect of modern India", a bench said that Akbar, who had great respect for Jainism, had declared "Amari Ghosana" banning the killing of animals during Paryushan and Mahavir Jayanti. He rolled back the Jazia tax from Jain pilgrim places like Palitana. These farmans were also issued in 1592, 1584 and 1598.

Akbar's coinage
In the 30th year of his reign, Akbar, who was distanciating himself from Islam and searching for a universal religion, replaced the Hegira era dates by the Ilahi era (the "Divine" era) ones, calculated in solar years from the beginning of his reign. He dropped from the obverse of his coins the Muslim profession of faith and the expression "Allah akbar", "God is great" was substituted. He also suppressed his own name, or maybe not: the arabic expression on the obverse could also mean "Akbar is God".

Personality and assessment
Akbar maintained a luxurious and brilliant court at which elaborate ceremonies emphasized his distance from other men, though he was careful to cultivate public opinion outside court circles. Every morning at dawn he stood at an open window to be seen and reverenced by the people. Foreign observers commented on the graceful manner in which he accepted little gifts from the people and showed himself ready to hear the complaint of any man who dared to approach him.

Physically, he was strong and could withstand hardship on campaigns. Although he seems to have been no more than five feet seven inches tall, he impressed observers as a dominating personality. Clearly, although he was illiterate, he had a powerful and original mind. His unprejudiced inquiries into Christian doctrines misled the Jesuit missionaries he invited to his court into thinking that he was on the point of conversion. He persuaded the Muslim theologians at his court to accept him as arbiter on points of Islamic law in dispute among them. Although this seems to have been little more than an expression of his systematic approach to problems, the orthodox were offended. He gave further offense by the religious discussions he encouraged between Muslims, Hindus, Parsis, and Christians. These discussions were continued by a small group of courtiers who shared with Akbar a taste for mysticism. Although their doctrines and ceremonies, known as the Divine Faith (Dn-e Ilh), assigned a central place to Akbar himself, it would be an oversimplification to ascribe political motives to these developments.

Begun in 1570 and abandoned in 1586, Akbar's capital of Fatehpur Sikri, near Delhi, is evidence of the resources he could command. Its combination of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles symbolizes the contact of cultures that he encouraged. Similarly, he commissioned the translation of Sanskrit classics into Persian, giving illustrated copies to his courtiers. He also received with enthusiasm the European pictures brought by the Jesuits, and his painters incorporated European techniques of realism and perspective into the distinctive Mughal style (characterized by a vivid treatment of the physical world) that began to develop during his reign. Akbar's reign was an example of the stimulating effects of cultural encounter. It has also often been portrayed as a model for future governments—strong, benevolent, tolerant, and enlightened. Effective government in a country as geographically vast and as socially complex as India demands a wide measure of social support. Akbar understood this need and satisfied it.

Character of Akbar
Although Akbar cannot be described as a mixture of opposites,' like Mohammed bin Tughlak or Jahangir, his nature was complex, and not easy to understand.  He was a very human man, not a saint, and was not free from serious faults and frailties.  The portrait drawn by most historians-all light with no shadow-is false.  In the early years of his reign, after the fall of Bairam Khan, he was in the hands of bad advisers, including the scoundrel Pir Mohammed, who was allowed to commit appealing cruelties in Malwa without censure, so far as appears.  Towards the close of the reign, when Akbar had exercised uncontrolled poower for some forty years, and his generous nature had become to a certain extent corrupted, he committed various foolish and unworthy acts, especially the deliberate insults to Islam mentioned above.  He had previously acquired the evil opium habit, which probably shortened his life.  In earlier days he sometimes drank more than was good for him.

The Jesuits, who give by far the best personal descriptions, rightly praise Akbar's zeal and care i the justice was of the bloody, ferocious kind then in fashion, and that men were commonly impaled, does not seem to have taken pleasure in witnessing such scenes, as Jahangir and Shahjahan did.

Akbar's vanity was, perhaps, his weakest point, as may be learnt from the critical pages of BAdaoni.  His insatiable curiosity led him into absurd positions from time to time.

Neverthel;ess, when all that can be said against him has been said, it remains true tht Akbar was one of the greatest of kings, comparable in India with Asoka alone, and fully worthy to stand as an equal beside his European contemporaries Elizabeth of England (1558-1603) and Henry IV of France (1593-1610).

HE possessed exceptional bodily strength, and courage as undaunted as that of Alexander of Macedon.  His fights in Gujarat and his nine day's ride to Ahmadabad were heroic performances.

Akbar and literature
Akbar's most lasting contributions were to the arts. He initiated a large collection of literature, including the Akbar-nama and the Ain-i-Akbari, and incorporated art from around the world into the Mughal collections.

The Akbarnāma, which literally means Book of Akbar, is the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal Emperor (r. 1556–1605), commissioned by Akbar himself and written in Persian by his court historian and biographer, Abul Fazl who was one of the nine jewels in Akbar's court. It includes vivid and detailed descriptions of his life and times.

The Ain-i-Akbari or the "Institutes of Akbar", is a 16th century, detailed document recording the administration of emperor Akbar's empire, written by his vizier, Abul-Fazl ibn Mubarak. It makes the Volume III. While Akbarnamah is technically a history book, Ain-i-Akbari embodies Ains or rules and regulations framed and put into effect for proper administration by Akbar. It is regarded as an administrative manual and is like a modern gazetteer. 

Final Years
Akbar was greatly troubled in the last few years of his life due to the misdemeanors of his sons. Especially his third son, Salim, was frequently in rebellion against his father. The last conquest of Akbar comprised of Asirgarh, a fort in the Deccan. Thereafter, he faced the rebellion of his son and breathed his last on 12th October 1605. His body was entombed in a magnificent mausoleum at Sikandra city, near Agra.

Akbar left behind a rich legacy both for the Mughal Empire as well as the Indian subcontinent in general. He firmly entrenched the authority of the Mughal empire in India and beyond, after it had been threatened by the Afghans during his father's reign, establishing its military and diplomatic superiority. During his reign, the nature of the state changed to a secular and liberal one, with emphasis on cultural integration. He also introduced several far-sighted social reforms, including prohibiting sati, legalising widow remarriage and raising the age of marriage.

