Based on original sources, this volume is a pioneering work in the study of the growth and development of judicial administration in Assam since the beginning of the East India Company’s rule in the province till it was separated from the Bengal Presidency in 1874. In view of the fact that Assam had its own laws and codes different from those of other provinces of British India, this work is unique and pioneering in its reach. Assam was administered under non-regulation system which had its origin in the neighbouring province of Bengal and was governed by a mixed system of local and regulation laws. In the administration of civil justice, the Bengal regulations were entirely dispensed with, while in criminal administration the regulations were followed more or less. Since the occupation of the province by the Company’s government till 1837 the fundamental drawback of the entire judicial administration was the want of a definite code of law, the absence of which confused the administrators in delivering justice. It was only in 1837 that rules for the civil and criminal administration, popularly known as the Assam Code, were drafted and judicial administration in the province found a sound footing. The presentation and analysis of the laws and codes prepared by the Government of Bengal in its executive capacity in consultation with the local authorities in Assam is the most distinctive feature of this comprehensive work. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

'A model work of historical scholarship'-Ramachandra Guha 'The most well-researched, comprehensive history of contemporary Assam ever written'-Partha Chatterjee The crucial battles of World War II fought in India's north-east-followed soon after by Independence and Partition-had a critical impact on the making of modern Assam. In the three decades following 1947, the state of Assam underwent massive political turmoil, geographical instability, and social and demographic upheaval, among others. Later, the truncated state suffered widespread unrest as various groups believed their cultural identity and political leverage were under threat. New social energies and political forces were unleashed and came to the fore. Definitive, comprehensive and unputdownable, The Quest for Modern Assam explores the interconnected layers of political, environmental, economic and cultural processes that shaped the development of Assam since the 1940s. It offers an authoritative account that sets new standards in the writing of regional political history. Not to be missed by any one keen on Assam, India, Asia or world history in the twentieth century.

Barak Valley is situated in the southern part of the Indian state of Assam.

Contributed articles.

A history of the colonial tea plantation regime in Assam, which brought more than one million migrants to the region in northeast India, irrevocably changing the social landscape.

Contributed papers presented at the Seminar on Reorganization of North-East India since 1947 held in Feb. 1993.