General Knowledge of Assam - Complete Guide
When Did The First British Administration Begin In Assam And How Did Purandhar Singha’s Protectorate Lead To Annexation In 1838?
The first British administration in Assam began after the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, which ended the First Anglo-Burmese War. Under this treaty, the Burmese ceded Assam to the British East India Company, marking the beginning of colonial influence in the region.
In 1833, Upper Assam was made a British protectorate under the last Ahom ruler, Purandhar Singha, who was allowed to govern with limited powers under British supervision. However, this arrangement was short-lived. In 1838, the British formally annexed Upper Assam, bringing it under direct administration.
The process of expansion continued. The Matak kingdom in eastern Assam was annexed in 1839, further consolidating British control. Later, in 1865, the British annexed the eastern Duars after the Anglo-Bhutan War, extending Assam’s colonial boundaries even more.
Thus, while the roots of British administration in Assam can be traced to 1826, the province gradually came fully under British authority through protectorates and annexations between 1833 and 1839. These early administrative measures laid the foundation for Assam’s transformation into the Chief Commissioner’s Province in 1874 and shaped its colonial history until independence in 1947.