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UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA AND KNIGHTHOOD FOR CHANDRASEKHARA RAMAN

RAJINDER SINGH*

In 1930 C.V. Raman was awarded the Physics Nobel Prize for his work on light scattering and thediscovery of the effect named after him. However, shortly before that he was knighted by theBritish Empire. The present paper explores the history of Raman’s knighthood and reaction of theauthorities of the Calcutta University, where Raman was working as “Palit Professor of Physics”

ARTICLE

* Research Group – Physics Education and History of Science,Physics Institute, University of Oldenburg, Germany.e-mail: rajinder.singh@uni-oldenburg.de

Introduction

Till this date, C.V. Raman is the only Nobel Prizewinner in Physics from India. There are a numberof articles and books, which deal with his life and

scientific works, but according to the best knowledge ofthe author, none of them deals with Raman’s knighthoodconferred by the British Empire. The presentcommunication intends to fulfil the gap.

The British Empire and Indian Sympathizers

It is well-known that in 1857 Indians lost the politicalwar against the foreign rulers. After that India was declaredas a British colony. In order to placate Indian supportersas well as British workers in India, the British Royalsstarted dubbing honours like medals and titles for militaryand civil services. The scientific work was considered underthe latter category, as is evident from the example of theIndian doctor Upendra Nath Brahmachari, who discovereda medicine to cure Kala-azar and saved the life of millionsof people, who was first with the title “Rai Bahadur”(Figure 1) and later on as “Sir”1.

The Royal Society of London is an institution whichpromotes science and encourages scientific progress underthe British empire. It conferred Fellowship to the Society

to scientists as a mark of their distinguishing services.Interestingly, even before India became a colony, itsmembership was open to Indians. For instance, ArdaseerCursetjee, an Indian Engineer and Shipbuilder was the firstIndian elected in 1841 as F.R.S.2 C.V. Raman was electedFellow in 1924. However, before him, the greatmathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan and J.C. Bose, theinventor of the short electromagnetic waves were electedF.R.S. J.C. Bose was also offered the knighthood.

Knighthood After the Discovery of RamanEffect

In the middle of 1920s, the authority of the Universityof Calcutta started placing Raman at the same level as ofSir J.C. Bose and the great chemist Sir P.C. Ray. In hisconvocation address, W.E. Greaves, Vice-Chancellor of theUniversity stated:

“I am glad, especially to note that Professor Raman,who combine with Sir Jagadis Bose and Sir P.C.Ray to form our local scientific constellation,consisting of three stars of high magnitude, eachwith its revolving satellites, continues to add lustreand reputation to the University which he hadadopted as his own. I take this opportunity also ofcongratulating him upon his recent visit to Russia,and I feel sure that he impressed his hosts quite asmuch as they impressed him.”3

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Figure 1: A part of Upendra Nath Brahmachari’s document in which he was conferred “Rai Bahadur”title. (Credit: Captain R. Dhruva, private collection).

At that time, Raman has not yet been conferred thetitle “Sir”. Raman had the distinction of being the firstProfessor of the University of Calcutta to receive theKnighthood. As a note of appreciation SyamaprasadMookerjee, an educationist and politician, proposed toincrease Raman’s salary. He pointed out that this honourwas conferred to Sir P.C. Ray also, but that was for hisservices at the Presidency College.4

In February 1928, C.V. Raman and his studentsdiscovered that when monochromatic light is scattered bya medium; the scattered light contains the original colouras well as new colours, which give information about themolecular structure. The new discovery was named asRaman effect by the German physicist Peter Pringsheim.5Due to the importance of the work, the Dene Niels Bohrand the French Charles Fabry nominated Raman in 1929for the Physics Nobel Prize.6

On June 3, 1929, Jadu Nath Sarkar, ex-V.C.,University of Calcutta and C.V. Raman (Figure 2) were

dubbed as Knights (Figure 2).7 OnJune 8, 1929, the Vice ChancellorW.S. Urquhart (Figure 2) of theUniversity after giving shortstatement on J.N. Sarkar went intodetail in the case of Raman asfollows:

