About the British Annexation of Assam (1826–1874)
The British annexation of Assam was a direct outcome of the First Anglo-Burmese War, which was fought between the British East India Company and Burma from 1824 to 1826. The war ended with the Treaty of Yandabo, signed on 24 February 1826 at the village of Yandabo, situated on the bank of the Irrawaddy river near Ava. On behalf of the British East India Company the treaty was signed by General Sir Archibald Campbell. Under its terms, Burma had to pay an indemnity of one crore (ten million) rupees and had to cede Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim to the British. Burma also gave up all claims on Cachar and Jaintia and agreed to receive a British envoy at Ava. As a direct consequence, in 1826 Assam came under the rule of the British East India Company. This is the single most important date for this topic: it marks the end of Ahom and Burmese control and the beginning of British rule in Assam.
After the treaty, however, the British did not withdraw from Assam as they had earlier indicated. Instead they consolidated their hold step by step. In 1826, David Scott was appointed the first British Agent of Assam, and his office was later given the higher title of Commissioner. The British took over the administration of Lower Assam in 1828, while Upper Assam was taken over later, that is after 1828. To soften the transition, the Ahom prince Purandar Singha was restored as a tributary king of Upper Assam in 1833, but he was deposed in 1838 for failing to pay the tribute. With the deposition of Purandar Singha in 1838, the Ahom dynasty came to an end. Meanwhile, the British had already annexed Cachar in 1832. These dates together show how a supposedly temporary military occupation of Assam gradually hardened into permanent colonial rule.
For several decades Assam was not a separate province. It was initially a part of the Bengal Presidency and was administered from Calcutta as an appendage of the bigger British administration. Later, the colonial government reorganised the region for administrative convenience. In 1874, Assam was made a separate Chief Commissioner’s Province. Its capital was Shillong, and its first Chief Commissioner was Colonel R.H. Keatinge. The year 1874 therefore marks the formal beginning of Assam as a distinct administrative unit of British India, and this transformation is an essential part of the story of the annexation.
Timeline of the British Annexation of Assam
- 1824–1826: First Anglo-Burmese War fought between the British East India Company and Burma.
- 24 February 1826: Treaty of Yandabo signed at Yandabo on the Irrawaddy river near Ava.
- 1826: Assam comes under the rule of the British East India Company; David Scott appointed the first British Agent of Assam.
- 1828: The British take over the administration of Lower Assam.
- After 1828: The British take over the administration of Upper Assam.
- 1832: Cachar is annexed by the British.
- 1833: Purandar Singha is restored as the tributary king of Upper Assam.
- 1838: Purandar Singha is deposed for failing to pay the tribute, ending the Ahom dynasty.
- 1874: Assam is made a separate Chief Commissioner’s Province, with Shillong as its capital and Colonel R.H. Keatinge as its first Chief Commissioner.
Main Facts about the British Annexation of Assam (Quick Revision Bullets)
- War that led to annexation: the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826).
- Parties to the war: the British East India Company and Burma.
- Treaty: the Treaty of Yandabo.
- Date of the treaty: 24 February 1826.
- Place: Yandabo, on the bank of the Irrawaddy river, near Ava.
- British signatory: General Sir Archibald Campbell.
- Indemnity paid by Burma: one crore rupees (ten million rupees).
- Territories ceded by Burma: Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim.
- Claims given up by Burma: Cachar and Jaintia.
- Other British demand: Burma agreed to receive a British envoy at Ava.
- Year Assam came under the East India Company: 1826.
- First British Agent of Assam: David Scott (his office later became Commissioner).
- Lower Assam taken over: 1828.
- Upper Assam taken over: later, after 1828.
- Tributary king of Upper Assam restored: Purandar Singha, in 1833.
- Purandar Singha deposed: 1838, for failing to pay the tribute.
- Dynasty that ended in 1838: the Ahom dynasty.
- Presidency Assam was initially part of: the Bengal Presidency.
