Historically, commerce has existed in Assam in different forms. In the late medieval and early modern times, Assam had trading connections with neighbouring areas of Bhutan, Tibet, Bengal, and Myanmar (Burma). This book studies the commercial activities in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in and around Assam. It looks at colonial Assam's economy, its traders, mercantile communities, riverine trade and transportation, bazaars, and examines the use of resources by the colonial regime. The book also studies the unique ecology of the region and the role it played in defining Assam's place in the global economy.

Rich in archival resources, this book fills a major gap in the historiography of Northeast India and will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of Northeast India, colonial history, economic history, trade and commerce, cultural history, Indian history, South Asian history, and history in general.