Assam GK Topic

What Is The First Printed Book Of Assam?

The first printed book of Assam is widely recognized as Dharmapustak, an early Assamese translation of the Bible published in the year 1813. This publication holds a historic place in Assams literary and cultural development as it marked the beginning of printed literature in the Assamese language. Although the book was printed outside Assam, its impact on Assamese language and education remains highly significant.
What Is The First Printed Book Of Assam? illustration

Use this topic to revise for APSC, SSC, and other competitive exams.

Detailed Notes

Dharmapustak was printed at Serampore in Bengal under the supervision of Dr. William Carey, a prominent missionary and printer, with linguistic support from Atmaram Sarma, who played a key role in adapting the text into Assamese. Before this period, Assamese literature mainly existed in handwritten manuscript form preserved in satras and households. The printing of Dharmapustak introduced a new era of mass dissemination of written material.

The publication helped standardize written Assamese and laid the foundation for future books, newspapers, and educational texts in the region. Today, original copies of Dharmapustak are extremely rare and are preserved in select institutions. The book remains an important topic in Assam general knowledge, literary history, and competitive examinations.