- Separate Chief Commissioner’s Province: 1874.
- Capital in 1874: Shillong.
- First Chief Commissioner of Assam: Colonel R.H. Keatinge.
- Cachar annexed: 1832.
Important Persons and Terms
- Sir Archibald Campbell: the British general who signed the Treaty of Yandabo on behalf of the East India Company.
- David Scott: the first British Agent of Assam (1826), whose post was later upgraded to Commissioner.
- Purandar Singha: the Ahom prince restored as a tributary king of Upper Assam in 1833 and deposed in 1838.
- Colonel R.H. Keatinge: the first Chief Commissioner of Assam after it became a separate province in 1874.
- Treaty of Yandabo: the 1826 treaty that formally transferred Assam to the British.
- Bengal Presidency: the larger British administrative unit of which Assam was initially a part.
Why the British Annexation of Assam Matters for Exams
This topic is the foundation of the entire modern history of Assam, and it is therefore a favourite of examiners. Questions regularly ask the exact date of the Treaty of Yandabo (24 February 1826), the village and river where it was signed (Yandabo on the Irrawaddy), the British signatory (Sir Archibald Campbell), the size of the indemnity (one crore rupees), the territories ceded (Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim), the claims given up (Cachar and Jaintia), the first British Agent (David Scott), the year Lower Assam was taken over (1828), the tributary king restored (Purandar Singha, 1833), the year of his deposition and the end of the Ahom dynasty (1838), and the year Assam became a separate province (1874) with its capital at Shillong. The topic also teaches a larger historical lesson: how a treaty concluded to expel the Burmese from Assam was converted into permanent British colonial rule.
How to Prepare the British Annexation of Assam
- Anchor the date. The Treaty of Yandabo was signed on 24 February 1826, ending the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826).
- Learn the terms. One crore indemnity; cession of Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim; claims on Cachar and Jaintia given up; a British envoy to be received at Ava.
- Track the occupation. David Scott becomes the first British Agent (1826); Lower Assam is taken over in 1828; Upper Assam later.
- Remember Purandar Singha. Restored in 1833, deposed in 1838, ending the Ahom dynasty.
- Finish with 1874. Assam becomes a separate Chief Commissioner’s Province, capital Shillong, first Chief Commissioner Colonel R.H. Keatinge.
Common Exam Traps
- The exact date of the Treaty of Yandabo is 24 February 1826, not merely “1826”.
- Burma ceded Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim; it only gave up claims on Cachar and Jaintia.
- One crore means ten million rupees.
- The first British Agent of Assam was David Scott, not his later title of Commissioner.
- Lower Assam was taken over in 1828; Upper Assam was taken over later.
- Purandar Singha was restored in 1833 and deposed in 1838 — not in the same year.
- Assam became a separate province only in 1874, with Shillong as capital and Colonel R.H. Keatinge as first Chief Commissioner.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was the Treaty of Yandabo signed?
It was signed on 24 February 1826 at the village of Yandabo, on the bank of the Irrawaddy river near Ava, ending the First Anglo-Burmese War.
What territories did Burma cede to the British by the Treaty of Yandabo?
Burma ceded Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim to the British, gave up all claims on Cachar and Jaintia, and agreed to receive a British envoy at Ava.
Who was the first British Agent of Assam?
David Scott was appointed the first British Agent of Assam in 1826; his office was later given the title of Commissioner.
When did the British take over Lower and Upper Assam?
The British took over the administration of Lower Assam in 1828 and of Upper Assam later, after 1828.
Who was Purandar Singha and what happened to him?
Purandar Singha was restored as the tributary king of Upper Assam in 1833, but he was deposed in 1838 for failing to pay the tribute; his deposition ended the Ahom dynasty.
When did Assam become a separate province and who was its first Chief Commissioner?
Assam was made a separate Chief Commissioner’s Province in 1874, with Shillong as its capital and Colonel R.H. Keatinge as its first Chief Commissioner.