‘Assam Tea: Glorious 200 Years’

Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap’s

Review by Rupak G. Duarah

(rintu.duarah@gmail)

Assam Tea, the pride of Assam, has carried the state’s  name and fame across continents for over two centuries. It remains a shining example of how a regional product can elevate an entire area’s identity on the global stage.

The story of Assam tea began in 1823, when Scottish adventurer Robert Bruce discovered the indigenous tea plant growing wild in the Brahmaputra Valley, guided by local tribes like the Singpho and Khamti, who had long used its leaves for beverages and medicinal purposes. This marked the start of commercial tea cultivation in India. By the late 1830s, the Assam Tea Company was established, and large-scale plantations developed under British colonial influence. Over the next two centuries, Assam transformed into the world’s largest tea-growing region by production volume. In 2023, Assam proudly celebrated 200 years of its tea industry, highlighting its journey from wild discovery to a global powerhouse.

In accordance with the glorious journey of Assam tea, Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap, a noted journalist, writer, and scholar of the state, author a book entitled ‘Assam Tea: Glorious 200 Years.’ The book marks the bicentenary of tea’s commercial journey in Assam, tracing its roots back to the early 1820s when the British discovered the indigenous tea plants in the region.  

The book opens with a broader historical context, exploring the global history of tea before delving deeply into Assam’s pivotal role. The author meticulously examines the British East India Company’s involvement, the establishment of plantations starting around 1823–1830, and how Assam tea transformed from a wild indigenous plant into a cornerstone of the global tea trade. This colonial-era narrative is handled with nuance, highlighting both the industry’s growth and its exploitative foundations, including labor conditions, indentured workers, and early strikes documented from official British records.

A key strength of the book lies in its balanced coverage of the industry’s evolution. The writer chronicles the rise of large estates under British management, the post-independence shifts, and the emergence of small tea growers in recent decades, who now form a significant and often underrepresented segment of Assam’s tea economy. The author brings out untold stories, socio-economic impacts on Northeast India, and the cultural integration of tea into Assamese life, from everyday consumption to its role in shaping communities and even regional cinema (noting that Assamese cinema traces its origins to tea gardens), such as ‘Jaimati,’ ‘Era Bator Sur,’ ‘Chameli Memsaab,’ etc. The book highlights the industry’s resilience amid challenges and the vital role of small growers in sustaining its future.

‘Assam Tea: Glorious 200 Years’ is written in an accessible yet scholarly style and is richly informative for discerning readers. The book contains 224 pages with 24 long chapters such as ‘The origin’, ‘Spreading to Japan’, ‘Travelling out of China’, ‘Conquering England’, ‘The Chinese Way’, ‘Chinese tea, British Trade’, ‘Tea discovered in Assam’, ‘Birthplace of Tea’, ‘From Sadiya to London’, ‘The garden is here’, ‘From dense jungles to gardens’, ‘Brought with false promises’, ‘The Pioneer planters’, ‘The ripple effect’, ‘Tea and Assam’s demography’, ‘Tea in Assamese life and culture’, ‘Tea elsewhere in India’, ‘The small tea growers’, ‘A beverage of well-being’, ‘Research & Development’, ‘From labour strikes to climate change’, ‘Auction: From Amsterdam to Guwahati’, ‘The future of tea’ and ‘What is so special about Assam Tea’. Thus, the book successfully captures the pride of a region covering all aspects, whose leaves have flavored the world for two centuries. Moreover, the author’s journalistic background shines through in engaging storytelling, blending archival details with contemporary insights. The book is published by Publication Board, Assam, and is priced at only Rs. 250.