A late arrival
The Tai-Khamti migrated into upper Assam from the Irrawaddy country in the eighteenth century, and as the Ahom kingdom disintegrated during the Moamaria rebellion they took control of Sadiya, the frontier post that guarded the passes.
Unlike the Ahoms, who had adopted Hinduism over centuries, the Khamtis retained Theravada Buddhism and the Tai script, and their monasteries are still active in Arunachal Pradesh and upper Assam.
The British, having annexed Assam in 1826, confirmed the Khamti chief in office and then reduced his authority. In 1839 the Khamtis attacked the British post at Sadiya and killed its commanding officer, Colonel White; the reprisal broke their political position permanently. The community remains in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Further reading
- Keay, John. India: A History. HarperCollins, 2000
- Wolpert, Stanley. A New History of India. Oxford University Press, 2009
- Bayly, C. A. Indian Society and the Making of the British Empire. Cambridge University Press, 1988
- Behrendt, Kurt A. The Art of Gandhara in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2007
- Bodhi, Bhikkhu. In the Buddha's Words. Wisdom Publications, 2005
See also
This entry was last revised on 1 August 2026.