Assam is distinguished by its rich cultural heritage and historical import. Located in northeastern India, it is renowned globally for its extensive tea plantations, the formidable Brahmaputra River, and its picturesque, verdant landscapes.
Assam’s historical narrative is one of resilience and identity, from the ascendance of the ancient Ahom Kingdom—celebrated for its defence against successive invasions—to prominent figures like Lachit Borphukan and social reformers of enduring influence. Its confluence of varied ethnicities and cultural traditions creates a unique and cohesive social fabric. The state’s heritage of world-renowned tea, artisanal craftsmanship, and indigenous traditions symbolizes the pride and indomitable spirit of its people.
The British annexation of Assam marked the end of the Ahom dynasty nearly 600-year rule, weakened by the Burmese invasion (1817–1826). The Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, after the Anglo-Burmese wars, formalized British control over Assam. British consolidation included the gradual annexation of territories: Kachari in 1832, Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills by 1835, and Matak, Sadiya, and North Cachar by 1854. Assam was governed by the Bengal Presidency from 1826-1873 and became a major tea plantation center during this period.
Colonial Assam consisted of outer hilly areas which the British labelled 'excluded' or 'partially excluded,' that were governed by stringent Inner Line Regulation mandating permits for outsiders. Assam then was not only home to the Assamese but also to 'coolie' labour from Central India who were brought in as workforce for tea plantations, and supervised by Bengali Administrators.
In 1874, Assam separated from Bengal and became a Chief Commissioner’s Province, with Shillong as its capital. In 1905, the Assam Province was separated from Bengal and renamed as the North-East Frontier. It was then incorporated into the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam. However, the Bengal partition was soon annulled 7 years later and Assam came to be re-established as Assam Province.
At the time of integration, the Bordoloi Committee (named after Gopinath Bordoloi), was constituted to determine the fate of Assam. It proposed autonomous district-wise councils across the state and paved the way for the inclusion of the Sixth Schedule in the Constitution. The districts thus marked were Garo Hills, United Khasi–Jaintia Hills, North Cachar Hills, Mikir Hills, and Lushai Hills (later Mizo District). It was decided that council would have legislative powers over land usage, forest management, town councils, and property inheritance. Without the assent of the district councils, no act could be applied to the autonomous districts.
At the time of Independence, the North-East Frontier Tract (NEFT) comprised northeastern regions bordering Bhutan, Myanmar, and Tibet. When India adopted its constitution, the NEFT was made a separate-politico administrative entity but was constitutionally a part of Assam. In 1954, the frontier tract was renamed to the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA).
Later, when the States Reorganization Commission (SRC) was constituted in 1953, the Naga National Council (NNC) demanded separation from India while the hilly autonomous districts demanded a separate state. The SRC considered neither demand, resulting in a demand for Naga independence in the shape of a single administrative unit comprising of the Naga Hills (in Assam) and the Tuensang Frontier Division (NEFA). Nehru agreed to the demand, and the Naga Hills-Tuensang Area came into being an administrative unit within Assam in 1957.
In September 1962, the Union government passed the State of Nagaland Act, and the state of Nagaland comprising the entire territory of the Naga Hills–Tuensang Area came into being. It was the first of present eight north-east states to be carved out of Assam. The 1960s were a period of much unrest in Assam. Mizo National Famine Front (MNF) emerged in response to the Mautam Famine in Mizo Hills. Around the same time, conflicts surrounding the imposition of Assamese as the state's official language came up. What made matters worse was that India and China went to war in 1962 over NEFA. Thereafter, in 1966, the MNF and its associated Mizo National Army (MNA) launched Operation Jericho. As a part of the operation, the MNF attacked army posts and government buildings, took over communications and control of the district, and declared Mizoram independent.
After winning the 1967 elections, the All-Party Hill Leaders’ Conferences (APHLC) demanded for a separate state. In 1969, Parliament passed the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act in which the autonomous state of Meghalaya including the districts of Garo Hills and United Khasi–Jaintia Hills was created within Assam. Three years later, in 1972, the Parliament passed the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act which made Meghalaya and the Mizo Hills District (Mizoram) separate states. The NEFA was also converted into a UT, the present the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Assam has not been re-organised since.
Sources: Administrative Atlas of India (2011). Origin Story of India’s States - Venkata Raghavan Subha Srinivasan (2020). We the People of the States of Bharat - Sanjeev Chopra (2022). Kaziranga National Park (n.d.).
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