You’ve likely heard the story of Assam tea’s origins, how Robert Bruce discovered wild tea with the help of the Singphos and Maniram Dewan. But just as few know what happened after the Wright Brothers’ historic flight, similarly, the next chapters of Assam’s tea saga often go untold. As an enthusiast of Assam tea history, I invite you to journey beyond the discovery, to Chabua, the first successful tea plantation in India, and uncover the remarkable story that followed. So, let’s begin!
After he met with the Bisa Gam in relation to the wild tea plants which the Singphos used, Robert Bruce collected samples with help from Maniram Dewan. Sadly, Bruce died before his discovery could flourish. His brother, Charles Bruce, continued working there on.
Soon after, the East India Company formed the Tea Committee in 1834. They wanted to know if tea could be grown commercially in India. Major F. Jenkins, the then Commissioner of Assam, strongly recommended Assam as the ideal location. He sent local tea specimens to Calcutta’s Botanical Gardens. Dr. Wallich, a prominent surgeon, botanist of Danish origin & then superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden of Calcutta, identified them as tea, just like China’s plants.
In 1835, the Tea Committee sent a scientific team to Assam. The team included Dr. Wallich, Dr. Griffith, and Dr. McClelland. Charles Bruce guided them to wild tea tracts near the Naga and Patkai hills and river valleys. The experts debated whether they should use local tea or import Chinese seeds. Dr. Wallich favoured local plants, but Dr. Griffith preferred imported Chinese seeds. They finally decided to use Chinese seeds for government experiments.
That fall, the British set up the first nursery at Sadiya, a small town in Upper Assam. This town also gave birth to the famous Indian Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika. They chose a shifting sandbank at the confluence of the Kundil and Brahmaputra rivers for the nursery. The site proved a poor choice. The thin soil and frequent floods caused most of the Chinese plants to die. By the end of 1836, the British abandoned the nursery.
Next, the British moved the surviving plants to Jaipur, another town in Assam’s Dibrugarh district. Here, conditions improved but still posed challenges. The plants survived, but large-scale success eluded them. Today, some of these original plants and seeds remain preserved in Jaipur, though my research did not uncover the exact location or institution responsible. The Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Jorhat likely preserves some, but no public documentation confirms this.
Meanwhile, Charles Bruce, now Superintendent, kept exploring Assam’s forests. He found more wild tea tracts, especially near the Buri Dihing River. With the help of local communities and Chinese workers, he began harvesting leaves and producing tea. In 1836, he sent the first experimental samples to Calcutta. The tea was praised for its quality. In 1838, eight chests of Assam tea were sent to London and auctioned in January 1839. This marked a turning point. Assam tea was here to stay.
By 1837, the British established a new plantation at Chabua. This time, they planted both Chinese and local seeds. The plants thrived. Local people call the place “Chabua”, which is derived from “chah” (tea) and “bua” (plantation). The location offered fertile soil, stable ground, and proximity to rivers. Local communities already managed tea forests here.
Chabua became the first successful British-led tea garden in India. The British started commercial production soon after. They formed the Assam Tea Company in 1840. Workers arrived from Bihar, Bengal, Odisha, and beyond, as well as from central Indian communities; These so-called “tea garden communities” formed the backbone of Assam’s tea gardens. Planters often lured workers with false promises of good pay and living conditions, but many workers faced harsh realities such as poor housing, long hours, and tough discipline.
The British struggled to find enough local labour. Assamese people were reluctant to work in the gardens, so planters recruited heavily from outside the region, especially from areas like Chota Nagpur, Cooch Behar, and other densely populated, low-wage regions. The journey was perilous. Many workers died en route due to disease and harsh conditions. Those who survived often found themselves in “coolie lines”, crowded living quarters with minimal facilities.
The hybrid tea that emerged at Chabua was special. This was the first successful tea plantation in India set up by the British. They planted both Chinese and indigenous Assam tea together. Over time, these plants cross-pollinated, creating a robust hybrid that combined the best traits of both hardy growth, rich flavour, and high yield. This hybrid became the foundation of Assam’s tea industry and is still grown today. Genetic studies are available to show that Indian Assam tea is a distinct hybrid, different from both its Chinese and wild Assam ancestors.
Workers at Chabua Tea Estate fell into two main categories, regular and casual. Regular workers enjoyed job security and benefits such as ration, free health services, and LPG cylinders, while casual workers, who made up the majority (about 78% of surveyed workers), worked on a daily or weekly basis and received none of these benefits. The estate provided mixed housing for them. Some workers lived in kutcha (mud) houses, while others occupied pucca (brick) or semi-pucca homes (with 16% in kutcha, 26% in pucca, and 58% in semi-pucca, according to a recent survey). Chabua Tea Estate maintained a 62-bed hospital, with facilities including a general ward, maternity ward, minor OT, and a full-time medical officer.
Though child labour is banned, now, for the good, women and children once made up a significant part of the workforce. The industry was and remains highly feminised, with women playing key roles in plucking and processing tea. The families used firewood collected from the gardens for cooking.
In the years that followed, tea gardens spread across Assam. By the 1850s, private gardens opened in Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Lakhimpur, Darrang, and Kamrup. Maniram Dewan even started his successful tea estates. The industry boomed, making Assam the world’s top tea producer.
Today, Chabua Tea Estate, the first successful tea plantation in India, remains a proud symbol of Assam’s tea heritage. It covers over 13,000 hectares. Amalgamated Plantation Private Limited now manages the estate. The estate produces millions of kilograms of tea each year.
Chabua’s story is more than just tea. It’s about discovery, trial and error, and perseverance. From failed nurseries at Sadiya and Jaipur to global fame, Chabua stands as the true cradle of Assam tea. Every cup of Assam tea carries a bit of Chabua’s spirit, where dreams took root and flourished.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.