Professor Meghnad Saha (1893 1956), One Of The Founders Of Modern Science In India, Needs No Introduction To Scientists Or The General Public. His Theory Of Thermal Ionization Changed The Direction Of Astrophysics And His Early Brilliance Was Recognized In His Becoming A Fellow Of The Royal Society At The Age Of Thirty-Four. He Wrote Many Scientific, Semi-Scientific And Popular Articles. Apart From Their Intrinsic Interest These Writings Would Seem Relevant Even Today In The Context Of Indian Development. The First Volume Of The Collected Works Of One Of The Founders Of Modern Science In India Contains Over Thirty Articles On Astronomy And Astrophysics, Spectroscopy, Nuclear Physics, Cosmic Rays And Nuclear Energy. The Second Volume Contains Saha S Lectures, Articles, And Editorials Written Between 1922 And 1956 On Subjects Of Importance Such As River Management, Power, Fuel And Electricity Resources, Industrialisation And Planning. These Articles Reveal Saha S Concern For Economic Regeneration Through Scientific Planning. The Third Volume Contains Saha S Articles, Lectures, Editorials And Other Writings Published Between 1935 And 1956. Compiled Mainly From Science And Culture, Modern Review, Journal Of The Asiatic Society (Calcutta), Hindustan Standard And Amrita Bazar Patrika, These Articles Have Been Arranged Chronologically Under Different Subject Heads. Saha S Interest In Ancient Indian History And Astronomy Led To His Famous Work On The Origin Of The Saka Era And The Reform Of The Indian Calendar. The Fourth Volume Contains Saha S Articles, Lectures, Editorials, And Other Writings Published Between 1920 1956. These Have Been Compiled From Science And Culture, Modern Review, Journal Of The Asiatic Society, Caravan, Visvabharati News, Etc. The Articles Have Been Arranged Under Different Subject-Heads, Like Organisations And Institutions, Scientific Research, Humanism And Science, Archaeology And History, Travel, Science Reporting And Personalities.

This monograph offers a cultural history of the development of physics in India during the first half of the twentieth century, focusing on Indian physicists Satyendranath Bose (1894-1974), Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (1888-1970) and Meghnad Saha (1893-1956). The analytical category "bhadralok physics" is introduced to explore how it became possible for a highly successful brand of modern science to develop in a country that was still under colonial domination. The term Bhadralok refers to the then emerging group of native intelligentsia, who were identified by academic pursuits and manners. Exploring the forms of life of this social group allows a better understanding of the specific character of Indian modernity that, as exemplified by the work of bhadralok physicists, combined modern science with indigenous knowledge in an original program of scientific research. The three scientists achieved the most significant scientific successes in the new revolutionary field of quantum physics, with such internationally recognized accomplishments as the Saha ionization equation (1921), the famous Bose-Einstein statistics (1924), and the Raman Effect (1928), the latter discovery having led to the first ever Nobel Prize awarded to a scientist from Asia. This book analyzes the responses by Indian scientists to the radical concept of the light quantum, and their further development of this approach outside the purview of European authorities. The outlook of bhadralok physicists is characterized here as "cosmopolitan nationalism," which allows us to analyze how the group pursued modern science in conjunction with, and as an instrument of Indian national liberation.

This biography is a short yet comprehensive overview of the life of Meghnad Saha, the mastermind behind the frequently used Saha equations and a strong contributor to the foundation of science in India. The author explores the lesser known details behind the man who played a major role in building scientific institutions in India, developed the breakthrough theory of thermal ionization, and whose fervor about India’s rapid progress in science and technology, along with concern for uplifting his countrymen and optimizing resources, led him to eventually enter politics and identify the mismanagement of many programs of national importance to Parliament. This book is free of most academic technicalities, so that the reader with general scientific knowledge can read and understand it easily. One interested only in Saha’s contribution to physics can pick up just that part and read it. Conversely, the average reader may skip the technical chapters, and read the book without loss of continuity or generality to still get a coherent picture. This work touches on all aspects of Saha’s multidimensional personality, which overflows in the pages of his periodical, Science and Culture,as well as his many speeches, debates and discussions in Parliament, all of which is appropriately conveyed in this book.

"This superb collection assembles a number of stimulating and theoretically current contributions by outstanding scholars."—Angelique Haugerud, author of The Culture of Politics in Modern Kenya

First Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.