Radhakamal Mukherjee

Radhakamal Mukerjee (1889–1968) was a pioneering Indian social scientist, economist, and philosopher who profoundly shaped the development of social sciences in India. Born in Berhampore, West Bengal, he earned his PhD from the University of Calcutta and became the first Chair of the Department of Economics and Sociology at the University of Lucknow, later serving as its Vice-Chancellor. Mukerjee championed an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach, integrating economics, sociology, anthropology, and ecology to understand societal dynamics. He critically examined indigenous institutions and authored influential works such as The Foundations of Indian Economics. A constructive figure in the Indian independence movement, he was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 1962. In The Changing Face of Bengal - A Study in Riverine Economy, Mukerjee likely applies his comprehensive framework to analyze economic and social transformations within the region.