“I should like also to offer our veryhearty congratulations to our friend,Sir C.V. Raman, for the honourwhich has been bestowed uponhim. I think that we feel that thehonour that has been done him is

an honour which has been done to us. There is aphrase that knowledge comes and wisdom lingers.Gentlemen, we have no doubt whatsoever about hiswisdom in relation to the great subject of Physicsor about the great and world-famous knowledgewhich he has acquired in that department. Here,gentlemen, we have a case where knowledge hascome and Knighthood has not lingered. Wecongratulate him most cordially upon his highhonour which has been done him.”8

In reply Raman said:

"It has always been a source of great pride andpleasure to be a Professor of the Calcutta University and Iregard the Chair held by me as in itself something higherthan any titular honours. I desire to express my very cordialthanks to you and the Senate for the motion just adoptedand the kind words that have been said of me on thisoccasion."11

Figure 2: C.V. Raman F.R.S.9, Jadu Nath Sarkar and W. S. Urquhart. The latter two were VC from Aug. 1926 - Aug. 1928, and Aug. 1928 - Aug.1930 respectively10. (Credit: University of Calcutta).

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Honoring Ceremony

In the case of Knighthood, generally the ceremonytakes place in Buckingham palace. However, if the electedperson was unable to visit U.K., the Royal Familyauthorized Viceroy of India or Governor General of Indiato perform the ceremony.

According to "File No. 8-4, 1929", Indian NationalArchive Delhi, two, three and ten persons were knightedon 1-3-1929, 3-6-1929 and 1-1-1930 respectively. On June12, 1929, from Simla, the Assistant Secretary to theGovernment of India, Foreign and Political Department,sent a letter to the Chief Secretaries of Governments ofBombay, Bengal, U.P., Bihar and Orrisa, and C.P. Hewanted to know, whether the knighted person wants to behonoured by His Majesty the King. If so, arrangement willbe made. Otherwise, the person will be decorated atViceroy's Lodge, at Simla, on 22nd of August, (1929).

W.S. Hopkyns, Chief Secretary to the Government ofBengal on July 22, 1929, replied as follows:

"… I am directed to say that Sir Jadu Nath Sarkar,Kt., will not visit England in near future. SirChandra Sekhara Raman, Kt., intends to be inEngland towards the end of September 1929 andhis address there will be C/o Messrs, Thomas Cookand Sons (Bankers) Limited, Berkeley Street,London. …"

In a telegram of July 25, 1929, from Viceroy (Financeand Political Department) to the Secretary of State for India,London, it was stated: "Warrant of authorisation requiredonly for (Shah) Muhammad Sulaiman, (Jadu Nath) Sarkar,(David) Petrie, (Sydney Charles) Stuart-Williams and(Franck) Noyce for Viceregal investiture August 22nd.Kindly telegraph as soon as Warrant of authorisation hasbeen signed by His Majesty." The telegram also containedthe following: "Information regarding (Norman) Kemp(Judge, High Court Bombay) and Raman will be furnishedin due course."

According to a letter from A.J. Eagleston, the UnderSecretary of State, India Office to Home Office, Whitehall,on Aug. 2, 1929, on behalf of the George the 5th, GeorgeJoachim, Viscount Goschen, Acting Governor General ofIndia was authorised to confer the title degree and honourof Knight Bachelor upon Justice Shah MuhammadSulaiman, High Court of Judicature, Allahabad; Jadu NathSarkar, former Vice Chancellor, Calcutta University; DavidPetrie, Director Intelligence Bureau, Government of India;Sydney Charles Stuart-Williams, Chairman, Calcutta Port

Commissions; and Franck Noyce, Indian Civil Service. OnAug. 8, 1929, under the title "Knights Bachelor of theBirthday Honours List" it was stated by the Secretary tothe Government of India: "… enclosing a Warrant underHis Majesty's Sign Manual authorising His Excellency LordGoschen to confer the honour of Knighthood on the fivegentlemen mentioned in the first paragraph of the abovenoted telegram." Accordingly the above five were honoured.

Raman, who wanted to make his discovery knownabroad, had planned a visit to Europe from August 1929to December 1929. He spent most of his time in Italy,France, Germany and U.K. During this period there wasno sign of his dubbing by the King. On November 22,1929, W.D.R. Prentice, Chief Secretary to the Governmentof Bengal wrote to the Political Secretary of theGovernment of India and inquired,

"Whether it would be possible for the Governmentof India to arrange for the investiture of themarginally noted …. Sir Chandra Sekhara Raman,Kt. (underlined in original) Knights Bachelor at theannual Viceregal Investiture in Delhi and if sowhether any date has yet been fixed for theceremony."

