About Assam: History & other facts

The Legend behind the Name ASSAM: 

The word 'Assam' as explained by some philosophers and scholars has come from the Sanskrit word Asoma which means to be peerless or unparalleled. But it is now accepted by most of the academic circles today that this term has come from the original name of Ahoms, who had ruled the land almost six hundred years prior to its taking over by the British. The  various races like Mongolian, Austric, Dravidian and Aryan that came to this land long-long ago have contributed to its colorful culture. Hence, Assam has a rich legacy of history, culture, art and civilization.

Assam was coined as Pragjyotisha or the place of eastern astronomy during the older period and later was named as the Kamrupa. The earliest epigraphic reference to this kingdom of Kamrupa can be found in the Allahabad pillar inscription during the rule of king Samudragupta. Kamrupa has been mentioned as a Pratyanta or a frontier state outside the Gupta empire but with a very friendly and subordinate relation to it. Hiuen Sang, the Chinese scholar pilgrim who had visited Kamrupa in about 743 AD on an invitation of its monarch, Kumar Bhaskar Varman, left a record about the kingdom he called the Kamolupa. Kamrupa also figured in the writings of the Arabian historian Alberuni in the eleventh century. Thus, from the epic period down to the twelfth century AD, the eastern frontier kingdom was known as Pragjyotisha and Kamrupa and kings called themselves 'Lords of Pragjyotisha'.

The rise and entry of the Ahoms across the eastern hills during the 1228 AD was the turning point in the history of Assam. They had ruled Assam almost for six centuries. The Burmese entered through the eastern borders and overran the territory at a time when court intrigues and dissensions were sapping the vitality of the Ahom royalty. It became a British protectorate in 1826 when the Burmese ceded Assam to the British under the provision of the Treaty of Yandabo.

The state boasts of great cultural heritage, which has hues of various civilizations, yet has managed to maintain its own identity. The chronological account reveals that the region has been existent from thousands of years and has been invaded several times by various dynasties. Assam boasts of rich vegetation, forests and wildlife; it also has numerous reserve forests including the renowned Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary. Its biodiversity is acclaimed to be amongst the very few in the world.

Assam is the sentinel of North-East India and also the gateway to the North-Eastern States. The State is close to India's international borders with countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Assam is surrounded by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh on the north, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh on the east and Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram on the south.