Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh, often called the “Tea City of India,” grew from a riverbank settlement in Upper Assam into a major commercial and administrative centre. The wider region was part of the Ahom Kingdom for centuries, and after the Treaty of Yandabo (1826) Assam came under British rule, which reshaped local administration and trade routes. Local accounts trace the town’s name to the Dibru/Dibaru river and “garh” (fort)—linked with a fort said to have been built by the British on the riverbank, giving the place its identity as “Dibrugarh.”

In the 19th century, Dibrugarh expanded quickly with the rise of the tea economy and river-based transport, turning it into an important market and movement point for plantation produce and other goods. Over time, it developed strong civic institutions and later became the headquarters of the district. Administratively, Dibrugarh district was created on 2 October 1971 (split from Lakhimpur), and Tinsukia was carved out from it on 1 October 1989. In recent years, the city’s civic status was upgraded with the formation of the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation in March 2024, reflecting its growing urban importance.