Navratnas
Akbar's court had Navaratnas (Nine Jewels), meaning a group of nine extraordinary people. They included:

•     Abul Fazel (Akbars's chief advisor and author of Akbarnama)
•     Faizi (Akbar's poet laureate)
•     Mian Tansen (a Hindu singer who converted to Islam)
•     Birbal (a noble known for his wittiness)
•     Raja Todar Mal (Akbar's finance minister)
•     Raja Man Singh (trusted general of Akbar)
•     Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana (a noble and a renowned poet)
•     Fakir Aziao-Din
•     Mullah Do Piaza

Timeline of Akbar

        Death of Humayun, accession of Akbar: Jan.   1556
        Second battle of PAnipat; defeat and death of Hemu: Nov.   1556
        Occupation of the Panjab: 1556
        Assumption of full authority by Akbar: March  1560 
        Abolition of the Jizya tax: 1565
        Siege of Chitor: 1567-8
        Foundation of Fatehpur Sikri: 1569
        Reduction of Gujarat: 1573
        Capture of Surat: 1573

        Suppression of revolt in Gujarat: 1573
        Completion of fort at Agra: 1573       

        Introduction of Abu-I Fazl at court: 1574
        Conquest of Bengal and Bihar ; death of Daud: 1574-6
        Rajput rising ; battle of Gogunda: 1576
        Decree making Akbar head of the Church: 1579
        Death of Mohammed Hakim: 1585

        Absorption of Kabul: 1585
        Akbar's capital at Lahore: 1585-98
        Defeat of Raja Birbal by the Yusufzi: 1586
        Conquest of Kashmir: 1586-87
        Conquest of Sind: 1588-90
        Embassies to the kingdoms of the Deccan: 1591
        Annexation of Kandahar: 1595
        Defence of Ahmadnagar by Chand Bibi: 1595
        Famine in Hindustan: 1595-8
        Death of Prince Murad: 1599
        Fall of Ahmadnagar: 1600
        Capture of Asirgarh: 1601
        Rebellion of Prince Salim; murder of Abu-I Fazl: 1602
        Death of Akbar: Oct.1605

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Aakash tablet

India’s much awaited ultra low cost Aakash tablet is finally here and is creating ripples all around. It is jointly developed by the London-based company DataWind with the Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan and manufactured by the India-based company Quad, at a new production centre in Hyderabad — under a trial run of 100,000 units. The tablet was officially launched as the Aakash in New Delhi on Oct 5, 2011. A substantially revised second generation model is projected for manufacture beginning in early 2012.

The 350 gm weight and 7 inch (800x480 resolution) Multi-touch resistive touchscreen display tablet features 366 MHz processor with the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system, on chip Graphics accelerator and HD Video processor, 256 MB LP-DDR2 Ram, has two USB Ports, will have access to Getjar, a proprietary market, rather than the Android Market.

Developer	DataWind with IIT
Manufacturer	Datawind
Introductory price	2999 Rs (1100 Rs for students)
Operating system	Android 2.2
CPU	366 MHz processor
Storage capacity	2 GB-32 GB microSD slot
Display	800 × 480 px, 7 in (18 cm) diagonal
Input	Multi-touch resistive touchscreen, headset controls
Camera	None
Connectivity	GPRS and Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
Online services	Getjar marketplace,(not Android marketplace)
Weight	350 g (12 oz)
Battery	2100 mAh lithium-polymer battery/ Runs 180 Min On battery
Website	www.ubislate.com

Launching and Response

The much awaited India’s ultra low cost Aakash tablet is finally launched. In association with Ministry of Infornmation & Technology (India), Datawind launches Ubislate 7 in India as Aakash. Aakash Tablet is set to bridge the big India DIGITAL DIVIDE. Its main objective is to provide students of India, especially in its countryside, a cheap alternative to PC. Through Aakash tablet, students in India would have access to good quality study content like video lectures, e-books etc.

The Indian government announced it purchased tablet computers for the equivalent of $50 each from London-based DataWind, which employs 65 engineers in its largest office in Montreal. The tablets will be sold to students at the subsidized price of $35 and later in shops for about $60.

Most of India’s 1.2 billion people are poor and products such as Apple Inc.’s iPad are beyond the reach of many in the fast-growing middle class.

“The rich have access to the digital world; the poor and ordinary have been excluded. Aakash will end that digital divide,” Telecoms and Education Minister Kapil Sibal said.

The government is buying the first units of the lightweight touch-screen device, called Aakash, or “sky” in Hindi, from DataWind, which conceived and designed the device in its Montreal office on René Lévesque Blvd. and then subcontracted out the assembly of those devices to India.

A pilot run of 100,000 units will be given to students for free, with the first 500 handed out at the launch to a mixed response.

The Akash Tablet supports:

- Document Rendering

* Supported Document formats: DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP

* PDF viewer, Text editor

- Multimedia and Image Display

* Image viewer supported formats: PNG, JPG, BMP and GIF

* Supported audio formats: MP3, AAC, AC3, WAV, WMA

* Supported video formats: MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, FLV.

Add ons: Commercial version only

1.  Supports Car chargers and external antenna

2. External keyboard case

3.  2 No. of  USB ports

4. Work as normal GSM phone to make and receive calls.

5. 3G SIM and 3G dongle supported in commercial version.

Pros:

1.Low cost

2.Some tablet maker didn’t include GSM connectivity even at high price instead of 3G they provide WiFi connectivity,but Akash tablet gives you both options GSM as well as WiFi connectivity.

Cons:

1:366 MHz processor won’t gives you multi-tasking experience.

2.Future Android upgrades are not suitable for such a low configuration Tablet.

What’s missing:

1.Internal Camera

2.GPS

3. Bluetooth

Reviews:

As per Jaimon Joseph:

The student version we got came loaded with applications. Everything from Facebook, to stuff that lets you create and edit documents. There are games, a calendar cum organiser, even advanced lessons in Physics – though they used up just a quarter of the screen and were hard to read. And we do have a few other gripes.

1. The screen is rather unresponsive. Sometimes I had to push the screen really hard to get a response.

2. It also heats up really fast. Which means in the heat and dust of India, it could face problems.

3. It connects to the internet only using Wi-Fi. Which means if a student is travelling or in a room that doesn't have Wi-Fi, he's stumped.

