পৃষ্ঠা:Sadaraminor Atmojibani (সদৰামীনৰ আত্মজীৱনী).pdf/৬

(ii) on the order which had passed away and the one which had come as a sequel".* Harakanta was a descendant of the famous Sonamua Daivajna family several members of which had held the office of Majindar Barua under the Ahom sovereigns. The office was equivalent to the king's private secretary and lord chamberlain. The Majindar Barua was the usual intermediary between the Swargadeo and the Dangarias or cabinet ministers, and he had to supervise the reception of diplomatic visitors to the Ahom court, and arrange for the despatch of epistles and presents to foreign powers. As such the office was conferred on men of great ability and judgement. Harakanta inherited from his ancestors their intelligence, their acquisitive spirit, nad their capacity for successful handling of individuals and affairs. The autobiography of such a man of distinction, experience and learning is bound to be a highly revealing document. He has recorded here all the important events occurring in his family,— births, marriages and deaths, and has also made references to similar events in respect of his acquaintances far and near. The autobio- grapher's introductory chapter provides a general summary of the events connected with the Burmese invasions of Assam and the vicissitudes of the author's family who had taken shelter in Bengal to escape from the confusion and anarchy then prevailing in Assam. The autobiography is in the form of a year-to-year diary, starting from 1834-35 and ending in 1889-90. He prefaces each year's account with the names of the British officers in charge of Assam and Kamrup by which process he maintains the accuracy of his narrative. The he goes on to indicate. date by date, the events in his family, and the important fiscal and judicial measures introduced by the new administrators, in the implementation of which he himself played an important part. He has also recorded the details of his contacts with such notable personages as General Jenkins. A. J. Moffatt Mills, Ghanakanta Singha Juvaraj. Kesabkanta Singha Juvaraj, Kandarpeswar Singha. Baloram Phukan and Dinonath Bezbarua, and gives a short account of the repercussions of the Sepoy Mutiny in Assam. He even records the death of the great Sanskrit scholar Anundoram Borooah in Calcutta on Magh 7, 1810 suka. January 19, 1889 A. D. ⚫ Assam Buranji by Harakanta Barua Sadar-amin, edited by S K. Bhuyan, D. H. A. S., Gauhati, 1930, Preface. pp. i-iii.