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112-527: All Assam Students' Union or AASU is an Assamese nationalist student's organisation in Assam , India . It is best known for leading the six-year Assam Movement against Bengalis of both Indian and Bangladeshi origin living in Assam. The original leadership of the organisation, after the historic Assam Accord of 1985, became part of the newly formed Asom Gana Parishad which formed a state government in Assam. In 1940,
224-700: A Tai state, situated in South-Western Yunnan of China, and established his kingdom in Upper Assam . In 1253, he founded the capital city in a hillock and named it Charaideo . At the time of his advent, the area was inhabited by Morans and Borahis, to the north, to the north-east was the Chutia kingdom and to the south was the Kachari kingdom and to the west on the plains were the Baro-Bhuyans . For more than two and
336-564: A half centuries, Sukapha and his descendants, while primarily focused on administering the kingdom, upheld their dominance in the valley through their military prowess. The reign of Suhungmung marked the first massive expansion of Ahom kingdom . Besides sending a punitive expeditions against the Nagas, they fought numerous battles with the Bhuyans, Chutias, Kacharis, Turko-Afghans, and the Naras. In 1522–23
448-564: A huge army and fleet to invade Ahom kingdom. Here the Ahoms, lost at several places, and then captured the Ahom capital Garhgaon . During the rainy season Mir Jumla and his army suffered immeasurable hardship due to the climatic condition of the valley in addition the guerrilla fighting resorted against the invaders. And at last no noticeable gain, negotiation started and in January 1663, Treaty of Ghilajharighat
560-654: A mass protest against the bill. Following the failure of the protest, AASU and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) came together to launch a new regional political party, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) in September 2020 to contest the 2021 Assam Legislative Assembly election . The primary reason of forming the AJP and contesting elections was securing the interests of the indigenous people of Assam. Assam Assam ( / ə ˈ s æ m , æ ˈ s æ m / ə- SAM , a- SAM ; Assamese: [ɔ'xɔm] )
672-434: A matrilineal system where the lineage and inheritance are traced through women; the youngest daughter inherits all wealth and she also takes care of her parents. The state is the wettest region of India, with the wettest areas in the southern Khasi Hills recording an average of 12,000 mm (470 in) of rain a year. About 70 per cent of the state is forested. The Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion encompasses
784-705: A number of primates . Meghalaya also has a large variety of bats . The limestone caves in Meghalaya such as the Siju Cave are home to some of the nation's rarest bat species. The hoolock gibbon is found in all districts of Meghalaya. Common reptiles in Meghalaya are lizards , crocodiles and tortoises . Meghalaya also has a number of snakes including the python , copperhead , green tree racer, Indian cobra , king cobra , coral snake and vipers . Meghalaya's forests host 660 species of birds, many of which are endemic to Himalayan foothills, Tibet and Southeast Asia . Of
896-450: A number of army and civil administration posts such as the Borbarua and Borphukan . Jayadhwaj Singha taking the advantage of War of succession between the sons of Shah Jahan , occupied the imperial territories up to Dhaka . Aurangzeb after becoming the emperor, appointed Mir Jumla II , to recover the lost territory. After fail negotiations. In November 1661, Mir Jumla proceeded with
1008-533: A result of abundant rainfall, look green all year round. Assam receives more rainfall than most parts of India; this rain feeds the Brahmaputra River , whose tributaries and oxbow lakes provide the region with a distinctive hydro- geomorphic environment. The first dated mention of the region comes from Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st century) and Ptolemy 's Geographia (2nd century), which calls
1120-432: A rock cut stupa at Sri Surya Pahar has been dated to 200 BCE contemporary with rock cut Karle and Bhaja caves of Maharashtra. The site is located in a hilly terrain where several rock-cut shivalingas , votive stupas and the deities of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain pantheon are scattered. Samudragupta 's 4th-century-CE Allahabad pillar inscription mentions Kamarupa and Davaka (Central Assam) as frontier kingdoms of
1232-541: A small family of Tibeto-Burman languages . Garo, spoken by the majority of the population, is spoken in many dialects such as Abeng or Ambeng, Atong, Akawe (or Awe), Matchi Dual, Chibok, Chisak Megam or Lyngngam, Ruga, Gara-Ganching and Matabeng. Pnar is spoken by many people of both the West and East Jaintia Hills . The language is related to the Khasi language. Apart from the main languages, various local dialect are being spoken by
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#17328594100961344-596: A student union named Asom Chattra Sanmilan (Assam Students' Association) divided into the All Assam Student Federation and the All Assam Students' Congress. A decade later the two recombined as the All Assam Students' Association, which was later renamed All Assam Students' Union in January 1967. In August 1967, the Union "established itself as a formal organisation and adopted its Constitution". AASU formed
1456-525: A vast variety of floral and faunal biodiversity. A small portion of the forest area in Meghalaya is under what are known as " sacred groves " (see Sacred groves of India ). These are small pockets of an ancient forest that have been preserved by the communities for hundreds of years due to religious and cultural beliefs. These forests are reserved for religious rituals and generally remain protected from any exploitation. These sacred groves harbour many rare plant and animal species. The Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in
1568-454: A water tank which may date from 1st century BCE and may be 2,000 years old. Experts speculate that another significant find at Ambari is Roman era Roman roulette pottery from the 2nd century BCE. According to a late text, Kalika Purana (c. 9th–10th century CE ), the earliest ruler of Assam was Mahiranga Danav of the Danava dynasty , which was removed by Naraka of Mithila and established
