Bruce Brothers and Assam Tea
BRUCE BROTHERS AND ASSAM TEA
As a beverage, tea is popular worldwide. The history of the discovery of Assam tea and the establishment of the tea industry in Assam is a series of events and figures that intertwine to tell a fascinating story, both in its nature and spirit. The story dates back to a time when China was the sole source of tea leaves for Great Britain. The growing demand for tea in the British Isles and overreliance on China led to the need for an alternative source. It was amid such conditions that Robert Bruce discovered a plant that proved highly beneficial to India.
The Man behind Assam Tea
Tea - Its Cultivation and Preparation
Tea bushes were abundant in the jungles of Assam and were consumed as a beverage by local tribes, including the Singphos and the Khamtis. Robert Bruce was a Scottish explorer, merchant, and ex-Major in the Bengal Artillery who first came to Assam in 1822. In 1823, he visited Rangpur, which was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom. He was in close contact with a local nobleman, Maniram Dutta, popularly known as Maniram Dewan, who introduced him to a local Singpho Chief, Beesa Gam. Upon his arrival, Bruce found that the leaves of the unknown specimen of the plant resembled those of China’s Camellia Sinensis var. sinensis.
This was a significant moment in the history of tea plantations in Assam and India, shaping the fate of the British colonials, the labourers, and the people of Assam for generations. Ironically, Robert Bruce did not live to see the consequences of his important discovery, as he died in 1824 and was buried in Tezpur.
The contributions and roles of the Bruce brothers in the discovery and establishment of the tea industry in Assam are central to the history of tea cultivation in India, particularly in Assam. In 1871, Charles Bruce was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Society of Arts for his role in the cultivation of tea in Assam. He passed away in 1871 and was buried in Tezpur, Assam.
The work initiated by Robert Bruce was continued by his younger brother, Charles Alexander Bruce (C. A. Bruce). During the Anglo-Burmese War (1824), C. A. Bruce was in charge of the British Gunboat division. He met with the same Singpho Chief and planted saplings in the Chief’s bungalow in Sadiya. He also sent a few to the Chief Commissioner, Jenkins, who was based at Guwahati and some to the Botanical Gardens (Calcutta). After several setbacks and experiments, C. A. Bruce sent a small batch of tea to the Tea Committee in 1836. The samples were approved by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Auckland and experts also ascertained that the tea was of good quality. Subsequently, in 1837 and 1838, forty-six and eight chests of tea, respectively, were dispatched to London. On 10 January 1839, the first consignment was auctioned off in London. Finally, in 1839, the Assam Tea Company was established, thereby heralding a new chapter in the history of tea in India.
The Tombstone of Charles Bruce in Tezpur