ASSAM 



[F. T. P.] 



OF all our possessions in the East, Assam is probably the 

 richest in natural resources, and up to a very late period, 

 also the most neglected and backward. It came into our 

 possession on the conclusion of the Burmese war of 1824 

 1826. 



During the time the Burmese had possession of it they had 

 devastated it fearfully ; they not only wiped out the majority 

 of males, but carried away very many of the younger women. 



Although there are evidences that Assam at some remote 

 period has enjoyed a fair share of civilization, good govern- 

 ment, and prosperity, there remained to us but ruins of cities, 

 portions of vast embankments and dykes to prove that in a 

 by-gone generation Assam was not the deserted wilderness it 

 was when it became ours. Very soon after we annexed it 

 Mr. Bruce discovered the indigenous tea-plant. 



The Province was never popular with the higher officials of 

 India or with Europeans in general. No governor-general 

 interested himself in the Province as Lord Dalhousie did in 

 Burma, or Lord Ellenborough in Scinde. It had no inde- 

 pendent Government, but was tacked on to Bengal, already 

 an unwieldy Lieutenant-Governorship ; but its patronage was 

 valuable, and any contemplated separation was strenuously 

 opposed. The local authorities and the Board of Revenue 

 were always at loggerheads; the former knew the require- 

 ments of the Province the latter did not, and cared less. 



Although Assam has fields of coal, petroleum, slate, and 

 other minerals in abundance, nothing was done to work them, 

 and had it not been for the lucky discovery of the tea-plant 



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