Anandaram Dhekial Phukan (1829–1859) was one of the pioneers of Assamese literature in the Orunodoi era who joined in the literary revolution initiated by missionaries.
He could gain the favor of the Ahom king Gaurinath Singha (r. 1780–1795) and his ministers and was made the Duwariya Barua or Customs officers at Hadira-chowki or Ban-galhat outpost.
Purandar Singha after the restoration of his kingdom, was made a tributary king in undivided Sivasagar and Lakhimpur districts, decided to rule the country in old traditional method and conferred the title of Dhekiyal Phukan on Anadaram.
[1] From then until his death his sole aim was the development of his land and its people, to the detriment of his own health, which led Col. Hopkins to compare him to the Raja Rammohan Roy of West Bengal.
[2] In 1853, when Moffat Mills came to Assam to review the economic condition, Anandaram Dhekial Phukan presented him with a report written in lucid English describing the political and administrative situation of Assam, in-depth analysis of problems faced by the Assamese language and education system, and reasons and solutions to the poor economic condition of the Assamese people.
His love for his motherland can be gathered from the following passage taken from his essay Englandor Biworon (Account of England): "O Almighty Lord; enlighten them, so that they can learn their misery and wretchedness; with your magical powers, civilize them!
hasten and bring in a new era - when jungles of Assam will turn into flower gardens, when river boats will give way to steam ships, when mud houses will turn into concrete homes, when thousands of schools be established in villages, when gjan sabhas and hospitals will aid the poor, when violence will wither away and people will live in peace, love and harmony forever.