1680-519: Is a state in northeast India . Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam : (a) the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills and (b) the Garo Hills . The estimated population of Meghalaya in 2014 was 3,211,474. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 22,429 square kilometres, with a length-to-breadth ratio of about 3:1. The state is bound to
1792-471: Is a major Hindu temple in Meghalaya and it is one of the 51 Shakti peethas on Earth. Indigenous Faiths is followed by 8.7 % of population. The indigenous faiths of Meghalaya are Niamtre , followed by Jaintia people, Niam Khasi and Niam Tynrai , followed by Khasi tribe. Muslims constitute 4.39% of the population and are concentrated mainly in West Garo Hills , where they make up 16.60% of
1904-482: Is a state in northeastern India , south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of 78,438 km (30,285 sq mi). It is the second largest state in northeastern India by area and the largest in terms of population, with more than 31 million inhabitants. The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to
2016-487: Is also famous for its large variety of orchids — nearly 325 of them. Of these, the largest variety is found in the Mawsmai, Mawmluh and Sohrarim forests in the Khasi hills. Meghalaya also has a large variety of mammals , birds, reptiles and insects. The important mammal species include elephants, bear, red pandas , small Indian civets , mongooses , weasels , rodents , gaur , wild buffalo , deer , wild boar and
2128-590: Is geologically rich. It consists mainly of Archean rock formations. These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable minerals like coal, limestone , uranium and sillimanite . The name Meghalaya was given by Shiba P. Chatterjee , a geography professor at the University of Calcutta . Meghalaya has many rivers. Most of these are rainfed and seasonal. The important rivers in the Garo Hills region are Ganol, Daring, Sanda, Bandra, Bugai, Dareng, Simsang , Nitai and
2240-427: Is practised even today. The highland plateaus fed by abundant rains provided safety from floods and a rich soil. The importance of Meghalaya is its possible role in human history via domestication of rice. A theory for the origin of rice is by Ian Glover while states, "India is the center of greatest diversity of domesticated rice with over 20,000 identified species and Northeast India is the most favorable single area of
2352-503: Is spoken by about 1,128,575 people residing in Meghalaya. Many words in the Khasi language have been borrowed from Indo-Aryan languages such as Assamese , Bengali and Nepali . Moreover, the Khasi language originally had no script of its own. The Khasi language is one of the very few surviving Mon–Khmer languages in India today. The Garo language has a close affinity with the Bodo languages ,
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#17328594100962464-533: Is the largest bird in Meghalaya. Other regional birds found include the grey peacock pheasant , the large Indian parakeet and the common green pigeon . Meghalaya is also home to over 250 species of butterflies, nearly a quarter of all butterfly species found in India. In 2020, scientists have discovered the largest known subterranean fish in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills . Byrnihat has been ranked 38th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 3 population under 3 lakhs cities) in India. Tribal people make up
2576-525: Is the official language of the state. The most spoken languages in Meghalaya are Khasi (33.82%) and Garo (31.60%) followed by Pnar (10.69%), Bengali (6.44%), Nepali (1.85%), War (1.73%), Hindi (1.62%), Hajong (1.40%) and Assamese (1.34%). Khasi (also spelled Khasia, Khassee, Cossyah, and Kyi) is a branch of the Mon–Khmer family of the Austroasiatic stock and according to 2001 census, Khasi
2688-651: The Ahom kingdom where the country was greatly depopulated and unorganised. The political rivalry between the nobles made a pathway for the Burmese to invade and weakened it more and finally leading to its annexation. The discovery of Camellia sinensis in 1834 in Assam was followed by testing in 1836–37 in London. The British allowed companies to rent land from 1839 onwards. Thereafter tea plantations proliferated in Eastern Assam, where
2800-571: The Barak valley region, alongside Bengali , which is also an official language in the Barak Valley. The state has 35 districts with 5 divisions . Guwahati (containing the state capital Dispur ) is the largest city in northeastern India . Assam is known for Assam tea and Assam silk . The state was the first site for oil drilling in Asia . Assam is home to the one-horned Indian rhinoceros , along with
2912-601: The Bengal Presidency , then in 1906 it was made a part of Eastern Bengal and Assam province, and in 1912 it was reconstituted into a chief commissioners' province. In 1913, a legislative council and, in 1937, the Assam Legislative Assembly, were formed in Shillong, the erstwhile capital of the region. The British tea planters imported labour from central India adding to the demographic canvas. The Assam territory
3024-633: The Bhauma dynasty . The last of these rulers, also Naraka, was slain by Krishna . Naraka's son Bhagadatta became the king, who (it is mentioned in the Mahabharata) fought for the Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra with an army of kiratas , chinas and dwellers of the eastern coast. At the same time towards the east in central Assam, Asura kingdom was ruled by another line of kings. Evidence indicates presence of civilisation in Assam around 2nd century BCE,
3136-519: The Chutia kingdom was annexed and the captured tract was placed under the administration of Sadiya-Khowa-Gohain. After securing the eastern tract, Suhungmung than expanded his kingdom westwards through conquest and extended it till Marangi to the west of the Dhansiri river. When the Kacharis tried to regain the lost territory they were defeated and their capital Dimapur was sacked. Over the remaining part of
3248-463: The East Khasi Hills district and the West Garo Hills district . English is spoken as a common language across the diverse ethnic and demographic groups. In urban centres most of the people can speak English; rural residents vary in their ability. Meghalaya currently has 12 districts. Jaintia Hills Division: Khasi Hills Division: Garo Hills Division: The Jaintia Hills district