Among the apps we liked is this electronic book reader. But it opens only length wise (in portrait orientation), while almost everything else on the tablet works only sideways (in landscape). Opening any website triggers repeated security warnings. Playing YouTube videos is easy but stopping them - irritatingly difficult. Strangely, the tablet wouldn't open any of the movie files on our USB drive – even common formats such as .avi and .flv.

Also, despite its Android operating system, the tablet won't install anything from the Android App Market. That puts thousands of applications out of a student's reach. Plus, the battery hardly lasts three hours – not enough for an average day in college. Unless you bunk most of your classes.

Finally, we got a pro to open up the Aakash, to see what the world's cheapest tablet computer looks like under the hood. One thing we found is, IIT Rajasthan worked no miracles here. The stuff that runs this machine, can simply be bought off the shelf.

"It was a standard system on chip, which includes a microprocessor, controller, even controls for the audio and video. It is a standard Connexant chip which includes an ARM processor." says Prashanto K Roy, editor, Dataquest.

The workmanship inside isn't top notch. Common electric tape holds the circuit boards down. Cheap wires connect the circuits instead of more efficient data cables. But the real let down was the tablet's ruggedness. Screwing back the boards we opened up was a nightmare.

"Putting the screws back was tough because the screw threads on the plastic side slipped. So serviceability might be an issue," observes Roy.

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Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala was a great Assamese playwright, dramatist, film maker, poet, producer, songwriter and writer from Assam. He was considered as Assamese cultural icon, deeply revered for his creative vision and output and is popularly called the Rupkonwar (Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala) of Assamese culture. In fact, he is regarded as the founder of Assamese cinema for Joymati (1935).

He was born on 17 June 1903 in Tamulbari Tea Estate. His father was Paramanada Agarwala and mother was Kiranmayee. He is the nephew of another cultural icon, Chandra Kumar Agarwala. His forefather, Nabrangram Agarwala, had come to Assam in 1811 from the Marwar region in Rajasthan. 

He started his education in Tezpur Government High School and passed his matriculation examination (2nd Division) from  Chitranjan Das University, Kolkata. During high school time itself he joined the freedom movement. After matriculation he joined National College of Calcutta and completed his I.A from there. For his graduation he went to Edinburgh University, Britain. He also joined M.A but before finishing it he came to Germany to study Films. After seven months of studies in Filmat the UFA studio in Germany, he came back to Assam in 1930.

After his return to Assam, he continued his activities for Indian independence and joined the Non Co-operation movement in 1921. He started working more actively after returning from foreign soil. He was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for fifteen months and was fined 500 rupees in 1932 for his active involvement in the fightings of Independence. Despite suffering from Typhoid in the Silchar jail, he completed his period of imprisonment. In 1941 joined the Volunteer Group Of Congress where he rendered selfless service and after a period of time he became it’s leader. He was actively involved in various activities during the freedom movement from various regions of Assam. In 1942,due to his involvement in the freedom struggle, was declared an absconder by the British Government. Surrendered in 1943 in Tezpur, but was subsequently freed due to lack of evidence.

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala started writing since the age of 14 years only. At that time he wrote down the famous play 'Sonit-Konwari'. For next few years during his student days he wrote many short stories. Jyoti Prasad was very good in studying children psychology. He wrote many stories for children. During his lifetime he had written drama, poetry, biography, books etc. He also delevered speeches in different functions on subjects like  literature, music and culture. Some other plays written by him are Rupalim, Karengar Ligiri, Lobhita, etc. His plays are acted on stage till date in Assam.

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala was a fantastic poet as well. He wrote more than 300 songs and gave music to most of them. These songs collection is known as Jyoti Sangeet. It bacame a new genre of music itself in Assam in later days.

He established the Chitraban Studio at the Bholaguri Tea Estate and began filming the movie Joymoti around the end of 1933. This was the first film from Assam. The film, released in 1935, was based on a play by Laxminath Bezbarua about the heroic Ahom princess Sati Joymoti imprisoned and tortured by a repressive Ahom swargadeo. In 1936 he married Devajani Chaliha.

1934 -Constructed " Chitraban Studio" in Bholaguri Tea State temporarily and made the first Assamese movie "Joymati"
1935- "Joymati"  was released
1936-37 - Produced jointly with Bishnu Prasad Rabha the  record play  "Joymati" and "Sonit Kunwari"
1937 - Constructed Jonaki cinema hall in Tezpur.
1939 - Made the second Assamese movie Indra Malati even before the stipulated time.
1940 - Established Tezpur music school. He republished "Asomiya" which was a closed down newspaper since 1944 (for seven months).
He was a pioneer in  establishing an University in Assam,  and also prepared a architectural print for the construction of University.

Another contribution of Jyotiprasad agarwala is the publication of the newspaper 'Axomiya' in 1944. He also established an assamese music school in Tezpur.

Due to ill  health resigned from the post of editor of the newspaper and took the responsibility for  maintenance of Tamulbari Tea Garden near Dibrugarh. Tried to give a new dimension to employer-employee  relationship. And at the same time he continued his literary and cultural persuits.

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala died of cancer on 17 January 1951 at 'Poki', Tezpur. His death anniversary, 17 June is calebrated as 'Jyoti Divas' in Assam every year.

Family Profile:

Wife:          Late Debyani Agarwala(marriage solemnized in 1936)
Son:            Chinmay Agarwala                       

Daughters: Jaisree (married to Satyabrat Chaliha.)
                   Gyansree (married to Prof. Priyalal Pathak.)
                   Satyasree (married to Anil Das).
                   Hemasree (married to Anal Chaliha).
                   Manasree (married to Jogen Hazarika).

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Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika was a multi talented genius, he is a good poet, music composer, singer, actor, journalist, author and film-maker of the very highest repute. He is the only living pioneer of Assam.s film industry in the Northeast, and has been therefore, rightly hailed as the uncrowned king of North-Eastern India.s cultural world.

