The Eco-Political History of Muslims in Assam, India

Assam is the second largest Muslim populated state of India (in terms of percentage) only after Jammu and Kashmir. Muslims constitute about thirty percent of the state population. They are historically concentrated in the south and west Assam in large numbers. Five of the six Muslims majority districts of Assam lie in these regions and also the other districts in these regions have significant percentage of Muslims. Interestingly in Assam it is found that, wherever Muslim political structure once developed, has high percentage of Muslims living there. Besides, the southern and western region, central Assam (mainly in the districts of Nagaon and Marigaon) has significant Muslim populations. Presently the state has almost eighty lakhs Muslim population. History of the origin of this huge numbers of inhabitants does not represent one single period. Almost a quarter of their Islamic origin belongs to 13^th to 15^thcentury A.D., which is the timing of my study on Muslims Socio-Political History.The history of the Muslims of Assam is important for a comprehensive history of Assam. In fact, the way history of our country is incomplete without the reference of Assam. A history of Assam is also incomplete without the reference of Muslims history. In Assam, Muslim community is heterogeneous in character. Unlike other religious groups of the state, they are also divided culturally, ethnically and linguistically. A systematic study of these different groups, in the light of various sources and conditions is necessary, for the sake of a comprehensive history of state and Muslims in particular. Actually historical processes of conversion in to Islam, settlement of Muslims from outside and the geographical variance of the state paved their division. It is a fact, neither at single point of time Muslims had entered Assam, nor the locals belong to Hinduism and tribal faith embraced Islam at a time. Muslims arrived and settled in different places at different stages of history. Similarly the conversions to Islam occurred at various point of times. The newly settled Muslims (13^th to 15^th A.D.) of Turk, Afghan, Arabic, Persian and other backgrounds, mingling with the newly converted Muslims, and Non Muslims paved the way for the enhancement of language, Polity, economy and society of Assam. Thus local languages and dialects became filled with new words used by the adventurer. Both Assamese and Bengali languages are fraught with Arabic and Persian words. So Muslims added new dimension to Assam, what every new community develops certain trends and cultural diversities in the society and polity of that land, which in turn enrich the existing one.Language: Assam is a land of languages and dialects, as many as forty-five languages spoken by its communities. It is a mini India in terms of language. There are many ethnic groups, each have their own language, culture and tradition and of course very distinct customs. From a small tribe of four to five thousands Mech, to Bengali the largest ethnic group, every one have their language, culture and dialects. At present Assamese and Bengali are two principle languages of Assam. Assamese is the official language of Brahmputra valley and it is the common language of same valley. People of different languages, dialects used Assamese as the medium of communication with others in Brahmputra valley; many even officially accepted it as their mother tongue. Ahom having their own tribal dialect now speak and used Assamese as their mother tongue. Similarly Muslims of Bengali origin officially used Assamese as their mother tongue; though in their homes speak different Bengali dialects. The reason of Bengali Muslim accepting Assmese is largely because of political compulsion and security.Muslims Relation: Islam starts its journey in India almost from 8^th century A.D. Merchants, Sufis and political adventurers basically made it to spread Islam throughout India. Sufis can be called the torchbearers of Islam in India. Moinuddin Chisti, the famous Indian Sufi settled at Ajmer by the end of eleventh century. The Arab merchants, however, brought Islam to the coast of Kerala in 7^th century, and by that time a large Muslim society got developed in Malabar.. Similarly the Arab and Persian merchants visited coastal areas of Bengal, places like Chittagong much before the political conquest of northern India by the Turks. According to historians, during pre Turkish period, Sufis and merchants had entered Bengal in many occasions for preaching and trading purposes. Persian and Arab merchants even established important colonies in the contemporary towns of Bengal for commercial and maritime contact much before its conquest by the Muslim forces of Turkish origin (1205-6 A.D). History of Bengal is important for writing a history of Assam because Bengal and Assam being two land bordering states influenced each other’s society and polity for a long period of times. During many times the frontiers of Assam extended into Bengal, similarly the frontier of Bengal penetrated into Assam. Kamrup the old name of Assam was not unknown to Arabs. We find references of the word Kamrud in various accounts of Arab geographers and writers, which discussed trade relationship of Arab with Kamrud. Arab geographerAl Idris mentioned about the import of aloe wood from Kamrud.The word Kamrud is the arabisation of the name Kamrup. The trade relationship of Arabs, tends to believe that Arab Muslims while trading with the coastal Bengal might visited Assam, as latter was well-known to them. We know from Minhajuddin, author of Tabaqat e Nasiri that Muslim traders were frequent to Navadip, the capital of Bengal. So, the people of Lucknawti misunderstood Bakhtiyar Khilji and his small number of soldiers, as Arab horse traders because Arab horse traders were regular to Bengal. Similarly we find evidences of Muslim settlements in Sylhet, which was also known as Khanda Kamrupa before its political conquest by Muslims (1303). It is not confirmed whether thoseGeography: Assam is located in the north east corner of India between the latitudes 28°18´and 24° N, and the longitudes 89°46´-97 E. It covered an area of 78.523 square Kilometers. Assam denote in this study contemporary Assam. However in some cases reference of Syllhet, a district of colonial Assam is imperative. Because the present district of Karimganj has been a part of Syllhet throughout its history. It has the sane society, culture as that of Syllhet. When in 1947 Sylhet was declared a part of Pakistan, Karimganj subdivision was retained with India.