3360-585: The Government of India Act of 1919 , the governor-general-in-council declared the areas now in Meghalaya, other than the Khasi states, as "backward tracts." Subsequently, the British administration enacted the Government of India Act 1935 , which regrouped the backward tracts into two categories: "excluded" and "partially excluded" areas. At the time of Indian independence in 1947, present-day Meghalaya constituted two districts of Assam and enjoyed limited autonomy within
3472-516: The Gupta Empire . Davaka was later absorbed by Kamarupa, which grew into a large kingdom that spanned from Karatoya river to near present Sadiya and covered the entire Brahmaputra valley, North Bengal , parts of Bangladesh and, at times Purnea and parts of West Bengal . The kingdom was ruled by three dynasties who traced their lineage from a mleccha or Kirata Naraka; the Varmanas (c. 350–650 CE),
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3584-591: The Indian National Congress against the British from the early 20th century, with Gopinath Bordoloi emerging as the preeminent nationalist leader in the Assam Congress. Bordoloi's major political rival in this time was Sir Saidullah, who was representing the Muslim League , and had the backing of the influential Muslim cleric Maulana Bhasani . The Assam Postage Circle was established by 1873 under
3696-796: The Khasi are Christian, while more than 97% of the Hajong , 98.53% of the Koch , and 94.60% of the Rabha tribes are Hindus. A minority of Garo and Khasi are also Hindus mainly because of the influence of Hindu populations in Hindu majority villages. Hindus are the largest religious minority in Meghalaya with 11.52% of the total state's population as of 2011 census Hindus are concentrated mainly in West Garo Hills , East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi with 19.11 per cent, 17.55 per cent and 11.96 per cent respectively. The Nartiang Durga Temple
3808-675: The Mlechchha dynasty (c.655–900 CE) and the Kamarupa-Palas (c. 900–1100 CE), from their capitals in present-day Guwahati ( Pragjyotishpura ), Tezpur ( Haruppeswara ) and North Gauhati ( Durjaya ) respectively. All three dynasties claimed descent from Narakasura . In the reign of the Varman king, Bhaskaravarman (c. 600–650 CE), the Chinese traveller Xuanzang visited the region and recorded his travels. Later, after weakening and disintegration (after
3920-558: The Mughals attacked Koch Hajo and his territory up to Barnadi River were annexed in the Mughal domain. This brought the Mughals with direct contact with Ahoms. Meanwhile, Parikshit was trying to renew his friendship with Ahoms, but got captured, and died on his way to his kingdom. Later Balinarayan , a brother of Parikshit who had taken refugee under the Ahoms was made the king of Darrang in 1615 by
4032-654: The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). In November 1990, the Government of India deployed the Indian army , after which low-intensity military conflicts and political homicides have been continuing for more than a decade. In recent times, ethnically based militant groups have grown. The Panchayati Raj Act has been applied in Assam, after agitation of the communities due to the sluggish rate of development and general apathy of successive state governments towards Indigenous Assamese communities. Deadly floods hit
4144-564: The Sanskrit words megha ("cloud", मेघ) and alaya ("abode", आलय) Meghalaya, alongside the neighbouring Indian states, has been of archaeological interest. People have lived in Meghalaya since the Neolithic period . Neolithic sites discovered so far are located in areas of high elevation in Khasi Hills , Garo Hills and in neighbouring states, where Neolithic style jhum or shifting cultivation
4256-521: The gharial , a critically endangered fish-eating crocodilian, and the pink-headed duck (which may be extinct worldwide). For the state bird, the white-winged wood duck, Assam is a globally important area. In addition to the above, there are three other National Parks in Assam namely Dibru Saikhowa National Park, Nameri National Park and the Orang National Park. Assam has conserved the one-horned Indian rhinoceros from near extinction, along with
4368-497: The pygmy hog , tiger and numerous species of birds, and it provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant . Kaziranga and Manas are both World Heritage Sites . The state contains Sal tree forests and forest products, much depleted from earlier times. A land of high rainfall, Assam displays greenery. The Brahmaputra River tributaries and oxbow lakes provide the region with hydro- geomorphic environment. The state has
4480-413: The wild water buffalo , pygmy hog , tiger and various species of Asiatic birds, and provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant . The Assamese economy is aided by wildlife tourism to Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park , which are World Heritage Sites . Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is famed for its feral horses . Sal tree forests are found in the state which, as
4592-435: The 1850s, the industry started seeing some profits. The industry saw initial growth, when in 1861, investors were allowed to own land in Assam and it saw substantial progress with the invention of new technologies and machinery for preparing processed tea during the 1870s. Despite the commercial success, tea labourers continued to be exploited, working and living under poor conditions. Fearful of greater government interference,
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4704-520: The 19th century. Later, the British incorporated Meghalaya into Assam in 1835. The region enjoyed semi-independent status by virtue of a treaty relationship with the British Crown. When Bengal was partitioned on 16 October 1905 by Lord Curzon , Meghalaya became a part of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam . When the partition was reversed in 1912, Meghalaya became a part of the province of Assam. On 3 January 1921 in pursuance of Section 52A of
4816-607: The Ahom king Pratap Singha . From 1616, onwards many battles were fought the Mughal without any tangible result, with the first Battle of Samdhara till after the last battle where the treaty was concluded in 1639 which fixed the Asurar ali on the south bank and the Barnadi on the north bank of the Brahmaputra as the boundary between the two. Pratap Singha had also enacted the Paik system and created