Dr. Hazarika was born on September 8, 1926 to Nilakanta and Shantipriya Hazarika in Sadiya, Assam. He was the eldest of ten children, Bhupen Hazarika was exposed to the musical influence of his mother who exposed him to lullabies and traditional music of Assam. In search of better prospects his father moved to the Bharalumukh region of Guwahati in 1929, where Bhupen Hazarika spent his early childhood. In 1932 his father moved to Dhubri, and in 1935 to Tezpur It was in Tezpur that Bhupen Hazarika, then 10 years of age, was discovered by Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha where he sung a Borgeet taught by his mother at a public function. In 1936 Bhupen Hazarika accompanied them to Kolkata where he recorded his first song at the Aurora Studio for the Selona Company. By the time he was 10, Hazarika was writing songs and a year later gave his first performance on the hugely popular All India Radio. His association with the icons of Assamese culture at Tezpur was the beginning of his artistic growth and credentials.

He studied at Sonaram High School at Guwahati, Dhubri Government High School and matriculated from Tezpur High School in 1940. He completed his Intermediate Arts from Cotton College in 1942, and went on to Banaras Hindu University to complete his BA (1944) and MA (1946) in Political Science. He won a scholarship from Columbia University and set sail for New York in 1949, where he earned a PhD in 1952 on "Proposals for Preparing India's Basic Education to Use Audio-Visual Techniques in Adult Education".

At Columbia University he met Priyamvada Patel, whom he married in 1950. Tez Hazarika, their only child, was born in 1952.

After completing his MA he briefly worked at the All India Radio station at Guwahati before embarking for his doctoral studies at Columbia University. Soon after completing his education, he became a teacher at the Gauhati University. He was elected the President of the Asam Sahitya Sabha in 1993.

He met Kalpana Lajmi in the 1980s and they made the film Ek Pal (1986). Since then Lajmi began managing him professionally and personally till the end of his life. He was pursuaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party via Kalpana Lajmi to enter the electoral fray as its candidate in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from the Guwahati constituency, which he lost to the INC candidate Kirip Chaliha.

Hazarika was hospitalized in the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in Mumbai in 2011. He was admitted to the intensive care unit on 30 June 2011. He died of multi-organ failure on 5 November 2011. His body lay in state at the Judges Fields in Guwahati and cremated on November 9, 2011 near the Brahmaputra river in a plot of land donated by Gauhati University. His funeral was attended by an estimated half a million people.

Beginnings

A young Bhupen Hazarika was noticed by the doyens of Assamese culture, Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Bishnuprasad Rabha , when he had performed a Borgeet at the age of 10 in Tezpur. Subsequently, Hazarika sang two songs in Agarwala's film Indramalati (1939): Kaxote Kolosi Loi and Biswo Bijoyi Naujawan at the tender age of 12. He wrote his first song, Agnijugor Firingoti Moi at the age of 13 and he was well on his way to to becoming a lyricist, composer and singer.

Middle years

Hazarika began close association with the leftist Indian People's Theatre Association soon after returning from the USA in 1953. and became the secretary of the Reception Committee of the third All Assam Conference of IPTA held in Guwahati in 1955.

Later years

In the period after the release of Ek Pal (1986) till the end of his life Bhupen Hazarika's mainly concentrated on Hindi films, most of which were directed by Kalpana Lajmi. Ek Pal (1986), Rudaali (1993) and Daman (2001) are major films this period. Many of his earlier songs were re-written in Hindi used as played-back songs in these films. These songs tried to cater to the Hindi film milieu and their social activist lyrics were browbeaten into the lowest common denominator.

Legacy and influences

As a singer, Hazarika was known for his baritone voice and diction; as a lyricist, he was known for poetic compositions and parables which touched on themes ranging from romance to social and political commentary; and as a composer for his use of folk music. Some of his most famous compositions were adaptations of American black spirituals that he had learned from Paul Robeson, whom he had befriended during his years in New York City in the early 1950s.

Achievement in Cinema
Bhupen Hazarika is ranked amongst the leading film makers of the nation.

He is probably the only living pioneer who is solely responsible for placing the fledging Assamese cinema on the all India and on the world cinema map. He has been the only person in the past 40 years to propagate the better cinema movement and has integrated all the seven north-eastern states, including tribal culture, through the medium of cinema. His remarkable popularity brought him to the legislative Assembly as an Independent member between 1967 to 1972, where he was solely responsible for installing the first state owned film studio of its kind ever, in India in Guwahati, Assam.

Bhupen Hazarika began his career in films as a child actor in the second talkie film to be made in the pioneering years of 1939 in the film .Indramalati..

A prodigious genius he wrote and sang his first song at the age of 10 after which there has been no looking back.

He has produced and directed, composed music and sang for the Assamese language films .Era Batar Sur. in 1956, .Shakuntala. in 1960, .Pratidhwani. in 1964, .Lotighoti. in 1967, .Chick Mick Bijuli. in 1971, .Mon Projapati. in 1978, .Swikarokti. in 1986, .Siraj. in 1988. He also directed, composed music and sang for .Mahut Bandhure. in 1958. He produced, directed, and composed music for Arunachal Pradesh.s first Hindi feature film in colour .Mera Dharam Meri Maa. in 1977. He directed a colour ducumentary for the Arunachal Pradesh Government on Tribal folk songs and dances entitled .For Whom The Sun Shines. in 1974.

He produced and directed a documentary .Emuthi Saular Kahini. based on the co- operative movement for the Govt. of Assam entirely in the format of lyrics. He produced and directed a half-hour documentary for Calcutta Doordarshan Kendra in 1977 on the folk songs and dances of north east India entitled .Through Melody and Rhythm.. He produced and composed music for five reeler colour documentary to promote tourism for the Govt. of Assam in 1981. He produced and composed music for the internationally famous award winning Hindi feature film .Ek Pal. in 1986, directed by Kalpana Lajmi, starring Shabana Azmi, Nasiruddin Shah, Faroque Shaikh. He produced and composed the music for the extremely popular television serial .Lohit Kinare. directed by Kalpana Lajmi, based on famous short stories of Assam for the prime time National Network in 1988. He has been the Executive Producer, Music Composer for the recent award winning film in Hindi .Rudaali. starring Dimple Kapadia, Raj Babbar, Amjad Khan and Rakhi.

