Ancient Assam

Ancient Assam witnessed the Dynastic emergence and fall of several rulers. Started from the early periods of 350 AD, the land of Assam, then called as Kamrupa or Pragjyotishpur, had been inhabited by a number of ancient kingdoms like that of Varman, Mlechchha and Pala, among others.

The pioneering Dynasty which stepped into the rich land of Kamrupa in the earliest periods was Varman. Pushya Varman, being the first ruler of this Dynasty, was aptly succeeded by Bhaskar Varman under whose rule Pragjyotishpur achieved an all-new identity. The rule of the Varman Kingdom extended from 350 AD to 380 AD.

The Dynasty of Mlechchha came into existence soon after the fall of Varman Empire. Salasthamba was the prime historic figure who contributed significantly towards the formation of this Dynasty. From around 655 AD to 990 AD, Salsthamba Kingdom presided over the state of Assam.

The beginning of the Pala Empire started in the early times of ninth century in Assam. Initiated by Brahmapla, the Dynasty came to an end with Jayapala who ruled the land of ancient Kamrupa till 1110 BC.

After the decline of the Dynasty of Pala rulers, Kamrupa had been dominated by the Gaur Kingdom for a certain period of time. However, due to many reasons, this Dynasty could not hold the reign of Assam for long. With the appearance of many individual kingdoms in 12th century, the land of Assam started witnessing a new era of socio-political rule.

It is believed that during the 12th century, the Dynasty of Kamrupa faced many upheavals that led to its ultimate decline which in turn resulted in the closing of the era of Ancient Assam.