The early history of Assam is obscure, although there are numerous references in the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras to a great kingdom known as Kamrup that encompassed the Brahmaputra Valley, Bhutan, Cooch Behar, and the Rangpur region in eastern Bengal. The legendary king Narakaxura, whose son Bhagadatta distingushed himself in the Mahabharata war, ruled Kamrupa from his capital at Pregjotishpura, the site of a famous temple dedicated to the Tantric goddess Kamakhya, near modern Guwahati.

Among the early sources of the history of Assam is the writings of the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang ( Hiuen- tsang ), who in 640 AD, attended the court of King Bhaskar Barman, an ally of the great Gupta monarch Harsha of Northern India. Stone and copper inscriptions dating from the seventh to the twelefth century indicate a succession of Hindu dynasties, but it is unclear to what extent embraced Hindusim beyond the royal patronage of brahmans.

During the latter half of the sixteenth century, the revered gossain ( teacher, saint ) and Assamese cultural hero, Shankara Deva, inspired a popular Vaishnavite movement that sought to reform the esoteric practices of the Tantric Hindusm and to limit the prerogatives of the brahmabas attached to the Ahom court. The Ahom came to sponsor an extensive network of Vaishnavite monasteries, whose monks played an important role in the reclamation of wastelands for wet-rice cultivation throughout the Brahmaputra valley. Because of the repudiation of caste privilege, Shankara Deva's Vaishnavism appeaied the broad tribal base on which the Ahom had erected their state.

In 1874, Assam was separated from Begal, and was constituted into a separate province by itself, with its capital in Shillong. In 1905, on the initiative of the British Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, the province was amalgamated with east and the east. In 1992, the partition was nullified, and Assam was made a separate provinve once more.

Early in the twentieth century, the government of India, made vast tracts of land available to predominantly Muslim farmers from the provinces of East Brngal for settlement and cultivation. Nepalis were employed as diary herders and similarly encouraged to colonize new lands. The subsequent immigration of Indian traders, merchants and small- scale industrialists, such as Marwaris and Sikhs, stimulated capital devlopment in Assam and strengthened its ties to India. Assam and strengthened its ties to India. As a result of this enormous influx of migrants. Assam has been the fastest- growing region of the India subcontinent throughout the twentieth century. It has transformed the ethnic composition of the state and following India independence in 1947, the Assames won control of the their state assembly and launched a campaign to reassert the preeminence of Assamese culture in the region and improve employment opportunities for native Assamese. This led to the alienation of some tribal districts. The India Government parititioned former Assamese territories into  the tribal states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh over the next twenty years.

Assam comprises an area of 78,523 square kilometers ( 30,318 square miles ).

The average temperature is moderate, about 84 degrees F ( 29 degress C ) in the hottest month of August.

Assam does not have the normal India hot, dry season. Some rain occurs from March onwards, but the real force of the monsoon winds is faced from june onward.

Assam's forest cover about 20 percent of the total area. The Kaziranga National Park, the stronghold of the fast-disappearing great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, is its most famous wildlife refuge. The most important forest products are timber and bamboo, firewood and lac ( the source of shellac ). There are about 74 species of timber, of which two- thirds are commercially exploited. The forests are inhabited by wild animals such as elephants, tigers, deer and wild pigs.

Nominally, the Chief Minister reports to the Governor of Assam who is appointed by the Central Government of the India in New Delhi. He is normally not a citizen of Assam, and although unelected has the power to remove the elected Chief Minister from office in certain situations. The chief court for Assam, the High Court is situated in Guwahati. The judges are appointed with the informal requirement that the Chief Justice is from outside the State of Assam.

Administration, the Deputy Commissioner, in Assam is unelected, appointed to the post by the State Government.

Each district has its own police force headed by an appointed District Superintendent of Police. The district police departments across the state are independent units, but they report to the state appointed Inspector General of Police in Dispurt.

A district is composed of several sub- divisions headed by an administrative Sub - Divisional Officer. In each subdivision, there are several Circles. A circle is composed of Mouza, a mouza is composed of villeges and towns. A circle is headed by an appointed Circle Officer, a Mouza is headed by anappointed Mouzadar. A village usually has a nominal appointed heard called the Gaonbura. Some towns have elected mayors with very limited power, in others, if there are mayors, they are appointed by the state administration.

In summary, administration in Assam as in all India, is very centralized, with mostly appointed administrators below the state level.

The Assamese

The population of Assam is a broad racial intermixture of Monogolian, lndo - Burmese, Indo - Iranian and Aryan origin. The hilly tracks of Assam are mostly inhabited by the tribes of Mongolian origin. This broad racial intrmixture is the native of the state of Assam, called their language and the people" Asomiya" or " Assamese " which is also the state language of Assam.

The state has the largest number of tribes within their variety in tradition, culture, dresses, and exotic way of life. Most tribes have their own languages; some of their traditions are so unique and lively that these causes wonder to others. Boro ( or kachari ), Karbi, Kosh - Rajbanshi, Miri, Mishimi and Rabha are also among these tribes exhibiting variety in tradition, culture, dresses, and exotic way of life. Assamese is the principal languago of the state and is regarded as the lingua france of the whole northeast India. The Assamese language is the easternmost member of the Indo - European family. Although scholars trace the history of literary history is traceable only from the 14th century.

Artist and sculptors, masons and architects and others practicing minor crafts such as weavers spinners, potters, goldsmiths, artisanns of ivory, wood, bamboo, cane and hide flourished in Assam from ancient times. Weaving is the traditional craft of the Assamese, and the women of almost every household take pride in their possession of a handloom. They use their handloom to produce silk and ( or ) cotton clothes of exquisite designs. The Eri, Muga and Pat are the important silk products of Assam. The scientific name given to the worms which produce nthe muga silk is Antehra Assam-- due to the fact that these worms cannot survive in any other climates other the climate of the Northeast. Gandhiji complimented the Assames weavers as artists who weave dreams in their loomes.

The cultural life of Assam is interwoven with the activities of two important and religious institutions.

The most important social  and cultural celebrations are the three Bihu festivals observed with great enthusiasm irrespective of caste, creed and religous affinity. The Bohag Bihu, celebrated in mid - April, is the most important one. It is also known as Rangaali Bihu ( " Rang " means merry- marking and fun ). It is observed by dancing and singing in open spaces as well in the houses. The second omportant Bihu, Magh Bihu, is a harvest fesival celebrated in mid- january. It is celebrated with community feasts and bonfires. It is also known as the Bhogaali Bihu ( " bhog " means enjoyment and feating ). The third Bihu festival is observed in mid-October. It is also known as the Kangaali Bihu ( " kANGAALI " ) means poor ) because by this time of the year which is before the harvest is brought home, the stock of foodgrains is low in a common man's house.

The Assamese also observe pan - India religious festivals such as Durga Puja, Dol - Jatra or Fakuwa, Janmastami and the Eids, Christmuch

Another important aspect of the cultural life of the people of Assam, particularly the women, is weaving of the silk and cotton cloths of various floral and other decorative designs.