He has won the President.s National Award for the best film maker thrice : for .Shakuntala., .Pratidhwani., and .Loti Ghoti. in 1960, 1964 and 1967 respectively. He won the Arunachal Pradesh Government.s Gold Medal in 1977 for his outstanding contribution towards Tribal Welfare, and Upliftment of Tribal Culture through cinema and music. He also won the National Award as best music composer in India in 1977 for the Assamese film .Chameli Memsaab..

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika has been the Chairman, Eastern Region on the Appellate Body of the Central Board of Film Censors, Government of India for 9 years consecutively till 1990.

He is on the Script Committee of the National Film Development Corporation, Eastern India.

He is the director on the national level on the Board of Directors of National Film Development Corporation, Government of India.

He was the Executive Council Member of the Children Film Society (N.CYP) headed by Mrs. Jaya Bachchan. He is the member of the Board of Trustees for the Poor Artists Welfare Fund, Government of India. He was the Chairman of the Jury of the National Film Awards in 1985 and was a jury member several times from 1958 to 1990. He is at present also on the Governing Council for policy making decisions for the Film and Television Institute, Government of India , Pune.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India bestowed the honour of Producer Emeritus on him.

Bhupen Hazarika was also a member of P. C. Joshi Committee appointed by the Information Ministry for revitalising software programming through television for the coming 21st century.

He has rendered music, written lyrics and sung for numerous Assamese, Bengali and Hindi films from 1930s to the 1990s. Bhupen Hazarika has scored music and sung for the highest number of Assamese films made in the past 40 years.

He has directed music in outstanding Bengali films, such as .Jiban Trishna., .Jonakir Alo., .Mahut Bandhure., .Kari o Komal., .Asamapta., .Ekhane Pinjar., .Dampati., .Chameli Memsaab., .Dui., .Bechara., and Hindi films like .Arop., .Ek Pal., and .Rudaali.. He has in 1995 given music for Sai Paranjype.s Hindi feature film .Papiha. and Bimal Dutt.s Hindi feature film .Pratimurti..

In 1996 he has composed music for Plus Channel.s Hindi feature film .Mil Gayee Manzil Mujhe. directed by Lekh Tandon starring Meenakshi Sheshadri.

In 1996 he has also composed for Plus Channel.s Hindi feature film .Saaz. directed by Sai Paranjype starring Shabana Azmi.

In 1996 he has composed music for Pan Pictures Hindi feature film .Darmiyaan. starring Kiron Kher and Tabu directed and written by Kalpana Lajmi.

In 1998 he has composed music for Hindi feature film .Gajagamini. Written and Directed by eminent painter Mr. M. F. Hussain.

He had produced a 52 episodes tele-serial titled .Dawn. for telecast on Star TV. The serial casts Shahbaaz Khan, Mona Ambegaonkar, Deepa Lagoo, Tom Alter and others.

He has also produced another 18 part documentary entitled . Glimpses of the Misty East. on the socio economic and cultural progress in North Eastern India from 1947 to 1997 , assigned to him by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt of India for celebration of Fifty years of India.s Independence.

In 2000 he has composed music for Hindi feature film .Daman. Written and Directed by Ms. Kalpana Lajmi.

In 2003 he composed music for Hindi feature film "Kyon" Directed by Ms. Kalpana Lajmi. 

Achievements in Music and Culture
He is considered today the last of the great mass singers and the only great ballad singer alive in India. Involved in the Indian movement from his very childhood, till today he writes and composes masterpieces teeming with social consciousness which are in striking contrast to his famous love songs. Besides being associated with films, Bhupen Hazarika has won the hearts of the entire Indian people through his discs through which he has rendered some of his finest compositions.

For Bhupen Hazarika music has always been his first love. He met Paul Robson with whom he became closely associated between 1949 and 1955 in USA. It was during this period he was awarded a Gold Medallion in New York as the best interpreter of India.s folk songs by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Bhupen Hazarika sings in numerous languages but writes his lyrics and poems in his home language, Assamese. Bhupen Hazarika has rightly been hailed as India.s Cultural Ambassador abroad for placing the folk music of Eastern India on the map of world folk music.

He has travelled widely as a Delegate to Conferences on Mass Communication, Poetry, Music, Performing Arts and Cinema from the Belgium Congo to Samarkand, from the Mississipi to Danube, to Europe, Canada, South-East Asia, Japan, USA, UK and Australia.

He represented India in Berlin at the World Conference of Composers who used songs as an instrument in social change. He was given the honour of inaugurating the World Seminar in Congress Hall with his own songs on the liberation of Bangladesh.

Bhupen Hazarika.s popularity is so tremendous as a performing artist that for the last 50 years he has been the biggest crowd puller and was honoured for the Golden Jubilee of his singing career in 1991. Achievements in Literature

Bhupen Hazarika has been conferred the highest the highest honour by making him the president of Sahitya Sabha in 1993.

He is one of the leading author / poets of Assam and has to his credit more than one thousand lyrics and more than fifteen major books on short stories, essays, travelogues, poems and children.s rhymes.

He is an extremely popular journalist and editor for the past two decades of the popular monthlies .Amar Pratinidhi. and .Pratidhwani.

Honours Conferred The country bestowed its greatest honour on him, the Padamshree in 1977 for his outstanding contribution to the field of culture in India.

In 1977 he won two awards in West Bengal. The Bangla Chalachitra Prasar Samity and the Bangla Chalchitra Purashkar Samity for being the best music director for the film .Dampati.. In 1978 he won two awards from Bangladesh as rhe best music director for the film .Simana Periye. from the Bangladesh Journalists Association and the Bangladesh film industry.

The Gramophone Company of India bestowed on him the Gold Disc for his outstanding contribution towards Indian Music in 1978.

In 1979 and 1980 he won the Ritwick Ghatak Award as best music directors for two theatre plays .Mohua Sundari. and .Nagini Kanyar Kahini..

In 1979 he won the All India Critic Association Award for the best performing folk artist in India.

In 1987 he was conferred the National Citizen.s Award at New Delhi for his outstanding excellence in music.

The Government of Assam bestowed its highest award the .Shankar Dev Award. in 1987 for his contribution to Assam.s culture.

In 1987 he won Assam.s .Man of the Year. award.

Sangeet Natak Academy - New Delhi awarded him in 1987 for his outstanding contribution towards Indian music.

The Bengal Journalist.s Association honoured him with the .Indira Gandhi Smriti Purashkar. in 1987.

