Background of Assamese Society, Culture and Literature

Abstract

There is a famous English proverb which says that 'Rome was not built in a day'. Similarly the of a particular society can never evolve in a single day. It takes hundreds and hundreds of years for any to establish itself. However it is very difficult to pin-point the exact date as to when a particular evolved. In English the word 'culture' has been derived from the Latin word 'Cultura' (root word being 'cult').1 Understanding is trying to understand people. When delving into the historical evolution of Assamese it is essential to remember that the rich of Assam is composed of different stages and it is also a mixture of many diverse elements. Culture is about people. In the words of Malinowski, culture is a total system of life and includes all the mental, social and physical means which make life run its course.2 In order to gain knowledge of Assamese it is imperative to first delve into the history of how Assam became home to a large population of various ethnic groups. Assam has developed a composite resulting out of the assimilation and amalgamation of the cultures of the diverse ethnic groups inhabiting the state.