The territory of Ahoms is called Asham in Ain-e-Akbari and Asam in Padshahnaamaa. The same word is applied by, Francis Hamilton in his account on Assam compiled during 1807-8. Assam is apparently the English form of Asam. Again, there are differences of opinion among historians on the origin of the word Asham. According to one group of historian Mughal called Brahmputra Valley in the name Asham, as the land is uneven or peerless and in Sanskrit Asham means uneven. The second opinion is that Ashamoriginated from the word Tai-Ahom, the ruling dynasty of mainly upper Assam. Shihabuddin Talish the noted historian of the Mughal governor of Bangla subah Mirjumla, in his account Fatihat I Ibriyatreferred Asham as, the territory beyond Hajo and Kamrup Sarkar of Mughal Empire. So the term originally been applied to the tract of the country ruled by the Ahom, subsequently used to refer the area under the control of Assam.The upper portion of Barak valley is known as Kachar. According to local dialect Sylheti Bangla, Kacharmeans a stretch of land on the foot of mountains. While the lower portion of the valley comprises undivided Sylhet district which included present Karimganj district of Assam. The picturesque valley of Barak is the natural extension of vast Bengal plain. According to Nihar Ranjan Roy, author of Bangalir Ithihas, Barak and Surma valley is the extension of Meghana valley. There is no natural boundary between these two valleys. That is why the society and culture of East Maimansingh, Plain Tripura is well tied with Sylhet and Kachar that there is no difference exist between the two. It was included in various Kingdoms that had emerged during prehistoric and early historic period like Gauda, Samatata and with the Aryanisation it include as Pratyant. During 6^th and 7^th century this land became part of Kamrup and later in early medieval period an independent state of Harikala emerged.

