Professor Krishna Kanta Handiqui
The founder Vice-Chancellor (1948-1957) of Gauhati University

Krishna Kanta Handiqui ('Xondikoi' or 'Sondikoi') was born on the 20th of July 1898 in Jorhat town of Assam. He was a scholar of singular distinction, a pioneer Indologist and philanthropist whose life epitomized an era marked by sacrifice and diligence. It is for his monumental literary works that the world of letters will be ever indebted to Prof. Handiqui, who was one among the world's leading Sanskritists.

Son of Rai-Bahadur Radha Kanta Handiqui, a top ranking Government Official under the British rule in Assam, Handiqui had his early education at Jorhat Govt. High School, then Cotton College, Guwahati (1913-1915), Sanskrit College, Calcutta (1915-1917), Calcutta University (1917-1919), Oxford University, England (1920-1923), Paris University, France and Berlin University, Germany (1923-1927). He studied and learnt many languages like Latin, Greek, French, German, Russian, Italian, and Spanish. He had the distinction of knowing as many as 13 languages comprising of 8 European languages and 5 Indian languages including Pali and Prakrit.

He was the founder Principal of the J. B. Law College, Jorhat (1930-47). Prof. Handiqui was the founder Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University for 9 years (1948-1957). He was adorned with 'Padmashree' in 1955 and 'Padmabhushan' in 1967 by the President of India. He was nominated by the Maharastra Government as 'Honorary Fellow of Deccan College', a rare distinction reserved for outstanding scholars in India and abroad. He was made 'Sadasyamahian' by the Assam Sahitya Sabha, the highest honour conferred by the Sabha on scholars of exceptional merit. Krishna Kanta Handiqui was the President of Assxom Xaahitya Xobhaa (Assam Sahitya Sabha) during the Guwahati conference in 1937 at the young age of 39, President of Classical Sanskrit Section, XVI All India Oriental Conference, Lucknow in 1951 and was elected the general President of the Srinagar session of the same in 1961.

His works, NAISADHACARITA OF SRIHARSHA was published in 1934 and YASASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE published in 1949 made him known to the eminent scholars of the world. The publications were received with appreciations both at home and abroad, particularly from leading Sanskritists like Prof. A. B. Keith, Edinburgh; Prof. M. Winternitz, Prague; Prof. Oscar Botto, Turin; Prof. M. B. Emeneau, California; and Prof. L. Renou of Paris University. Apart form writing another scholarly book SETUBANDHA, K. K. Handiqui contributed a number of valuable articles of different Assamese periodicals from time to time. An eminent Italian scholar Oscar Botto described his work YASASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE as "II dottissimo Laboro di K. K. Handiqui" (The most learned work of K. K. Handiqui). The book was praised as a great achievement by the French Savant L. Renou, Professor of Sanskrit at Paris University. The original treatise written in Sanskrit by Somadeva in the 10th Century is an encyclopedic work dealing with Jainism and Indian thought and culture. Prof. Handiqui's critical dissertation on the 'Yasastilaka of Somadeva' is a monumental contribution in the field of Indological studies.

He passed away on 7th August 1982.