4928-584: The Ahom kingdom, the Chutia regions were annexed, and by around 1536, the Kacharis were confined to the areas of Cachar and North Cachar. At this point, they became more of an ally to the Ahoms than a rival force. The Ahoms , a Tai group, ruled Upper Assam for almost 600 years. In the year 1228 the Tai-Ahoms came to the Brahmaputra Valley under the leadership of Sukapha along with 9,000 men from Mong Mao ,
5040-494: The Ahoms achieved no notable military achievement. During this period from, Siva Singha to Rajeswar Singha , the kingdom witnessed peace and prosperity and was significant for constructive activities and other development. In the field of religion also, Ekasarana Dharma spread all over the kingdom and started to influence all aspects of people's life. The religious heads of Vaisnavite monastery exalted great influence with royal patronage and established numerous Satras and most of
5152-614: The All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad in August 1979 consisting of AASU, Assam Sahitya Sabha, Purbanchaliya Lok Parishad. The Jatiyatabadi Dal, Asom Yubak Samaj and Young Lawyers Forum also joined the Gana Parisha later on. AASU started observing massive satyagraha on the lines of India freedom struggle. Finally the central government signed the historic Assam Accord in 1985 to resolve the matter. The agitation ended and AGP won
5264-512: The Assam Geologic Province. The region is prone to natural disasters like annual floods and frequent mild earthquakes. Strong earthquakes were recorded in 1869, 1897 , and 1950 . The total population of Assam was 26.66 million with 4.91 million households in 2001. Higher population concentration was recorded in the districts of Kamrup , Nagaon , Sonitpur , Barpeta , Dhubri , Darrang , and Cachar . Assam's population
5376-585: The Barak valley) is the second most populous city in Assam and an important centre of business. Other large cities include Dibrugarh , an oil and natural gas industry centre, With the tropical monsoon climate , Assam is temperate (summer max. at 95–100 °F or 35–38 °C and winter min. at 43–46 °F or 6–8 °C) and experiences heavy rainfall and high humidity. The climate is characterised by heavy monsoon downpours reducing summer temperatures and affecting foggy nights and mornings in winters, frequent during
5488-483: The Bhupai. In the central and eastern sections of the plateau, the important rivers are Khri, Umtrew, Digaru, Umiam or Barapani, Kynshi (Jadukata), Umngi, Mawpa, Umiam Khwan, Umngot, Umkhen, Myntdu and Myntang. In the southern Khasi Hills region, these rivers have created deep gorges and several waterfalls. The elevation of the plateau ranges between 150 m (490 ft) to 1,961 m (6,434 ft). The central part of
5600-452: The British gradually annexed the entire region. Thereafter the court language and medium of instruction in educational institutions of Assam was made Bengali , instead of Assamese. Starting from 1836 until 1873, this imposition of a foreign tongue created greater unemployment among the People of Assam and Assamese literature naturally suffered in its growth. Initially, Assam was made a part of
5712-521: The Chief Commissioner. With the partition of India in 1947, Assam became a constituent state of India. The Sylhet District of Assam (excluding the Karimganj subdivision) was given up to East Pakistan, which later became Bangladesh. The government of India, which has the unilateral powers to change the borders of a state, divided Assam into several states beginning in 1970 within the borders of what
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#17328594100965824-591: The Garo Hills is Nokrek Peak with an altitude of 1515 m. With the average annual rainfall as high as 12,000 mm (470 in) in some areas, Meghalaya is the wettest place on Earth. The western part of the plateau, comprising the Garo Hills region with lower elevations, experiences high temperatures for most of the year. The Shillong area, with the highest elevations, experiences generally low temperatures. The maximum temperature in this region rarely goes beyond 28 °C (82 °F), whereas sub-zero winter temperatures are common. The town of Sohra ( Cherrapunji ) in
5936-475: The Garo language. Due to diverse climatic and topographic conditions, Meghalaya forests support a vast floral diversity, including a large variety of parasites , epiphytes , succulent plants and shrubs . Two of the most important tree varieties are Shorea robusta (sal tree) and Tectona grandis (teak). Meghalaya is also the home to a large variety of fruits, vegetables, spices, and medicinal plants. Meghalaya
6048-747: The Kachari and Jaintia kingdoms, and had captured their kings and forced to accept Ahom suzerainty and agreed them to pay annual tribute. Other than that, several expeditions were sent against the Miris, the Daflas, the Naga Mishmis and the Nagas of Namsung, Dayang and the Rengma Nagas during late 17th century and early 18th century. Rudra Singha had made extensive preparations for his invasion of Bengal but remained unfulfilled due to his sudden death in 1714. After Rudra Singha ,
6160-401: The Kachari kingdom, a new king Detsung was placed as a tributary, but Detsung proved disloyal and revolted against the Ahoms. He was subsequently executed. A new dependent king was set up on the Kachari throne with the name of Nirbhaynarayan. Since then the Kachari kings were regarded as 'thapita sanchita' meaning - established and maintained by the Ahom rulers. Suhungmung's reign also witnessed
6272-500: The Kamarupa-Palas), the Kamarupa tradition was extended to c. 1255 CE by the Lunar I (c. 1120–1185 CE) and Lunar II (c. 1155–1255 CE) dynasties. The Medieval Assam history may have started with the advent of Ahoms in the early part of the 13th century and covers their entire rule of 600 years till 1826. The medieval history of Assam is especially known for its conflict with Muslim powers under Turko-Afghan and Mughals , finally resulting in Assamese victory, however, this military glory
6384-473: The Khasi Hills south of capital Shillong holds the world record for most rain in a calendar month, while the village of Mawsynram , near Sohra (Cherrapunji), holds the record for the most rain in a year. About 70% of the state is forested, of which 9,496 km (3,666 sq mi) is dense primary subtropical forest. The Meghalayan forests are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support