UNEMPLOYED PROBLEMS OF ASSAM AND SOME REMEDIAL MEASURES

Unemployment in one such mighty problem put the future sizeable group of educated as well as uneducated youth of country in the dark. Limited number of 'white colour jobs' has failed to meet up tthe demand created in the job market. The severity of this problem is on the increase. It has become the problem like uncured disease and our economic expert are diagnosing to case the problem in different angles during the past plan period and programme. So materialised perhaps failed to achieve any desired result. Now it has become a challenging national problem bringing acute measeries to the society, individual family and particularly to the job seekers.
When a human body is seriously affected by different types of disease consciously or unconsciously its registance powerdecreases. Physiciary may treat the body seriously but result achieved may not be worthwhile. Likewise our major problem of unemployment has been cropped up as a national disease. Which cannot be cured overnight with a magic stic. If we take a overall statistics of our state, more than 20(Twenty) lacs of registered unemployed youths are seeking different types of jobs in the state at present. Different political parties forming the government in Assam in past and at presentand implemented various planning and programmes in the state but could not take sincere attitude towards easing the problems during the last two decades of generation of employment out of Industry, Agriculture or forestry etc. Crores of rupees were spent on planning programme but the result achieved are very poor.
It is experienced from the employment service the registered job seekers shows that more than 85% of the live registered are catagorized as "White colour" and unskilled job seekers and the remaining are from Engineering, Medical, Teaching and others. In this regard our state Govt. is not at all a successful policy maker to mobilize, except a very small portion of job seekers to be absorbed in the self-employment scheme through states own finance.
Naturally, now questions arise out of these situations how can all those people be engaged in such an economic backward state like Assam? Such a magitude problem arising due to various reasons can not be solved in a magic way. But it is believed if our Govt. extents its sincere attitude towards easing the problem in a planned and partial manner with an advisory body considering some experts fom all the brances like Agriculture, Veterinary, Fishery, Forestry Oil and Natural Scientist etc. with their valuable advice, Govt. can successfully face the problem of the job seekers.
The state of Assam has vast Agriculture lands, Forests, Oil & Natural gas,Coal and so many water resources. Our main hindrances to develop the rural economy of the state having poor communication to the rural areas, shortage of well stablished markets for selling of any Industrial or Agricultural products, absence of any training facilities to the job seekers. Naturally, questions arises how to proceed where to proceed to bring enermous success in the field of unemployment for placing huge number of different job seekers to earn their livelihood.
Inthe remedial measures, time has arive to study the qualities and nature of job seekers. It is time that the educated unemployed youth of our state is yet to proved their intectuality like others state. In national level recruitment like I.A.S., I.P.S, I.R.S., I.F.S., I.E.S. etc the percentage of success of our badly suffering. The job seekers are badly suffering from lack of confidence and decieved by the corrupted machineries and political leaders of the state. It become essential to Introduce the syllabus for development of personality confidence of the school going children. From school onwards each and every students are as partially aware of the "Jobs less future" which create depression among them after completion of their education. Due to job less situation the educated youths are losing their self confidence, personality, respect to the government and competitive attitude. However Govt. has initiated soe measures but not and enough at all the Employment Exchange by deputed the officers to visit the school the colleges for development of personality to sit in the various competitive examinations. In spite of these, Govt. should compulsory introduce a subject in the school and college level.
"Self Employment" is the best option as means of respectable living. A self employed person is a matter of his or her own self. The Govt. of Assam as well as the Central Govt. has launched several self employment programmes throughout the Century which are not come out cent percent success.
(i) The Bureacrautic produces for selection of beneficiaries disrupted the aims and objects of the scheme. It should be made a little frequent in case of various employment schemes.
(ii) Scheme are become failure due to proper initiative are not taken for the remote and backward areas. As a result the backward areas remain as it is.
(iii) Govt. should take steps initial to stablish agricultural based industries for which the unemployed youths may be motivated to agricultured works.
(iv) Arrangement sholud be made by the concerned department of supply raw materials at no profit, no loss prices & help the growers top market to finish products at normal price.
These are some of the ways and means which can improve the problems for large no. of job seekers of Assam roaming here and there with frustration.

Edu-Cultural Condition of our MIA Society in Assam

It is known to all and accepted by all that education is the instrument of social change and development. According to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the progress of a society is determined by education. Three obstacles that stand in the way of progress are ignorance, diseases and property. Of these major obstacle is ignorance. If the ignorance is removed from the men’s mind s their poverty will diminish and the disease will be eliminated. The history of civilization shows that the progressive philosophy-the scientific point of view, the realistic and positive out look and the aesthetic sense are basic factors for individual and social progress. Here the finding of an anthropological research can be added. This research had found out that the amount of sex control is positively correlated with the development of a race. It means that the more amount of sex controlled the more is the development of a race. The progress of America, Japan, England and other advanced countries is due to their progressive philosophy. They could link their philosophy with economic growth. Now a day, it is observed that many people are following this path and their advancement is on the progress. But those who are unable to and unwilling to accept this path is bound to be down trodden.

It is difficult but important to achieve all the factors behind the progress and advancement. There are the great gifts of education-time fitting quality education. The quality education has been considered as the key factor of all-round and balanced development of an individual as well as the society, The quality education refers to that education which can produce the quality people having high degree of goodness, worth and excellence. Quality depends on how and how much knowledge and information an individual acquires, belief and attitude towards the knowledge he develops and habit of doing or work culture he imbibes. These are the three Pillars of personality which are related to truth, goodness and beauty truth in knowledge and information, goodness of feeling and attitude, and beauty in doing or behaviour.

Thus the quality in the achievement of an individual’s education is required to be reflected in his behaviour or personality, in his thought and feeling. The external and superficial flourishment of the periphery is not the purpose of education. Through education we are to open our eyes to see the things as they are not as we are and to loosen our tongue to speak what is right and just-what is real and reasonable. It is in this way, one’s behaviour is shadowed by the beauty and gradually it covers the whole sky of the society.

