Gorkhas in Assam : The historical name of Assam is Kamarup. In the Puranic Age, Nepal and Kamarup comprised a single domain. Matsyendranath, a great mystic yogi of Kamarup, is said to have gone to Nepal and settled there. This ancient link between Nepal and Assam was resurrected in modern times in the 19th Century. In the early days, the Gorkhas were cattle herders in the Assam valley, their grazing grounds spread from Baralimara to Bhavani Devithan. Bura Chapari of Tezpur was declared a professional grazing reserve in 1881. In 1920, the Gorkhas were ordered to vacate the land, but, after public pressure, the order was repealed in 1933.
After the success of tea gardens in Assam, the Assam Company began bringing in labourers from 1853. After passing several legislations in 1863, people from Nepal and other communities were given the freedom to enter the tea plantation in Assam. The Gorkha population in Assam naturally went up. Labour was hired not only in tea gardens but in the other fields also. In 1889, oil was explored at Digboi. Gorkhas were employed from the very beginning of the enterprise. Since the native people feared to enter the dense forest of Digboi., the British employed the Nepalese for the operational work.
Places surrounding Digboi, like Itabhatti, Rasthpati, Nalapatti, Muliabari, Topabasti, Agreement Line, Goru Phatak were all originally inhabited by Gorkhas. During World War I, when the native people fled from Digboi, the Gorkhas were appointed as security personnel at the oilfields. In 1923, Jitbahadur Pradhan was authorized to recruit labourers for the refineries. He brought in hundreds of Nepali workers, particularly from North Bengal.
After the success of tea gardens in Assam, the Assam Company began bringing in labourers from 1853. After passing several legislations in 1863, people from Nepal and other communities were given the freedom to enter the tea plantation in Assam. The Gorkha population in Assam naturally went up. Labour was hired not only in tea gardens but in the other fields also. In 1889, oil was explored at Digboi. Gorkhas were employed from the very beginning of the enterprise. Since the native people feared to enter the dense forest of Digboi., the British employed the Nepalese for the operational work.
Places surrounding Digboi, like Itabhatti, Rasthpati, Nalapatti, Muliabari, Topabasti, Agreement Line, Goru Phatak were all originally inhabited by Gorkhas. During World War I, when the native people fled from Digboi, the Gorkhas were appointed as security personnel at the oilfields. In 1923, Jitbahadur Pradhan was authorized to recruit labourers for the refineries. He brought in hundreds of Nepali workers, particularly from North Bengal.
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