IJHS | VOL 54.4 | DECEMBER 2019 PROJECT REPORTS A Study on the Salt Production of Ancient Assam ̂ Raktim Ranjan Saikia∗, Nurul Amin Department of Geology, J B College, Jorhat, Assam 1 Introduction day Assam) extended up to the Bay of Bengal. As a result, the people of this region benefitted from the sea resources Study of human civilization has a multidimensional ap- like salt, shell and other trading commodities. But in later proach. Usually such approaches are based on the study part of 8th century, the Salastambha dynasty had fallen of ideas and religion, but mostly on the study of historic and lost its control on the routes leading to the sea. As tools and artifacts. In addition to this study of some items, a result every sphere of life was affected and they were essential for survival of man, play a major role in history. forced to return to some primitive practices. The people Salt is such an item. The absence or presence of salt was of Assam had to search for alternative sources for the com- intimately related to different historic events like settle- modities essential for daily life. The most unique com- ments, the rise and fall of populations, wars, large de- modity that the people of Assam extracted locally was salt. mographic shifts, the development of agriculture, etc. In Though the process of salt extraction was long in practice, the history of North East India the production, use and it was considered as an important practice during Ahom exchange of salt among the tribes led to several socio- rules (1228 – 1826 ce) in Assam. political developments but very little was known about the geological occurrence, characteristics and availability of these salts. In fact, the situation has not much im- proved during last few centuries. The present study is ex- pected to throw some light on these aspects. Salt occurs naturally all over the world as the mineral 2 Salt producing areas in northeast India halite, in seawater and as well as salt lakes. Some salt is on the surface as the dried-up residue of ancient seas. Ancient sea beds can also be found underground where Salt is known to occur in many parts of the Himalayan salt can be mined. We can make salt from seawater or Mountain belt. However salt producing areas of North other salt water sources through evaporation. Until about East India are located in the eastern part of the region 150 years ago, salt was one of the world’s most sought- in Naga-Patkai Mountain and on the south bank of the after commodities. A substance so valuable that it served Brahmaputra. The main salt producing area was known as currency, influenced the establishment of trade routes as Mohong. According to Sodiyar Bornamoi Buranji, mo- and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires hong is a Dimāsā word, meaning salt. Mo means mine and and inspired revolutions. North East India in general and hong means to boil or to prepare. Historic Mohong area Assam in particular has its own history of salt. Assam is a extended from the border of Twensang district of Naga- land locked territory, which lacks sea resources. Up to 8th land to the border of Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, century ce, during the rule of Varmana and Salastambha up to Namsai district. Medieval chronicles repeatedly kings, the Kingdom of Kamrupa (ancient name of present mentioned the name Mohong as chief salt producing area. Historic Mohong area was situated within Patkai Range DOI: 10.16943/ijhs/2019/v54i4/49775 which was known as Sotai Porbat among local Kachāri * Corresponding author: [email protected] people. There are numerous folk songs referring to salt ̂The project was carried out under the sponsorship of Indian Na- tional Commission for History of Science between the period August and Sotai Porbat. Three ancient salt producing areas ac- 2017 to July 2019. cording to medieval Assam chronicles are (Figure 1). PROJECT REPORTS IJHS | VOL 54.4 | DECEMBER 2019 2.1 Namchang-Borhat-Borduariya-Laptang area Borduaria well was most famous and supposed to the biggest historical salt well in Mohong. At present the This was within the historic Mohong area and included well is almost dry and as per the local people about for as part of Dibrugarh district of Assam and Changlang last 100 years no one had visited this place. This well is and Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh. It started now the property of the most powerful tribal king, “Bor- from “Borhat” and extended along the Naga-Patkai foot duaria king”. Now the whole well is covered with very hills up to Namphai reserve forest which also include thick vegetation. Two deserted salt producing furnaces part of Naga Hills. The area extends between latitude were found here. Khela