After the Treaty of Yandaboo (1826), Assam came under British rule, leading to administrative reorganisation, annexation of territories, and economic exploitation. Rebellions, language imposition, and high taxation caused discontent. Despite modernization in revenue, policing, and education, Assamese identity was suppressed until missionaries and reformers initiated cultural and educational revival efforts.
Introduction to British Rule in Assam
Assam came under British rule with the signing of the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, ending Burmese domination.
This initiated a new era of annexations, administrative changes, and territorial restructuring.
Key territorial annexations:
Cachar (1832)
Jaintia Hills (1835)
Assam Province formed in 1874 with Shillong as capital
Post-independence changes:
Sylhet merged with East Bengal (1947)
Dewangiri ceded to Bhutan (1951)
Creation of separate states: Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh
Present Assam: 78,438 sq. km, 34 districts, most populous state in Northeast India.
Early Administration under British Rule
Role of David Scott
Appointed as Agent of the Governor-General for the Eastern Frontier.
Oversaw civil administration from Cachar to Sikkim.
Functioned as Special Civil Commissioner for areas like Goalpara and Garo Hills.
Panchayat System & Judicial Practices
Retained Assamese Panchayat system for local civil and criminal justice.
Final appeals made to British officials.
Scott introduced a modern land revenue system, but died before full implementation in 1831.
Early Rebellions and Resistance
Nobility-led Resistance
Nobles protested British revenue reforms that impoverished them.
Khasi Resistance (1828)
Led by Barmanik of Khyrem; resisted British control over the Nine Duars.
Eastern Assam Rebellion (1829)
Initiated by ex-nobility, but eventually suppressed by British.
Annexation of Territories
Cachar (1834) under agreement with Govinda Chandra
Jaintia (1835), with acceptance by Raja Ram Singh
Rise and Fall of Native Rulers
Purandar Singha (1832–1838)
Made vassal ruler of Upper Assam (excluding Sadiya and Mattak)
Removed in 1838; Assam became a non-regulated province.
Final Annexations
Cachar (1830), Sadiya (1842), Jaintia (1835) annexed
Manipur was restored to native rulers
Bhutan Duars annexed (1841) due to repeated outrages by Bhutias
Mishimi conflict (1854): murder of missionaries led to British military action
Lushai raid (1849): followed by British punitive expedition
Administrative Reorganisation
Creation of Districts (1833)
Recommended by T.C. Robertson
Four districts: Goalpara, Kamrup, Darrang, Nagaon
Each headed by a Principal Assistant with judicial and fiscal powers
Evolution of Capital and Boundaries
Guwahati as initial capital; shifted to Shillong (Chief Commissioner’s HQ)
Territorial changes: Dhansiri as eastern boundary, formation and reshuffling of Sibsagar, Karbi Anglong, Naga Hills, North Cachar
Administrative and Judicial Developments
Titles and Posts
Re-designation in 1861:
Principal Assistant → Deputy Commissioner
Junior Assistant → Assistant Commissioner
Sub-Assistant → Extra Assistant Commissioner
Separate civil judicial structure until abolished in 1872.
Revenue System
Paraganas placed under Choudhuries for revenue collection and petty justice
Choudhuries paid advance revenue to govt., collected from peasants
Poll tax (Rs.2) and high land revenue led to widespread resentment
Policing
Establishment of thanas (police stations) with Thanadars (darogas) having powers of preliminary trial and detention
Economic and Commercial Policies
Tea Industry
Chartered Act of 1833 encouraged private enterprise and land grants
Formation of the Assam Company
By 1858, large-scale tea plantation across Lakhimpur, Sibsagar, Cachar
Labour imported: 3 lakh in 1881 to over 6 lakh in 1901
Migration and Trade
Gaurinath Singh-Captain Welsh treaty (1793) allowed Bengal merchants access
Migration from Sylhet, Dacca, Mymensingh, Rangpur due to jobs and trade
Educational and Language Policy
Education Policy
English education promoted to create local clerks and officials
Lack of educated locals created reliance on Bengali migrants
Language Imposition
Bengali made court language in 1831, then medium of instruction (1839)
Assamese abolished from schools and administration
Assamese Resistance
Anandaram Dhekial Phukan protested Bengali imposition
Advocated for Western education, upliftment of Assamese peasantry
Role of Christian Missionaries
Missionary schools:
Sibsagar (1840) by Rev. Nathan Brown and O.T. Cutter
Nagaon (1843) by Bronson
Guwahati (1850) by Mrs. Barkes
Used platforms like Arunodoi to spread education and awareness
Sociopolitical Impact of British Rule
Continuous rebellion and discontent due to:
Dispossession of Assamese elites
Heavy taxation, poll tax, and loss of language
Cultural imposition and economic hardship
Formation of political associations to voice public grievances
Assam shared the colonial challenges faced by the rest of India: economic exploitation, administrative centralisation, and cultural subjugation