On Dec 11, 1929, the Under Secretary wrote to theChief Secretary to the Government of Bengal:

"As regards Sir Chandra Sekhara Raman, I am toinvite attention to your letter No. 8459.., …, and tostate that the India Office was requested to arrangefor him to be dubbed by His Majesty the King."However, if he returned without having received thehonour in England. He will be invited to attend thenext Viceregal investiture."

The King authorised Lord Irwin to confer the honourof Knighthood upon Sir Charles Stuart -Williams, SirEdward Buck and Sir Chandra Sekhara Raman (Figure 3).He performed the ceremony on January 14, 1930.

According to the Minutes of Senate of Feb. 8, 1930,the Vice Chancellor W.S. Urquhart said. :

"Sir C.V. Raman, whom we congratulate upon thehonour of Knighthood bestowed upon him since ourlast Convocation, has just returned from atriumphant scientific progress in the West, where hehas been lecturing before the leading Universitiesand Scientific Societies of Great Britain and theContinent of Europe, and has received, amongstother distinctions, the very rare honour of anhonorary degree from the University of Freiburg."12

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Figure 3: Authorisation letter for the Knighthood for C.V. Raman andothers (Credit: National Archive of India, New Delhi).

According to the File No. 8(4)-H/29, Indian NationalArchive, Delhi, 46 Indians and British decorees (such asKt., G.C.S.I. - Knight Grand Commander, K.C.S.I. - KnightCommander, C.S.I. - Companion) were invited to attendthe investiture at "The Viceroy's House", New Delhi onFeb. 27, 1930.

Conclusions

No doubt, the British Empire in general, dubbed titlesand medals to those Indians who did not protest publiclyagainst the British policies. This can be interpreted in termof political history. However, physicists like C.V. Ramansaw it differently, namely, a symbol of equality of Indianscientific intellectual with the contemporary Britishscientists. Whenever, the opportunity came, he asked theBritish Men of Science to deal him so. For instance, one

of the editors of the "Notes and Records of the RoyalSociety, London", reported that he was told by A.C.G.Menzies, Director of Research in the optical firm of Hilgerand Watts (previous known as Adam Hilger Ltd. London)that around 1950 Raman visited the firm. He "let it beknown that he liked to be addressed as 'Sir Raman'."13

Acknowledgements

I am thankful to Prof. S.C. Roy, Editor-in-Chief"Science and Culture" for editorial work. Thanks are dueto: National Archive of India, New Delhi; Archive RoyalSwedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm; and ArchiveUniversity of Calcutta, Kolkata for the documents referredto in the article. I am great to Sir UpendranathBrahmachari's family member, in particular, Captain R.Dhruva, for allowing me to photographs differentdocuments, during my visit to Kolkata. Last but not theleast, I thank Prof. Dr. Michael Komorek, Head of ResearchGroup - Didactic and History of Science, Physics Institute,University of Oldenburg, Germany; for providing researchfacilities.

References1. R. Singh, Upendranath Brahmachari - A pioneer of tropical

diseases, (Shaker Publisher, Aachen 2013).

2. R. Kochhar, Curr. Sci. 80, 720-721 (2001).

3. Minutes of senate and faculties, (University of Calcutta, Calcutta)(1926), p. 79.

4. Minutes of senate and faculties, (University of Calcutta, Calcutta)(1930), pp. 84-104.

5. P. Pringsheim, Naturwissenschaften 31, 597-606 (1928).

6. R. Singh, Chemistry and Physics Nobel Prizes - India'scontribution, (Shaker Publisher, Aachen) (2016), pp. 61-88.

7. Minutes of senate and faculties, (University of Calcutta, Calcutta1929), pp. 531-532.

8. Minutes of senate and faculties, (ibid.).

9. http://www.caluniv.ac.in/about/Teacher.html, June 27, 2017.

10. http://www.caluniv.ac.in/about/vc.html, June 26, 2017.

11. Minutes of senate and faculties, (ref. 7).

12. Minutes of senate and faculties, (ref. 4.), p. 54.

13. J.C.D. Brand, Notes Rec. R. Soc. Lond. 43, 1-23 (1989).