is a Nocte villege and this village 95018′30.3″ E and 9508′13″E and longitude 27005′12.7″N has one small but nicely maintained salt well of Mohong. and 27000′53.0″N. The brine comes out through some seepages available in Disang Shale of the area. This village still carries the tra- 2.2 Sodiya area dition of local salt production. The administration of the well is controlled by the local tribal king of Khela (Fig- Sodiya is a frontier area to the eastern most part of As- ures 4 & 5). Saraipung is an abandoned salt well of Mo- sam, which was a part of historic “Mohong” area. Sev- hong. The brine routes are now totally closed. But wild eral British reports have mentioned about the availability elephants frequently visit the localities as the salted soil of salt wells in Sodiya. Francis Buccanon Hamilton’s ac- are their favorite food. Doyapung was the historically fa- count of Assam mentioned that for many centuries Sodiya mous Borhat salt well of Mohong. But this salt spring is Salt mines (springs?) were under supervision of an offi- already abandoned due to the lack of maintenance. Bor- cer, ranked as Mohongghat Baruah. Historic salt produc- pung was also part of famous historic Borhat salt well and ing springs were centered around a place now well known now abandoned. Two Semkhor wells are located in the as “Lathao”, popularly known as “Bordhol” among local present Dima Hasao District of Assam. Both the wells Kachāri population. are close to each other and located at the bottom of the valley near present Semkhor Village (Figure 6). Geolog- 2.3 Semkhor village ically the wells are located in the Dishang Shale Group of rocks. Salt-springs exist in Cachar District of Assam, Semkhor is a historic village in Dima Hasao district of As- both in the southern ranges (Sirispur and Bhuban hills) sam. Semkhor (Lat 93018′04.7″ E and Long 25016′40.4″ and in the Barail. Those in the Hailakandi Valley, Mauzas N) is probably the most remote and oldest village of that Bansbari and Chandipur are the only ones which are now region which has been continuously inhabited by hu- worked. The springs are leased annually for a trifling sum; mans. Presence of three megaliths in the village shows the the brine is not boiled down, the water being disposed of presence of some other prehistoric ethnic group in the vil- in earthenware to the people of the neighboring villages. lage. The Semkhor village is situated in the hills of Barail range covering an area of 406 hectares. The village is sur- rounded by hills and rivers from all sides, with the main 3 Salt producing people river being Langting (Figure 2). After extensive study of medieval chronicles and British The contemporary politics of the region as well as liveli- reports six brine wells and two salt producing furnaces are hood of different groups of peoples had direct relation identified in Mohong where only two wells are found ac- with the production of salt. As a result different tribes tive. In Semkhor out of five salt wells only two are inac- or groups of people were involved in the process of salt tive state. So far, no salt producing well could be identi- production. fied in Sodiya region. The Table 1 shows the locations and Dimāsā a well-known tribe (also named as “the states of conditions of the salt springs studied. Kachāris” in mediaeval chronicles) lived in Assam The word pulung is a Dimāsā word meaning ‘salt’ and since 2000 bce. Linguistically the Dimāsā-Kachāris perennial spring of Pulung is under the control of one belong to the Tibeto-Burman family. In the 9th Nocte Tribal king. The local Nocte tribes consider it as century, Dimāsās established their kingdom in sacred and protect it from outside interference (Figure 3). the central and eastern parts of Assam and are 486 IJHS | VOL 54.4 | DECEMBER 2019 PROJECT REPORTS Figure 1 The map showing three salt producing vil- Figure 2 Semkhor Village. lages of Assam. known to be the first tribes to produce salt from tingent of Ahom kings sent to the salt springs for Mohong area. Such salt productions practices were preparing salt. Lonpuriyas were from Assamese before the advent of the Ahoms in 1228 ce and heartland and at present it is very difficult to the Nagas. When the Ahoms occupied the Dimāsā distinguish them. The existence of several Lon- territory, they engaged some Dimāsā people for puriya villages in Assam indicates the existence salt extraction. There are six groups Kachāri origin of these salt makers. There are several groups people residing in the salt producing area of Sodiya (known as ‘khel’) of Lonpuriyas. They are Long- and Mohong. They are (i) Sonowal, (ii) Khamyang potiyas, Longsowals, Dhadumiyas, Chirupuriyas, (iii) Mohong (iv) Duania (v) Hazong (vi) Kheremial.