6496-456: The Sixth Schedule to the Indian constitution. In 1971, the Parliament passed the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 , which conferred full statehood on the autonomous state of Meghalaya. Meghalaya attained statehood on 21 January 1972, with a Legislative Assembly of its own. Meghalaya is one of the Seven Sister States of northeast India. The state of Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of valley and highland plateaus, and it
6608-429: The South Indian Plateau system. In the south, the Barak originating in the Barail Range (Assam-Nagaland border) flows through the Cachar district with a 25–30 miles (40–50 km) wide valley and enters Bangladesh with the name Surma River . Urban centres include Guwahati , one of the 100 fastest growing cities in the world. Guwahati is also referred to as the "Gateway to the North-East India". Silchar , (in
6720-417: The War Jaintia (West Jaintia Hills), Maram and Lynngam (West Khasi Hills), War Pynursla (East Khasi Hills), Tiwa language by Tiwa peoples of Ri-Bhoi district. Another example is the Biate language spoken by many people inhabiting the south-eastern part of Meghalaya bordering Assam. Indo-Aryan languages like Assamese , Bengali , Hajong , Hindi and Nepali are spoken by many people residing mostly in
6832-578: The Welsh Presbyterian Mission began work at the Cherrapunji mission field. By the early 1900s, other Protestant denominations of Christianity were active in Meghalaya. The outbreak of World Wars forced the preachers to return home to Europe and America. It is during this period that Catholicism took root in Meghalaya and neighbouring regions. In the 20th century, Union Christian College started operations at Umiam, Shillong. Currently, Presbyterians and Catholics are two most common Christian denominations found in Meghalaya. Languages of Meghalaya in 2011 English
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#17328594100966944-410: The West Garo Hills and the Balphakram National Park in the South Garo Hills are considered to be the most biodiversity-rich sites in Meghalaya. In addition, Meghalaya has three wildlife sanctuaries. These are the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, the Siju Sanctuary, and the Baghmara Sanctuary, which is also the home of the insect-eating pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana also called "Me'mang Koksi" in
7056-462: The accession of Gadadhar Singha , fought the final Battle of Itakhuli where the Mughals were badly defeated. And the since then the border was fixed at Manah on the north bank and the Nagarbera hill on the south bank of the Brahmaputra till its annexation by the East India Company in 1826. Rudra Singha succeeded Gadadhar Singha , his reign is notable because of his military achievements and his socio-culture contributions. He had both subjugated
7168-596: The afternoons. Spring (March–April) and autumn (September–October) are usually pleasant with moderate rainfall and temperature. Assam's agriculture usually depends on the south-west monsoon rains. Every year, rivers like the Brahmaputra and Barak overflow due to heavy rainfall, causing widespread flooding across Assam. The rising water levels submerge nearby areas, washing away houses, livestock, and damaging infrastructure such as bridges, railway tracks, and roads, leading to communication breakdowns in many regions. This natural disaster also results in numerous fatalities throughout
7280-868: The bank of the Brahmaputra River , and the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary , near the border with Bhutan. The Kaziranga is a refuge for the fast-disappearing Indian one-horned rhinoceros. The state is the last refuge for numerous other endangered and threatened species including the white-winged wood duck or deohanh , Bengal florican , black-breasted parrotbill , red-headed vulture , white-rumped vulture , greater adjutant , Jerdon's babbler , rufous-necked hornbill , Bengal tiger , Asian elephant , pygmy hog , gaur , wild water buffalo , Indian hog deer , hoolock gibbon , golden langur , capped langur , barasingha , Ganges river dolphin , Barca snakehead , Ganges shark , Burmese python , brahminy river turtle , black pond turtle , Asian forest tortoise , and Assam roofed turtle . Threatened species that are extinct in Assam include
7392-432: The bill for Citizenship (Amendment) 2019 with 311 votes in favour and 80 against. The Rajya Sabha on 11th Dec 2019 passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, with 125 votes in favour and 99 against. The students' union stated that it opposes the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill stating that it is unconstitutional. Following the passage of the bill, AASU, along with several Nationalist organisations like KMSS , launched
7504-827: The birds found in Meghalaya forests, 34 are on worldwide threatened species list and 9 are on the critically endangered list. Prominent birds spotted in Meghalaya include those from the families of Phasianidae , Anatidae, Podicipedidae, Ciconiidae, Threskiornithidae, Ardeidae, Pelecanidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Anhingidae, Falconidae, Accipitridae, Otididae, Rallidae, Heliornithidae, Gruidae, Turnicidae, Burhinidae, Charadriidae, Glareolidae, Scolopacidae, Jacanidae, Columbidae, Psittacidae, Cuculidae, Strigidae, Caprimulgidae, Apodidae, Alcedinidae, Bucerotidae, Ramphastidae, Picidae, Campephagidae, Dicruridae, Corvidae, Hirundinidae, Cisticolidae, Pycnonotidae, Sylviidae, Timaliidae, Sittidae, Sturnidae, Turdidae, Nectariniidae and Muscicapidae. Each of these families have many species. The great Indian hornbill
7616-466: The east; Meghalaya , Tripura , Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor , a 22-kilometre-wide (14 mi) strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese and Bodo are two of the official languages for the entire state and Meitei ( Manipuri ) is recognised as an additional official language in three districts of Barak Valley and Hojai district . in Hojai district and for
7728-449: The election to the state Legislative Assembly and its leader became the chief minister of the state. Under the Assam Accord, a person who came to Assam from East Pakistan after 1951 and before 1971 was given citizenship. The Assam Accord stated in clause 6 that while giving citizenship to immigrants, constitutional protection will be given to original citizens of Assam. The Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 (IMDT Act)
