Short answers, pulled from the story.
A Tai prince named Sukapha founded the Ahom dynasty in Assam when he led a force of 9,000 men from Mong Mao to the Brahmaputra Valley in the year 1228. This migration established a kingdom that endured for six centuries and eventually gave the region its modern name. The capital was established at Charaideo in 1253 to control the surrounding plains and hills.
The Battle of Saraighat took place in 1671 when the Mughal Empire launched a massive invasion to reclaim territories lost to the Ahom kingdom. The Assamese forces were led by the brilliant general Lachit Borphukan who utilized the river's currents to outmaneuver the Mughal fleet. This naval engagement on the Brahmaputra River resulted in the complete retreat of the Mughal forces and the signing of the Treaty of Ghilajharighat in 1663.
Camellia sinensis was discovered in Assam in 1834 which revolutionized the region's economy and transformed it into the world's leading tea producer. The British began establishing tea plantations in Eastern Assam and by the 1850s the industry began generating profits. The discovery of petroleum in 1889 in the Upper parts of Assam marked the beginning of the oil industry in Asia and the region holds a quarter of India's oil.
The Brahmaputra River transforms into a braided river that is sometimes 10 miles wide and creates a floodplain that stretches 600 miles long and 50 to 60 miles wide. This hydro-geomorphic environment is characterized by tributaries and oxbow lakes that provide a unique ecosystem for the region. Heavy monsoon rains cause the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers to overflow their banks leading to widespread flooding.
Assam is home to 45 languages spoken by different communities including three major language families: Austroasiatic, Sino-Tibetan, and Indo-European. The state's population was estimated at 31 million in 2011 and is composed of various ethnic groups such as the Bodos, Mishing, Karbi, and Nepali speakers. The Assamese language is spoken by over 15 million people as their mother tongue and serves as the lingua franca of the region.
The Assam Accord was signed in 1985 following a six-year agitation known as the Assam Movement of the 1980s. The movement aimed to identify and deport illegal immigrants from Bangladesh after a sudden rise in registered voters on electoral rolls was discovered. The accord's unimplemented provisions have left a legacy of simmering discontent and fueled the rise of armed separatist groups like the United Liberation Front of Asom.