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Birbal Sahni was an Indian botanist, educationalist and renowned geologist. Birbal Sahni was a scientist of great stature. His parents were Ruchi Ram Sahni and Ishar Devi. His father was an enthusiastic educationist, a great patriot and a devoted social worker. Sahni had very little money, but he had a great zeal for science and research. Birbal was an excellent teacher and believed in being a good researcher. He was a superb communicator for the subject of science at all levels. The work of Birbal Sahni has been acknowledged by anthropologists from all over the world.
Birbal Sahni made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy, ecology, evolution, and biogeography. His contribution to Palaeontology and biogeography is of great magnitude as it raised the standard of the disciplines in India.
What is Palaeobotany?
Palaeontology is the scientific study of ancient life on earth on the basis of fossilized evidence. It includes the study of:
Palaeobotany (study of prehistoric plants)
Palaeoecology ( study of ancient ecosystems)
Palaeogeography (study of ancient writing)
Palaeobotany is a scientific discipline which studies ancient life forms by examining their fossilized remains. The biological information collected through identification, description, and classification of fossil plants contributes to the understanding of the evolution and extinction of plants and plant ecosystems, particularly the global change. Palaeobotany involves various fossil plant groups, including leaves (desiccated leaves), seeds, woody stems (e.g., petrified wood), fruits, spores, pollens and macrofossils of aquatic plants such as seaweeds.
Paleobotanists use fossils, chemical signatures and other evidence to reconstruct ancient plant life’s appearance, growth and evolution.
Birbal Sahni’s Contributions to Palaeobotany
Birbal Sahni made significant contributions to the study of Palaeobotany. He took a deep interest in the study of plants from his early childhood. He researched on the anatomy and morphology of the palaeozoic ferns and India’s Gondwana formation’s fossil plants. Birbal Sahni is acknowledged for his significant contribution to Palaeobotany all over the world.
Achievements of Birbal Sahni:
In 1919, his interest in the study of plants earned him the accolade of Doctor of Science (DSc) from London University for his research on fossil plants.
He was the recipient of the Barclay Medal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, awarded by Cambridge University.
He was honoured with the prestigious “Padmashree” in 1973 and “Padmabhushan” in 1976 for his outstanding contributions to Anthropology.
He was elected for the role of a foreign honorary member by the American Academy of Arts and Science.
He was the founder of the International Institute of Palaeobotany at Lucknow, which later on came to be known as Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany.
He was the first Indian scientist who worked on Palaeobotany. Every student of Palaeobotany must be aware of his work and contributions to the field of Palaeobotany.
He worked with geologist PD Bose when he was doing his geological survey of India.
He was the first person to establish India’s first laboratory for taxonomic research at Lucknow. He remained actively engaged in this laboratory until his death.
He systematically taught Botany at Lucknow University.
In India, he was the first to form a paleobotanical committee to publish research papers.
He discovered the moulds of coins and explained the process of coin minting during ancient Indian times. Therefore, he was the first Indian to have significantly contributed to numismatics.
Sahni’s curiosity was broad-based and stretched to vast areas of science, including biogeography, phytogeography, archaeology, and geology.
What is BSIP?
Sahni started the Institute of Palaeobotany at Lucknow, which was later on renamed as the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany (BSIP) to acknowledge his efforts in the field Palaeobotany. This was the first Palaeobotany institute in India.
The Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, is one of the most recognized institutions in Palaeobotany, Palaeoecology and allied disciplines. Its mandate is to explore and develop Palaeobotany as a science and provide facilities for research in all aspects of plant life in the geological past, including fossil fuels.
The BSIP has been set up as an autonomous institute under the administrative control of the Department of Science. It combines traditional teaching of Palaeobotany with modern teaching facilities uniquely. The Institute is a pioneer in the field of Palaeobotany.
The BSIP strives to attain excellence in R&D through a dedicated scientific team and innovative integrated ideas in basic and applied research. The BSIP seeks to interpret plant life evolution, geological processes involved, and environmental evolution through time in its broadest sense.
Conclusion
Birbal Sahni was a great scientist and has contributed to various fields. He had a passion and keen interest in Palaeobotany. He raised the standard of various disciplines and made his classic contributions to Palaeobotany.
Palaeobotany studies and recovers plant remains from geological deposits, often in conjunction with paleontological and other earth-science techniques to determine the evolutionary history of vegetation and fossilized plants. Birbal Sahni received multiple awards and was appreciated for his work in various disciplines. He maintained his love for his work in the field of Palaeobotany until his death.
