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Assam

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Assam is a state in the north-eastern part of India. It is bordered by Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and West Bengal. Assam and its surrounding states (except West Bengal) are commonly reffered to as the seven sisters.

Its capital is Dispur. Assamese is the predominant language of the state. Its major festivals include Rongali or Bohag Bihu, Kati Bihu, Magh or Bhogali Bihu and Durga Puja.

Assam is, like Darjeeling, is a renowned tea growing region of India. Unlike the majority of premium black tea, Assam tea is grown at elevations near sea level, giving it a malty sweetness and an earthy flavor, as opposed to the more floral aroma of highland (e.g. Darjeeling) tea.

Assam also produces crude oil and natural gas. It has been producing crude oil for more than hundred years. Most of the oilfields of Assam are located in the Upper Assam region of the Brahmaputra Valley.

The name "Assam" is derived from the term "Asom" which, in Sanskrit, refers to unequal or unrivalled. The uneven topography of the land, full of hills, plains and rivers might, therefore, have contributed to her name. The Mongolian Ahom dynasty which had ruled Assam for more than six hundred years might also be the cause for her name.

Assam is a land with an illustrious recorded history going back to the 4th century BC. Assam was an independent kingdom throughout all of history till the end of the first quarter of the 19th century when the British conquered the kingdom and annexed it to British India. The current state capital of Assam, Guwahati, known in ancient time as Pragjyotishpura or The Eastern City of Light, was the capital of Kamrup which finds frequent mention in the Great Hindu Epic Mahabharata and other Sanskrit volumes and historical lores.