In 1992, the Government of West Bengal honoured him with the award for his contribution to the World of Arts.

In 1993, he was honoured India.s Oscar .The Dadasaheb Phalke Award. for his lifetime.s contribution to development of Indian cinema.

In 1993, he was conferred as the first Indian Music Director for best music Internationally for the film .Rudaali. at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival at Japan.

In 1999, he has been appointed by the Honourable President of India as the Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi for a period of five years.

In 2000, he has been appointed by the Government of India as the Trustee of Indira Gandhi Centre of Arts for a period of ten years.

He has been appointed by the Government of India as the trustee of ICCR, for a period of 3 years.

In 2001, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian award and he was given the Lata Mangeshkar Award for his overall contribution in music by the Madhya Pradesh Government.

In November 2001, he was honoured with the Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) from the Tezpur University.

In 2003, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika has been appointed the member of the Prasar Bharati Board, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.

Bhupen Hazarika is one of the only forces in India today who is a true exponent of National Integration, expressed wonderfully through a variety of media. 

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Srimanta Sankardeva

Srimanta Sankardeva (1449-1568) was a great saint-scholar, playwright, social-religious reformer and a colossal figure in the cultural and religious history of Assam, India. With great endeavour he had tried to spread the Vaishnava faith among the people as well as decrease the religious attitude of people. The Vaishnava faith that was initiated by him is known as ekasarana dharma or devotion to one Supreme God. He was a multi faceted personality. He was a poet and a religious reformer too. He was a renowned Sanskrit scholar. This is evident from Bhakti Ratnakara which is a discourse on Sanskrit Vaishnavism. Its cardinal features are: Sravana kirtana dharma: it is a principle of audition that was accepted as an inspiring device for religious devotion, the view that the relation of man to God was like that of a servant to his sovereign.

Sankardeva in order to propagate his religious doctrines began composing literary works, poems and dramas. He had translated Bhagavatam. This was the starting point of enthusiasm and inspiration for Assamese literature. His intelligence is evident in the poem Harischandra upakhyana which was composed when he was in his teens. The poetical work that has given Sankardeva great fame is the Kiriana that contains 26 poems and 2,261 couplets. He is noted for clear and chiseled phrasing. The Sisulila and the Adi Dasama also contain captivating portraits of Lord Krishna`s childhood. This also revealed in his Bargeetas and Ankargeetas. He laid the foundation of mysticism in Assamese literature with his Bargeetas and Ankargeetas.

His Rukminiharana kavya, inspired by Bhagavatam and the Harivamsa, is a long narrative poem written with touches of local colour and life. His dramas are interspersed with beautiful songs. Nature has been a major part of his poems. This is seen in his poems like Haramohan, Trikuta varnan, Rasa krida. He believed in the power of literary art.

Srimanta Shankardeva is credited with providing a thread of unity to Ahom and Koch kingdoms of Assam. He inspired Bhakti in Assam. The Sattras established by him continue to flourish. His Poetic works are: Kirtana-ghosha, Harischandra-upakhyana, Rukmini-harana, Ajamilopakhyana, Bali-chalana, Kurukshetra-yatra, Gopi-uddhava-samvada, Amrta-manthana, Krishna-prayana-pandava-niryana and Kamajaya.

His works in drama include: Cihna Yatra, Patni-prasada, Kalia-damana, Keli-gopala, Rukmini-harana, Parijata-harana and Srirama-vijaya.

Srimanta Shankaradeva was born into the Shiromani (chief) Baro-Bhuyans family, near Bordowa in Nagaon in a village called Ali-pukhuri, Bordowa of present day Nagaon district in c1449. The Baro-Bhuyans were independent landlords in Assam, and belonged to the kayastha Hindu caste. His family-members, including parents Kusumvara and Satyasandhya Devi, were saktas , mention may me made of his great grandfather Chandivara alias Devidasa. The Saint lost both his father and his mother at a very tender age and was raised by his grandmother Khersuti. He began attending the tol or chatrasaal (school) of the renowned scholar Mahendra Kandali at the age of 12 and soon started to write verses. He completed his first poem before he was taught the vowels except, and is often cited as an example of the early flowering of his poetic genius. He was physically very able, and according to legend, he could swim across the Brahmaputra while it was in spate.

He left the tol in his late teens (c1469) to attend to his responsibilities as the Shiromani Bhuyan. He moved from Alipukhuri to Bordowa, and wrote his first work, Harishchandra upakhyan. Sankardeva produced a dance-drama called Cihna yatra, for which he painted the Sapta vaikuntha (seven heavens), guided the making of musical instruments and played the instruments himself.

At Bordowa, he constructed a dharmagrha or a Hari-grha (house of the Lord) in which he installed an image of Vishnu that was found during the construction of the grha. But it was not meant for worshipping; it was just a "showpiece of art work". In fact, he was absolutely against any kind of worshipping of Idols or Images of gods. He married his first wife Suryavati when he was in his early 20s. His wife died soon after his daughter Manu was born.

Might be the death of his wife increased his spiritual inclination as his mind began to focus, more than ever before, on the transcendental. When his daughter turned nine, he married her off to Hari, handed over the Shiromaniship to his grand uncles and left for a pilgrimage (a religious tour rather) (c1482). At this point of time, he was 32. The pilgrimage took him to Puri, Mathura, Dwaraka, Vrindavan, Gaya, Rameswaram, Ayodhya, Sitakunda and almost all the other major seats of the Vaishnavite religion in India. At Badrikashrama, he composed his first bargeet—mana meri ram charanahi lagu—in Brajavali. He returned home to Ali-pukhuri after 12 years (his family had moved back from Bordowa in his absence). During his pilgrimage, he witnessed the Bhakti movement that was in full bloom in India at that time.

After his return, he refused to take back the Shiromaniship. On his grandmother's insistence, he married Kalindi at the age of 44. Finally, he moved back to Bordowa and constructed his first naamghar (prayer hall), and began preaching. He wrote Bhakti pradipa and Rukmini harana. Soon after, he received a copy of the Bhagavata Purana from Jagadisa Misra of Tirhut which had in it commentaries from Sridhara Swami of Puri, an Advaita scholar, and began rendering it into Assamese. He also began composing the Kirtana ghosha. The 13 years at Ali-pukhuri was the period during which he reflected deeply on Vaishnavism and on the form that would best suit the spiritual and ethical needs of the people.


