Tea cultivation in Assam can be traced back to the early 19th century when the region was under British colonial rule. It was during the time of the East India Company that Robert Bruce, an officer with the company, discovered wild tea plants growing in the forests of Assam in 1823. The East India Company began experimenting with tea cultivation in Assam, with the first commercial tea garden established in 1837 at Chabua. However, the initial years were challenging due to lack of knowledge about tea cultivation techniques and the hostile climate and terrain of Assam. The turning point for tea growing in Assam came with the formation of the Assam Tea Company in 1939. The company was established by a group of entrepreneurs who recognised the immense commercial prospects of tea. The Assam Tea Company acquired large tracts of land in the region and introduced advanced cultivation methods, such as plucking the tea leaves using indigenous labourers. To meet the growing demand for labour in the tea gardens, the British introduced the indentured labour system. Under this system, labourers were brought from other parts of India, primarily from Bihar and Odisha, to work in the tea plantations. These labourers known as "coolies" endured harsh working conditions and were subjected to exploitative practices by the plantation owners. The indentured labour system played a crucial role in the expansion of tea plantations in Assam, but it also perpetuated social and economic inequalities.