SOAS Research Online

Abstract

As the title indicates, the scope of my work covers a wide field of study, including both the political and cultural history of Assam from the dawn of history until the end of the 12th century A.D. No systematic investigation has yet been made into the history of the land. My aim is to trace the origin of the composite culture of Assam and to find the missing links between this land and India on the one side and South-east Asia on the other. On an examination of the materials, which has not yet been properly done by any previous writer on the subject, I have tried to throw light on some obscure points and have traced the origin of that composite culture as far as possible. I have begun with the geography of the land in order to show that Assam was known to the outside world from the dawn of its history, and that its physical features contributed much to the heterogeneous cultures of Assam. Next I have dealt with the Racial problems, the migration and settlement of the various elements, showing that this land contained some primitive peoples and had links with South-east Asia on the one side and India on the other. For the study of racial elements, I have had to depend upon prehistoric remains, such as neoliths, megaliths and the like, and upon primitive survivals in the present dwellers of the hills and plains of Assam. My emphasis is on the non-Aryan foundation of Assam's culture, which I have tried to substantiate with the help of the existing materials. In dealing next with the political history, divided into five sections, I have traced the origin of the political dynasty in Assam, which, I believe, was founded by the Alpine-Aryans during the protohistoric period. I have traced the evolution of the political history in its different periods until the end of the Pala line of kings, and have shown that Assam had something to contribute to the political history of India as a whole and that diplomatically its history was closely linked up with contemporary India. Lastly in my chapter on cultural history, divided into five sections bearing on society, economic life, education and literature, religion and monuments, I have tried to go into the origin of each aspect of these subjects and to show the respective contributions made by the Aryan and non-Aryan elements of the province. I have come to the conclusion that the virgin soil of Assam had a significant history of its own and contributed equally to the Indian political and cultural life. The thesis contains a few illustrations and two maps.