Guwahati

Guwahati is one of Assam’s oldest urban centres, rooted in the ancient traditions of Pragjyotishpura and the wider Kamarupa region mentioned in early Sanskrit sources. Archaeology also supports long, continuous settlement: the Ambari excavations in the heart of the city show occupation layers (notably from about the 7th–12th centuries CE and later phases), highlighting Guwahati’s importance as an early cultural and craft hub.

The city’s name is commonly explained from Assamese/Sanskrit roots connected with areca-nut (“guwa/guvaka”) and “hati” (rows/plantations), reflecting older agrarian landscapes around the town.

In the early 19th century, Guwahati saw conflict and change: Burmese forces held the area (1816–1826), and after British takeover it became an important administrative and river-trade centre on the Brahmaputra. In modern Assam, Guwahati’s political role rose again when the state capital shifted to the Guwahati area—Dispur becoming the capital seat in 1972—cementing Guwahati as the region’s gateway city.