Arupjyoti Saikia, (Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati), “The Unruly Floodplains, the British Empire and an Environmental History of the Brahmaputra” (South Asian Studies Council Colloquium)

The British East India company occupied Assam in 1826. Soon began half-hearted attempt to control the floodplains of the Brahmaputra. Much of it posed serious challenges. Resistance came from different corners: from the monsoon climate, the shifting river courses, and the unruly floodplains. Over the next decades, the imperial officials, learning from the intricacies of coexisting with water, embarked on a complex as well as the difficult task of redesigning the floodplain landscape. By bringing the river Brahmaputra into the center-stage of Assam, this talk recounts this imperial project.

Arupjyoti Saikia is a Professor in History of Indian Institute of Technology. This event is part of South Asian Studies Council Colloquium Series Fall 2018.