7840-647: The entire Brahmaputra valley , was called Assam (e.g. Mughals used Asham ); and the British province too was called Assam. Though the precise etymology of Assam is not clear, the name Assam is associated with the Ahom people , originally called Shyam ( Shan ). Assam and adjoining regions have evidences of human settlement from the beginning of the Stone Age . The hills at the height of 1,500 to 2,000 feet (460–615 m) were popular habitats probably due to availability of exposed dolerite basalt, useful for tool-making. Ambari site in Guwahati has revealed Shunga - Kushana era artefacts including flight of stairs and
7952-563: The estimated 1,314 orchid species found in India. Assam has petroleum , natural gas, coal, limestone and other minor minerals such as magnetic quartzite , kaolin , sillimanites , clay and feldspar . A small quantity of iron ore is available in western districts. Discovered in 1889, all the major petroleum-gas reserves are in Upper parts. A recent USGS estimate shows 399 million barrels (63,400,000 m ) of oil, 1,178 billion cubic feet (3.34 × 10 m ) of gas and 67 million barrels (10,700,000 m ) of natural gas liquids in
8064-434: The first Muslim-invasions of the kingdom. After a series of battle, the invaders were roundly defeated and were chased up to Karatoya River . The Sultan of Bengal, terrified by the approaching army of Suhungmung, made peace by offering his two daughters and five paraganas, along with other articles as dowry to the king. The rising Koch king Biswa Singha also offered his submission, and the Ahom general Ton-Kham granted him all
8176-415: The formation of an autonomous state. Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills , and the Garo Hills . The name 'Meghalaya' coined by geographer S.P. Chatterjee in 1936 was proposed and accepted for the new state. The Act came into effect on 2 April 1970, with the autonomous state having a 37-member legislature in accordance with
8288-668: The fragmentation of Assam. In 1961, the government of Assam passed legislation making use of the Assamese language compulsory. It was withdrawn later under pressure from Bengali speaking people in Cachar . In the 1980s the Brahmaputra valley saw a six-year Assam Agitation triggered by the discovery of a sudden rise in registered voters on electoral rolls. It tried to force the government to identify and deport foreigners illegally migrating from neighbouring Bangladesh and to provide constitutional, legislative, administrative and cultural safeguards for
8400-414: The further division of East Khasi Hills district on 4 June 1992. It has an area of 2,448 square kilometres (945 sq mi). The total population of the district was 192,795 in the 2001 census. The district headquarters is at Nongpoh . It has a hilly terrain, and a large part of the area is covered with forests. The Ri-Bhoi district is known for its pineapples and is the largest producer of pineapples in
8512-594: The headship of the Deputy Post Master General. At the turn of the 20th century, British India consisted of eight provinces that were administered either by a governor or a lieutenant-governor. Assam Province was one among the major eight provinces of British India. The table below shows the major original provinces during British India covering the Assam Province under the Administrative Office of
8624-528: The indigenous Assamese majority, which they felt was under threat due to the increase of migration from Bangladesh. The agitation ended after an accord (Assam Accord 1985) between its leaders and the Union Government, which remained unimplemented, causing simmering discontent. The post 1970s experienced the growth of armed separatist groups such as the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and
8736-547: The largest population of the wild water buffalo in the world. The state has the highest diversity of birds in India with around 820 species. With subspecies the number is as high as 946. The mammal diversity in the state is around 190 species. Assam is remarkably rich in Orchid species and the Foxtail orchid is the state flower of Assam. The recently established Kaziranga National Orchid and Biodiversity Park boasts more than 500 of
8848-587: The late Holocene being called the Meghalayan stage/age , since a speleothem in Mawmluh cave indicating a dramatic worldwide climate event around 2250 BCE had been chosen as the boundary stratotype . One of the biggest Central Institutes , the North Eastern Council Secretariat, is also situated in Shillong. The word Meghālaya means "the abode of clouds"; the name derives from a compound of
8960-671: The life-line of Assam, is an antecedent river older than the Himalayas, which has entrenched itself since they started rising. The river with steep gorges and rapids in Arunachal Pradesh entering Assam, becomes a braided river (at times 10 mi/16 km wide) and with tributaries, creates a flood plain (Brahmaputra Valley: 50–60 mi/80–100 km wide, 600 mi/1000 km long). The hills of Karbi Anglong , North Cachar and those in and close to Guwahati (also Khasi-Garo Hills) now eroded and dissected are originally parts of
9072-495: The lost territory. After numerous battles, finally after the Battle of Saraighat the Mughals were forced to retreat. The period after 1671 was very unstable due to the rivalry among the nobles, who wanted to arrest their own political power and influence by placing their own choice of prince in the throne. In 1679, Laluksola Borphukan , in hopes of becoming king with the help of Mughals, surrendered Guwahati without any battle. But after
9184-742: The majority of Meghalaya's population. The Khasis are the largest group, followed by the Garos then the Jaintias . These were among those known to the British as " hill tribes ." Other groups include the Bengali, Hajongs , the Biates , the Koches and related Rajbongshis , the Boros , Dimasa , Kuki , Lakhar, Tiwa (Lalung) , Karbi , Rabha and Nepali . Meghalaya recorded the highest decennial population growth of 27.82% among all
9296-537: The name of Meghalaya. In 1972, Arunachal Pradesh (the North East Frontier Agency ) and Mizoram (from the Mizo Hills in the south) were separated from Assam as union territories; both became states in 1986. Since the restructuring of Assam after independence, communal tensions and violence remain. Separatist groups began forming along ethnic lines, and demands for autonomy and sovereignty grew, resulting in
