Which one of the following tribes from India's North-East had the earliest known association with cultivation and production of tea ?
- A.Khasis
- B.Garos
- C.Singphos
- D.Jayantias
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Singphos. The Singpho people of upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were brewing tea from the wild Assam tea plant long before the British began tea gardens.
In 1823 the Scottish trader Robert Bruce learnt from the Singpho chief Bessa Gam that a wild tea plant grew in upper Assam, and his brother Charles Alexander Bruce later collected its plants and seeds. This discovery led the East India Company to start tea cultivation in Assam in the 1830s, and the Assam Company was formed in 1839. The Singphos still make a traditional tea, often called phalap, by packing roasted leaves into bamboo tubes. They live mainly around Margherita in Assam and Miao in Arunachal Pradesh.
A is wrong because the Khasis of Meghalaya are known for their matrilineal society and living root bridges, not for early tea making. B is wrong because the Garos of the Garo Hills are known for the Wangala harvest festival. D is wrong because the Jaintias of Meghalaya are known for their matrilineal kingdom and monoliths.
Exam tip: Singpho chief Bessa Gam showed Assam tea to Robert Bruce in 1823; Assam Company formed 1839.
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- D.Karnataka
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