From Ali-pukhuri he moved again to Gajalasuti and then back to Bordowa. In the mean time the Bhuyans were getting weak politically and Bordowa was attacked by the neighboring tribes. Shankaradeva had to move again from place to place. At Gangmau he stayed for five years where his son Ramananda was born. While at Gangmau, the Koch king Viswa Singha attacked the Ahoms. The Bhuyans fought for the Ahoms and the Koch king was defeated. Due to the unsettled situation at Gangmau Sankaradeva next moved to Dhuwahat, present day Majuli, now an island on the Brahmaputra. At Dhuwahat, he met his spiritual successor Madhavadeva. Madhavdeva, a sakta, got into a religious altercation with his brother-in-law Ramadasa who had recently converted to Vaishnavism. Ramadasa took him to Shankaradeva, who, after a long debate, could finally convince him of the power and the efficacy of Naam Dharma. At Dhuwahat he initiated many others into his religion and continued composing the Kirtana ghoxa. He tried to appease the brahmans by gentle persuasion and debate, but they felt threatened by the emergence of a new religion propagated by a non-brahmin. Some brahmans submitted a complaint with the Ahom king Suhungmung, who summoned Shankaradeva and Madhavadeva to court. They gave adequate replies to the royal queries and were let off.

Though the relationship with the Ahom royalty began cordially, it soon deteriorated. Once on the charge of dereliction of duty, Hari, Shankaradeva's son-in-law, and Madhavadeva were arrested and sent to the capital Garhgaon, where Hari was executed. Madhavadeva's life was spared but he was imprisoned for a year. This incident pained Shankaradeva much and he, along with his family and Madhavadeva, journeyed toward the Koch kingdom.

The drama Patniprasada was written at Dhuwahat


At Sunpora he initiated Bhavananda, a rich trader who had extensive business interest in the Garo and Bhutan hills besides Kamarupa. The trader, Narayana Das, settled at Janiya near Barpeta and took to agriculture. A man of the world otherwise, he soon flourished and became a provider to Shankaradeva and his devotees. He came to be known popularly as Thakur Ata.

After a great deal of moving, Shankaradeva settled at Patbausi near Barpeta and constructed a Kirtanghar (house of prayer). Some of the people he initiated here are Chakrapani Dwija and Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, brahmins; Ketai Khan, a kayastha; Govinda, a Garo; Jayarama, a Bhutia; Murari, a Koch and Chandsai a Muslim. He also befriended Ananta kandali, a profound scholar of Sanskrit, who translated parts of the Bhagavata Purana. Damodardeva, another brahmin, was initiated by Shankaradeva and he later became the founder of the Brahma Sanghati sect of Shankaradeva's religion.

Among his literary works, he completed his rendering of the Bhagavata Purana and wrote other independent works. He continued composing the Kirtana Ghosha, further translated the first book of the Ramayana (ADI KANDA) and instructed Madhavadeva to translate the last book (UTTAR KANDA), portions that were left undone by the 14th century poet Madhav Kandali. He wrote four dramas: Rukmini harana, Parijata harana, Keligopala and kalidamana. Another drama written at Patbausi, kamsa vadha, is lost. At Patbausi, he had lent his bargeets numbering aroung 240 to Kamala Gayan. But unfortunately, his house was gutted and most of the bargeets were lost. Since that incident Sankaradeva stopped composing bargeets. Of the 240, 34 remain today.

Shankaradeva once again left for a pilgrimage with a large party of 117 disciples that included Madhavadeva, Ramarama, Thakur Ata and others. Madhavadeva, on the request of Shankaradeva's wife Kalindi urged him to return from Puri and not proceed to Vrindavana. He returned to Patbausi within six months.


On hearing complaints that Shankaradeva was corrupting the minds of the people by spreading a new religion, Naranarayana the Koch king, ordered Shankaradeva's arrest. Shankaradeva managed to go into hiding, but Narayan Das Thakur Ata and Gokulchand were captured. They were taken to Kochbehar and subjected to inhuman torture, but they did not divulge the location where their Guru was staying, and the royals soon gave up.

In the meantime Chilarai, the general of the Koch army and brother of Naranarayana, who had been influenced by the religion and had married Kamalapriya alias Bhuvaneshwari the daughter of Shankaradeva's cousin Ramaraya, arranged for Shankaradeva's audience with Naranarayana. As he moved up the steps to the throne, Shankardev sang his Sanskrit totaka hymn (composed extempore) to Lord Krishna , now known as Totaya or Deva bhatimaand as he sat down, he sang a borgeet, narayana kahe bhakati karu tera. Naranarayana was overwhelmed by the Saint's personality. The king then asked Sankaradeva's opponents to prove their complaint. After Sankaradeva defeated them in the debate, Naranarayana declared him free from all allegations. Sankaradeva began attending Naranarayana's court at the king's request. When he met Naranarayana, he was well over a hundred years old and had just A FEW more years to live.

After the debate, Shankaradeva shuttled between Kochbehar and Patbausi. On the request of Nara Narayan and Chilarai he supervised the creations of the 60mx30m woven Vrindavani vastra, that depicted the playful activities of Krishna in Vrindavana. This was presented to the Koch king.

He made arrangements with Madhavadeva and Thakur Ata and gave them various instructions at Patbausi and left the place for the last time. He set up his home at Bheladonga in Kochbehar. During his stay at Kochbehar, Naranarayana expressed his wish to be initiated. Shankaradeva was reluctant to convert a king and declined to do so. According to one of the biographers (Ramcharan Thakur), a painful boil—a visha phohara – had appeared in some part of his body and this led to the passing away of the Saint. According to other accounts (Guru Charit Katha et al.), Naranarayan's adamance that he be initiated into the new religion led the saint to surrender his life to the Lord by way of meditative communion. Thus, in 1568, after leading a most eventful life dedicated to enlightening humanity; the Mahapurusha died – within six months of his stay at Bheladonga – at the remarkable age of 120 years.