Culture is closely related with education. It is rightly said that the cultivation of land is agriculture and the cultivation of mind is culture. Through education mind is cultivated. The cultural development of a society largely depends on quality education and progressive outlook. Again social enlightenment and advancement depend on edu-cultural condition of the society. A society or a community living without changing and developing culture is an ugly spectacle of the modern society. The culture is the way of living. It enriches the dry skeleton of our individual and social life with flesh and blood and makes it colourful and beautiful. It improves the taste and temperament, aesthetic and ethical quality of people. Above all, culture is the identity of a community through which it introduces itself to others.

DUTIES OF TEACHERS AND GUARDIANS TO ADOLESCENCE STUDENTS

Adolescence is the period of repid growth physical and mental development between childhood and adulthood. The period of adolescence between 8-9 years for boys and 8-18 years for girls. Appearence of secondary exernal signs of sexual inaturatation to complete sexual maturity. Adolescence period of a student between 14 to 18 years is very important. It is the time of carrier making with good performance in examination. It is also the time of character forming age. But adolescence age is marked by abrutly physical growth, development of reproductive organ and too much secretion neuro endocrine glands. In the adolescence peroid students mind become frequent shifts of mood. They want to do every function by emotionally because of too much productions of hormones including six hormones in the body. This come at a time of preoccupation with self assertian, mind development in self identity, self steem and self respect. A possitive and accurate understanding of self in reaction to peer groups in school and rest of the world in important for social adjustment particularly under the conditions of stress and conflicts. Moral rreasoning developes in adolescence, regarding of their culture and their religious background. It is the time of attraction to opposite sex. So, teachers including guardians should care to their students and ward. The life of some talent student may also spoil for the very sensitive period of adolescence. There arises some common problem in adolescence period of age. Acne is the main problem in this period both boys and girls. In one side, the students of adeloscence become sensitive to beautiness and in other side, acne makes them ugly. So, they begin to think the cause to relieve from acne and use various types of cream without the docters prescription. That infects the skin dangerously. Acne occurs from clogged pores of skin due to side effects of sex hormones. So, teachers should help to understand the actual cause of acne. In case under develop students, there arises a problem of psychosomatic, called HYPOCHONDRA. Because they inter adeloscence lately. In the adeloscene period, socia; awakwardness arises in the mind of the students and they begin to gregariomnsess. It is the opposite nature of lonelyness in the adeloscence period. So, sometimes students may creat a critical circumstances due to too much friend collection because it is not easy to select a proper friend for the dangerous age. So, guardian should be always alert to their wards. In adeloscence period both boys and girls start to consciousness to their body weight. They want to keep their body slim for which they takes less food. As a growth stage they should take more food because it is the time to eat nutrient food. As a result of taking less food, students suffer from deficiency disease. Sometime again some students of this age eat too much or fast food and become fatty. Neurasthenia is adolescence symptom in case of some adult young. The special characterstic of neurathenia is in ability of concentration to study or enjoying. Neurathenia may lead the students to fatigues depression and head ache. So, the teachers and guardians consciousness is very necessary to remedy the problems. Another problem arises in case of adeloscence students is phobias. Phobia is a psychological disease. In this case doctors advice or treatment is verry necessary. Adiction to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, smoking, chewing and rap are also verious types of adeloscence disorder.Blue film watching, frustration in schools result, infurity complex, depression, physical and mental deflections are the main cause to these problems. Blue film watching of adeloscence students attract to rap and robberydeloscence age become fashionable. Their concentration goes to dressess and style except study. Now a days mobile fashion also a harmfull factor to adeloscence. They talk unnecessary subject matter and spoil time and money. After all students fail to handle mobiles in proper manner. Adeloscence is the formative period of both physical and psychological health and is the preparatory phase of a student to his future life. That means students future life depends upon this period. In this period, students want to identity themself in the wide world.They think that is right, others thinking are wrong. Moreover it is the time of a student to transformation psychological and behaviour habits. From this period students aquire from the family and society higher levels moral standings. Thus healthy adeloscence of a student depend upon teachers and guardians co-operation. So, every teacher and guardians should notice his adeloscence students or ward.

