This study unravels the under-researched aspects of social and eco­nomic history of Assam. It analyses the erosion of the old ruling class and disappearance of the traditional and artisanal industries and examines the extent to which foreign rule and intrinsic limitation were both culpable for the eventual decline. The remarkable resilience of handloom weavers is another area of investigation. Introduction of the ryotwari land system, increase in cultivated acreage, introduction of cash crops, commercialization of agricul­ture and how a large section of marginalized peasantry broke into the labour market have been studied in depth. The author gives an interesting interpretation of the peasant uprisings in Kamrup and Darrang in the early 189s. He plumbs the origin of the Assamese middle class and shows how its class personality crystallized in a process of cooperation and confrontation. He marks out the creative and constructive role of the middle class so characteristically trivialized by many. The impact of tea industry has been studied from a new per­spective. Exploration of coal, petroleum, exploitation of the forest resources, floral and faunal disturbances have also been discussed. This is regional history, but it fully takes into account the all-India background. About the Author Rajen Saikia taught History at Nowgong Girls’ College. A recipient of the Sahitya Akademi translation award and Assam Publication Board award for historical research, Dr Saikia was the Chief Editor of the Asamiya Viswakosh, History volumes published by the Asam Sahitya Sabha. Presently he is engaged in a Political History of Assam Project of the Government of Assam for the post-colonial era.