Eka Sarana

Sankaradeva used the form of Krishna to preach devotion to a single God (eka sarana), who can be worshiped solely by uttering His various names (naam). In contrast to other bhakti forms, eka sarana follows the dasya attitude (a slave to God). Moreover, unlike the 'Gaudiya Vaishnavism' of Bengal, Radha is not worshiped along with Krishna. In uttering the name of God, Hari, Rama, Narayana and Krishna are most often used.

Sankaradeva himself and the religion in general are particularly antagonistic to saktism which was strongly prevalent in Assam at the time. This probably explains the non-use of Radha as an icon. His famous debate with Madhavadeva, who was a staunch sakta (devotee of Shakti) earlier, and Madhavadeva's subsequent conversion to Vaishnavism, is often cited as the single most epoch-making event in the history of the neo-Vaishnavite movement in Assam. Madhavadeva, an equally multi-talented person, became his most celebrated disciple.

A non-brahmin, Srimanta Sankaradeva started a system of initiation (saran lowa) into his religion. He caused a huge Social revolution by fighting against anti-social elements like casteism prevailing at that time. He initiated people of all castes and religions, including Muslims. After initiation, the devotee is expected to adhere to the religious tenets of eka sarana. Failure to adhere to these tenets led to ex-communication in certain cases.

Though he himself married twice, had children and led the life of a householder, his disciple Madhavadeva did not. Some of his followers today follow celibate monkhood (kevaliya bhakat) in the Vaishnavite monasteries – the sattras.

The people who practice his religion are called variously as Mahapurushia, Sarania or Sankari.

Works
Literary
Sankaradeva produced a large body of work. Though there were others before him who wrote in the language of the common man – Madhav Kandali who translated the Ramayana into Assamese in the 14th century – his was the first ramayana to be written in a modern Indian language – Harivara Vipra and Hema Saraswati, it was Sankaradeva who opened the floodgates and inspired others like Madhavadeva to carry on where he left off.

His language is lucid, his verses lilting, and he infused bhakti into everything he wrote. His magnum opus is his Kirtana-ghosha, a work so popular that even today it is found in nearly every household in Assam. It contains narrative verses glorifying Krishna meant for community singing. It is a bhakti kayva par excellence, written in a lively and simple language, it has "stories and songs for amusement [for children], it delights the young with true poetic beauty and elderly people find here religious instruction and wisdom".

For most of his works, he used the Assamese language of the period so the lay person could read and understand them. But for dramatic effect in his songs and dramas he used Brajavali, an artificial mixture of Braj language and Assamese.

Other literary works include the rendering of eight books of the Bhagavata Purana including the Adi Dasama (Book X), Harishchandra-upakhyana (his first work), Bhakti-pradip, the Nimi-navasiddha-samvada (conversation between King Nimi and the nine Siddhas), Bhakti-ratnakara (Sanskrit verses, mostly from the Bhagavata, compiled into a book), Anadi-patana (having as its theme the creation of the universe and allied cosmological matters), Gunamala and many plays like Rukmini haran, Patni prasad, Keli gopal, Kurukshetra yatra and Srirama vijaya. There was thus a flowering of great Bhakti literature during his long life of 120 years.

Poetic works (kavya)
    Kirtana-ghosha
    Harischandra-upakhyana
    Rukmini-harana
    Ajamilopakhyana
    Bali-chalana
    Kurukshetra-yatra
    Gopi-uddhava-samvada
    Amrta-manthana
    Krishna-prayana-pandava-niryana
    Kamajaya

Bhakti Theory
    Bhakati-pradipa
    Anadi-patana
    Nimi-navasiddha-samvada
    Bhakti Ratnakara (in Sanskrit)
    Gunamala

Transliteration
    Bhagavat (Book VI, VIII, I, II, VII, X, XI, XII, IX ,X(partial, XI(partial) & XII)
    Ramayana (adikanda, supplemental to Madhav Kandali's Katha Ramayana)

His translation of the Bhagavata is actually a transcreation, because he translates not just the words but the idiom and the physiognomy too. He has adapted the original text to the local land and people and most importantly for the purpose of bhakti. Portions of the original were left out or elaborated where appropriate. For example, he suppressed the portions that revile the lowers castes of sudra and kaivartas, and extols them elsewhere.

Drama (Ankia Nat)
    Cihna Yatra (lost)
    Patni-prasada
    Kalia-damana
    Keli-gopala
    Rukmini-harana
    Parijata-harana
    Srirama-vijaya

Sankaradeva was the fountainhead of the Ankiya naat, a form of one-act play. In fact, his Cihna Yatra – staged by him when he was only 19 – is regarded as one of the first open-air theatrical performances in the world. Cihna yatra was probably a dance drama and no text of that show is available today. Innovations like the presence of a Sutradhara (narrator) on the stage, use of masks etc., were used later in the plays of Bertolt Brecht and other eminent playwrights.

These cultural traditions still form an integral part of the heritage of the Assamese people.

Songs
    Borgeet (composed 240, but only 34 exist now)
    Bhatima
        Deva bhatima – panegyrics to God
        Naat bhatima – for use in dramas
        Raja bhatima – panegyrics to kings (to king Nara Narayan)

The Borgeets (literally: great songs) are devotional songs, set to music and sung in various raga styles. These styles are slightly different from either the Hindustani or the Carnatic styles [1]. The songs themselves are written in the 'Brajavali' language.

Dance
Sattriya dance, that Sankaradeva first conceived and developed and which was later preserved for centuries by the sattras, is now among the classical dance forms of India. Although certain devout Sankarite calls this form as Sankari dance

Visual Art
    Sapta vaikuntha – part of the Cihna yatra production, does not exist today.
    Vrindavani vastra – parts of this work are preserved in London.

The famous Vrindavani Vastra—the cloth of Vrindavan—a 120 x 60 cubits tapestry depicted the lilas of Lord Krishna at Vrindavan through richly woven and embroidered designs on silk.[2] A specimen, believed to be a part of this work, is at the Association pour l'Etude et la Documentation des Textiles d'Asie collection at Paris (inv. no. 3222). The vastra, commissioned by Chilarai, was woven by 12 master weavers in Barpeta under the supervision of Sankaradeva probably between 1565 and 1568. It was housed in the Madhupur sattra but it disappeared at some point. It is believed this cloth made its way to Tibet and from there to its present place.

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