Erosion Havoc of the Brahmaputra

The Brahmaputra which is flowing East to West through the plains of Assam is one of the mightiest rivers of the world. Meandering through the plains it creats innumerable 'Chars' perticularly in its lower part in the district of Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta,Bongaigaon, Goalpara and Dhubri. There are a large no.'Chars'of while most of them are temporary, some are permanent also. These are the abode of the Muslims peasants who struggle persistently with the fury of nature. At the same time they have also to constantly face the problem of large-scale erosion of the Brahmaputra. Erosion usually takes place when water of the Brahmaputra recedes during the month of Octobor andNovember. The fury of the Brahaputra particularly when it erodes its bank can not be understood well if one does not see it personally. Erosion washes away mercilessly standing crops, houses, valuable trees and sometime domestic live stock like cows, buffalos, goats, sheeps etc. The ersion havoc of the Brahmaputra has become more devastating in scale perticularly after the great earthquake of 1950. A part of Dibrugarh town(Assam) was washed away in 1950 by erosion . In 1954, Palashbari a commercial place of Assam was completely washed away. Between 1950-1964, part of Goalpara town was sub-merged in the Brahmaputra due to erosion. Similarly erosion effected Dhubri town also. But the scale of devastation was much more in the rural areas than in the town areas because in case of the latter some measures are taken by the Govt. to control erosion. However no such measure is taken in the case of village. The data computed during the period 1964 and 1969, revealed that on an average 253 villages and 8091 hectares of farmland are being washed away by the Brahmaputra. After independence, erosion completely washed way several thousand villages of the Brahmaputra banks from 'Sadia to Sukchar'. The majuli the largest river island of the world is severaly affected by erosion. Between 1950 and 1988 a large no. of villages of Kamrup, Nalbari and Barpeta district were under erosion. Barpeta is one of the worst affected districts of Assam by erosion. Although official reports are not available, it has been unofficially assesed that from Hajo to Moinbori in the district of barpeta 150 villages have been completely washed away and many villages were partially washed away. In the district Barpeta the area from the villege Chanpur, Kalampur, Sonapur, Alipur, Rosulpur, Roumari, Chenimari, Chenglidia, Balidhari and many villages are completely under Brahmaputra Now. In 1959, the Tarabari market was completely by erosion. The villages to the west and south of Tarabari were completely washed away. The no. affected people would be not less than 2 lakhs.

Edu-Cultural Condition of our Society

It is known to all and accepted by all that education is the instrument of social change and development. According to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the progress of a society is determined by education. Three obstacles that stand in the way of progress are ignorance, diseases and property. Of these major obstacle is ignorance. If the ignorance is removed from the men’s mind s their poverty will diminish and the disease will be eliminated. The history of civilization shows that the progressive philosophy-the scientific point of view, the realistic and positive out look and the aesthetic sense are basic factors for individual and social progress. Here the finding of an anthropological research can be added. This research had found out that the amount of sex control is positively correlated with the development of a race. It means that the more amount of sex controlled the more is the development of a race. The progress of America, Japan, England and other advanced countries is due to their progressive philosophy. They could link their philosophy with economic growth. Now a day, it is observed that many people are following this path and their advancement is on the progress. But those who are unable to and unwilling to accept this path is bound to be down trodden.
It is difficult but important to achieve all the factors behind the                                                                                                                    progress and advancement. There are the great gifts of education-time fitting quality education.                    The quality education has been considered as the key factor of all-round and balanced development of an individual as well as the society, The quality education refers to that education which can produce the quality people having high degree of goodness, worth and excellence. Quality depends on how and how much knowledge and information an individual acquires, belief and attitude towards the knowledge he develops and habit of doing or work culture he imbibes. These are the three Pillars of personality which are related to truth, goodness and beauty truth in knowledge and information, goodness of feeling and attitude, and beauty in doing or behaviour.
Thus the quality in the achievement of an individual’s education is required to be reflected in his behaviour or personality, in his thought and feeling. The external and superficial flourishment of the periphery is not the purpose of education. Through education we are to open our eyes to see the things as they are not as we are and to loosen our tongue to speak what is right and just-what is real and reasonable. It is in this way, one’s behaviour is shadowed by the beauty and gradually it covers the whole sky of the society.
Culture is closely related with education. It is rightly said that the cultivation of land is agriculture and the cultivation of mind is culture. Through education mind is cultivated. The cultural development of a society largely depends on quality education and progressive outlook. Again social enlightenment and advancement depend on edu-cultural condition of the society. A society or a community living without changing and developing culture is an ugly spectacle of the modern society. The culture is the way of living. It enriches the dry skeleton of our individual and social life with flesh and blood and makes it colourful and beautiful. It improves the taste and temperament, aesthetic and ethical quality of people. Above all, culture is the identity of a community through which it introduces itself to others.