GROWTH OF TEA IN INDIA :
Robert Bruce was the first man to locate assam tea plant. He was a tranding mission in 1823 when he had reportedly seen tea plant gwowing wild in hills near. Rangpur(near present sibsagor), the capital of Assam.
According to some source - discovery of tea is cradited to a local assamese noble man, moniram dewan who latter worked in the Assam Company for some time. It possibly this gentleman who brought the plant to the notice of Robert Bruce during his visit to Rangpur - 1823.
Robert Bruce made arrangement with a singpho chief to supply him some tea plants during his next visite in the following year, 1824. Before he could come and collect the plants, he died.
C.A. BRUCE the brother of Robert Bruce on an assignment to assam, collected some tea plants and seeds from a Shingpho Shief, he planted these plants in the garden at sadiya and then sent some plants to MR. JENKINS, commisioner at Guwahati and a few leaves were also sent to DrWALLIAH, superintendent of Botanical Garden, Calcutta. He identified these leaves belonging to camellia family.
In 1834, Lord William Bentink, Governor General of india appointed a tea committee to advice on the possibility of commercial cultivation. C.J. Gordon was sent to china procure seeds on the subject, Since 1836.
Import of tea seeds continued for many regularly into China.
The seeds brought from china by C.J. Gordon were raised in Nurseries in the Government Botanical Garden in culcutta. Plants for these nurseries were sent to upper assam, Dehradoon, kumaon and Nilgiri hills.
This has been responsible for determining future course of tea cultivation throughout the world.
One Shingpho Shief prepared 35 out of 130 chests of tea Which C.A. Bruce sent to Culcutta in 1841. This is indication that singphows must have been familliar with the plant and were and making and drinking tea for antiqity.
- santanu dirial.
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