9408-466: The one big district was divided into two: West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills The East Khasi Hills district was carved out of the Khasi Hills on 28 October 1976. The district has covered an area of 2,748 square kilometres (1,061 sq mi) and has a population of 660,923 as per the 2001 census. The headquarters of East Khasi Hills is located in Shillong. The Ri-Bhoi district was formed by
9520-625: The origin of domesticated rice." The limited archaeology done in the hills of Meghalaya suggest human settlement since ancient times. After the Conquest of Taraf in 1304, Shah Arifin Rafiuddin, a disciple of Shah Jalal , migrated and settled in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills where he preached Islamic monotheism to the local people. His khanqah remains in Sarping / Laurergarh on the Bangladeshi border but
9632-620: The part containing his mazar is in Meghalaya on top of Laur Hill. Bhaitbari is an archaeological site first discovered and excavated by A. K. Sharma in 1993, a fortification of burnt brick with mud core was discovered at Meghalaya - Assam border and is dated to 4th-8th century AD, the city has been speculated to have been one of the capital cities of Kamarupa . The British discovered Camellia sinensis (tea shrub) in 1834 in Assam and later companies started renting land from 1839 onwards. The Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes had their own kingdoms until they came under British administration in
9744-453: The people became their disciples. So got the Ahom court greatly came under the influence of Sakta Brahman priests and astrologers. The religious policies concluded by Phuleshwari and the persecutions of unfavored Satras, embroiled the situation more along with the pressure of Paik system in the 18th century. This finally resulted in the Moamoria rebellion (1769–1805), which greatly weakened
9856-461: The plateau comprising the Khasi Hills has the highest elevations, followed by the eastern section comprising the Jaintia Hills region. The highest point in Meghalaya is Shillong Peak, which is a prominent IAF station in the Khasi Hills overlooking the city of Shillong. It has an altitude of 1961 m. The Garo Hills region in the western section of the plateau is nearly plain. The highest point in
9968-515: The population. Conversion from indigenous to Christianity began in the 19th century during the British colonial era. In the 1830s, American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society had become active in Northeast India to convert indigenous tribes to Christianity. Later, they were offered to expand and reach into Cherrapunji Meghalaya, but they declined out of the lack of resources. Taking up the offer,
10080-508: The region Kirrhadia , apparently after the Kirata population. In the classical period and up to the 12th century, the region east of the Karatoya river , largely congruent to present-day Assam, was called Kamarupa , and alternatively, Pragjyotisha . Though a western portion of Assam as a region continued to be called Kamrup , the Ahom kingdom that emerged in the east, and which came to dominate
10192-456: The rural sex ratio of 972. Religion in Meghalaya (2011) Meghalaya is one of three states in India to have a Christian majority. About 75% of the population practices Christianity, with Catholics , Presbyterians , Baptists , and Church of God the more common denominations. The religion of the people in Meghalaya is closely related to their ethnicity. Close to 90% of the Garo and nearly 80% of
10304-406: The seven north-eastern states, as per the provisional report of census 2011. The population of Meghalaya as of 2011 has been estimated at 2,964,007 of which females constitute 1,492,668 and males 1,471,339. As per the census of India 2011, the sex ratio in the state was 986 females per 1,000 males which was far higher than the national average of 940. The urban female sex ratio of 985 was higher than
10416-487: The soil and the climate were most suitable. Problems with the imported Han Chinese labourers from China and hostility from native Assamese resulted in the migration of forced labourers from central and eastern parts of India. After initial trial and error with planting the Chinese and the Assamese-Chinese hybrid varieties, the planters later accepted the local Camellia assamica as the most suitable variety for Assam. By
10528-533: The south by the Bangladeshi divisions of Mymensingh and Sylhet , to the west by the Bangladeshi division of Rangpur , and to the north and east by India's State of Assam . The capital of Meghalaya is Shillong . During the British rule of India , the British authorities nicknamed it the "Scotland of the East". English is the official language of Meghalaya. Unlike many Indian states, Meghalaya has historically followed
10640-411: The state in 2020 and 2022 . A significant geographical aspect of Assam is that it contains three of six physiographic divisions of India – The Northern Himalayas (Eastern Hills), The Northern Plains (Brahmaputra plain) and Deccan Plateau (Karbi Anglong). As the Brahmaputra flows in Assam the climate here is cold and there is rainfall most of the month. Geomorphic studies conclude that the Brahmaputra,
10752-680: The state of Assam. A movement for a separate hill state began in 1960. On 11 September 1968, the Government of India announced a scheme for constituting an autonomous state within the state of Assam comprising certain areas specified in Part A of the table appended to paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution. Accordingly, the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969 was enacted for
10864-478: The state. Assam is one of the richest biodiversity zones in the world and consists of tropical rainforests , deciduous forests, riverine grasslands , bamboo orchards and numerous wetland ecosystems; Many are now protected as national parks and reserved forests. Assam has wildlife sanctuaries, the most prominent of which are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites -the Kaziranga National Park , on
10976-495: The state; its mountain forests are distinct from the lowland tropical forests to the north and south. The forests are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants. Meghalaya has a predominantly agrarian economy with a significant commercial forestry industry. The important crops are potatoes, rice, maize, pineapples , bananas, papayas, and spices. The service sector is made up of real estate and insurance companies . Meghalaya's gross state domestic product for 2012
