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Assam

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Assam is a large state in northeastern India.

Assam Valley
Assam Valley

It sits just south of the Eastern Himalayas. Two major rivers flow through the land: the Brahmaputra and the Barak. To the north, Assam shares a border with the country of Bhutan. To the southwest, it borders Bangladesh. It is connected to the rest of India by a wide strip of land called the Siliguri Corridor. This state is a very busy place with many people. In 2011, the population reached 31.2 million people. This makes it the most crowded state in its region. Dispur is the capital, while Guwahati is the largest city.

The land in Assam is full of life and water. It has many different types of nature. You can find tropical rainforests and leafy deciduous forests. There are also wide grasslands and wet wetlands. The state gets a huge amount of rain. This rain feeds the Brahmaputra River system. The rivers create many oxbow lakes and special land shapes. Because it is so wet and green, many animals live here. More than half of all one-horned Indian rhinoceroses live in Assam. They live in protected areas like Kaziranga and Manas National Parks. These parks are even recognized as World Heritage Sites.

Assam has a very long and interesting history. People have lived in this region since the Stone Age. Some early settlements date back to the second or first century BCE. In ancient times, the area was often called Kamarupa. It was even mentioned in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. Later, it was part of the Gupta Empire. Many different groups ruled the land over the years. These included the Varmanas, the Mlechchhas, and the Kamarupa-Palas. Each group left behind their own mark on the region.

A very famous group called the Ahoms arrived in the 13th century. They came from a place called Mong Mao with 9,000 men. They ruled Upper Assam for about 600 years. The Ahom kingdom grew very large and strong.

Sketch map illustrating the extent of the Assamese kingdom in their zenith
Sketch map illustrating the extent of the Assamese kingdom in their zenith

The map shows how big these kingdoms used to be. The Ahoms had many battles with the Mughals. Later, the British arrived and started tea estates in the 1800s. Assam became part of independent India on 15 August 1947. It became an official state in 1950.

Today, Assam is known for many special things. It is famous for its tea and its beautiful Assam silk. People also find oil in the ground here. Oil was first found in 1867, and drilling began in 1889. The state has 35 different districts. People speak many languages, but Assamese and Bodo are the official ones. In some areas, people also speak Meitei or Bengali. Many visitors come to see the wildlife and the beautiful nature. It is a place where history and nature meet in a very special way.

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🖼️ Images & Media (67)
File:Charaideo_Moidams_image_,Assam.jpg
Charaideo_Moidams_image_,Assam.jpg
File:Sketch map illustrating the extent of the Assamese kingdom in their zenith.png
Sketch map illustrating the extent of the...
File:Battle of Mogul Mir Jumla with Assam in 1661.jpg
Battle of Mogul Mir Jumla with Assam in 1661.jpg
File:Cannon of Gadadhar Singha 2.jpg
Cannon of Gadadhar Singha 2.jpg
File:Garh Garhchuck.jpg
Garh Garhchuck.jpg
File:Assamese royal court scene from Dharma Purana.jpg
Assamese royal court scene from Dharma Purana.jpg
File:Siva dol, Sivasagar, Assam (1).jpg
Siva dol, Sivasagar, Assam (1).jpg
File:Antique Assam Thuria Earrings.jpg
Antique Assam Thuria Earrings.jpg
File:Bengal gazetteer 1907-9.jpg
Bengal gazetteer 1907-9.jpg
File:British Indian Empire 1909 Imperial Gazetteer of India.jpg
British Indian Empire 1909 Imperial...
File:Kanaklata Udyan, Tezpur.jpg
Kanaklata Udyan, Tezpur.jpg
File:Assam in 1950s.png
Assam in 1950s.png

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