A Short History of Assam

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In ancient times many powerful dynasties held their sway over the territory that constituted the present day Assam which was then known as Kamarupa. Chief among them were the Varmans (c.350-650 AD), the Salstambhas (c.655-900 AD) and the Kamarupa-Palas (c.900-1100 AD). It was during the reign of the Varman king, Bhaskaravarman (c.600–650 AD), that the Chinese traveler Xuan Zang visited the region.

After the disintegration of the ancient dynasties, two later kingdoms, the Ahoms and the Koch came to the centrestage of Assam. Of these the first held their sovereignty over Assam for nearly 600 years. The Koch kingdom came into being in c.1510 AD. During the reign of Naranarayana (c.1540-1587 AD), the power of the kingdom reached its pinnacle.

The greatest king of the Ahom dynasty was Sukhrungpha or Sworgodeu Rudra Simha (c.1696-1714 AD). Among other kingdoms which held their sway in some parts of Assam at this period were the Chutiyas, the Kacharis. During the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the Bengal governor Mir Jumla invaded the territory but could not hold power for a long time thanks to guerrilla attacks on the Mughal forces.

Assam was annexed by British India in 1833. Assam was made a state of India in 1947.

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