11088-498: The tea growers formed the Indian Tea Association in 1888 to lobby to retain the status quo. The organisation was successful in this, but even after India's independence, conditions of the labourers have improved very little. In the later part of the 18th century, religious tensions and atrocities by the nobles led to the Moamoria rebellion (1769–1805), resulting in tremendous casualties of lives and property. The rebellion
11200-514: The territories that were received as dowry from the Sultan of Bengal on the condition of annual tribute. The successors of Suhungmung, Suklenmung and Sukhaamphaa , sent many expeditions against the Bhuyans and Nagas. But were significant with the wars with the Koch. During the reign of Sukhaamphaa , the Ahoms lost to a Koch army led by Chilarai and the Ahoms had to accept Koch supremacy and had to give up
11312-495: The tracts of north of Brahmaputra. However, the lost tract was soon recovered with further military expeditions. Soon after the death of Nara Narayan his kingdom, got divided between the sons of Nara Narayan and Chilarai as Koch Hajo and Koch Bihar . In 1609, Laxmi Narayan king of Cooch Behar accepted the vassalage of Mughals , and the Koch Hajo king Raghudev and later his son Parikshit sought assistance from Ahoms. In 1612,
11424-516: The year 1524. The rivalry between the Chutias and Ahoms for the supremacy of eastern Assam led to a series of conflicts between them from the early 16th century. The Dimasa, a Bodo-Kachari dynasty that ruled from the 13th century until 1854, controlled territories stretching from the Dikhow River to central and southern Assam, with their capital at Dimapur. By the early 17th century, with the expansion of
11536-636: Was concluded. According to the treaty, the Ahoms had to acknowledging Mughal supremacy, ceded the territory west of the Bharali on the north bank and the Kalang on the south bank along with a huge amount of war indemnity and handing over the sons of the Gohains as hostage and two Ahom princesses to the Mughal harem. Soon after the departure of Mir Jumla , Jayadhwaj Singha died and the new king Chakradhwaj Singha began preparations to overthrow Mughal supremacy and to recover
11648-482: Was created on 22 February 1972. It has a total geographical area of 3,819 square kilometres (1,475 sq mi) and a population of 295,692 as per the 2001 census. The district headquarters is in Jowai . Jaintia Hills district is the largest producer of coal in the state. Coal mines can be seen all over the district. Limestone production in the state is increasing, as there is high demand from cement industries. Recently,
11760-824: Was defeated after fierce resistance, which led to the Burmese occupation of Assam. A reign of terror was unleashed by the Burmese on the Assamese people, who fled to neighbouring kingdoms and British-ruled Bengal . The Burmese reached the East India Company 's borders, and the First Anglo-Burmese War ensued in 1824. The war ended under the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, with the Company taking control of Western Assam and installing Purandar Singha as king of Upper Assam in 1833. The arrangement lasted until 1838 and thereafter
11872-576: Was enacted by the Parliament of India in 1983 . This Act was struck down by the Supreme Court of India in 2005. Known as the IMDT Act (1983) it described the procedures to detect illegal immigrants (from Bangladesh) and expel them from Assam. It was applicable to state of Assam only whereas in other states, detection of foreigners is done under The Foreigners Act, 1946 . The Lok Sabha on 9th Dec 2019 passed
11984-520: Was estimated at ₹ 16,173 crore (US$ 1.9 billion) in current prices. The state is geologically rich in minerals, but it has no significant industries. The state has about 1,170 km (730 mi) of national highways. It is also a major logistical center for trade with Bangladesh. In July 2018, the International Commission on Stratigraphy divided the Holocene epoch into three, with
12096-508: Was estimated at 28.67 million in 2006 and at 30.57 million in 2011 and is expected to reach 34.18 million by 2021 and 35.60 million by 2026. As per the 2011 census, the total population of Assam was 31,169,272. The total population of the state has increased from 26,638,407 to 31,169,272 in the last ten years with a growth rate of 16.93%. Meghalaya Meghalaya ( / ˌ m eɪ ɡ ə ˈ l eɪ ə , m eɪ ˈ ɡ ɑː l ə j ə / ; lit. "the abode of clouds" )
12208-533: Was first separated from Bengal in 1874 as the 'North-East Frontier' non-regulation province , also known as the Assam Chief-Commissionership. It was incorporated into the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam in 1905 after the partition of Bengal (1905–1911) and re-established in 1912 as Assam Province . After a few initially unsuccessful attempts to gain independence for Assam during the 1850s, anti-colonial Assamese joined and actively supported
12320-453: Was shattered in the early 19th century when it failed to resist the Burmese invasions , which led to its annexation. Chutia , a Bodo-Kachari group by origin, held the regions on both the banks of Brahmaputra with its domain in the area eastwards from Vishwanath (north bank) and Buridihing (south bank), in Upper Assam and in the state of Arunachal Pradesh . It was annexed by the Ahoms in
12432-465: Was suppressed but the kingdom was severely weakened by the civil war. Political rivalry between Prime Minister Purnananda Burhagohain and Badan Chandra Borphukan , the Ahom Viceroy of Western Assam, led to an invitation to the Burmese by the latter, in turn leading to three successive Burmese invasions of Assam . The reigning monarch Chandrakanta Singha tried to check the Burmese invaders but he
12544-529: Was then Assam. In 1963, the Naga Hills district became the 16th state of India under the name of Nagaland . Part of Tuensang was added to Nagaland. In 1970, in response to the demands of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo people of the Meghalaya Plateau , the districts containing the Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, and Garo Hills were formed into an autonomous state within Assam; in 1972 this became a separate state under
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